org. It probably was not due to security measures that the usual poster on the altar or on the left altar rail, reminding week after week of the country that has its turn for the Mass on Saturday morning and unites the Schoenstatt family a weeklong in prayer for this country, was missing. Although in the case of North Korea, one could have thought it was missing by intention -this being a country touched by the Covenant of Love, where Christians are persecuted severely, and that holds an almost total news blockade. Instead of the poster for North Korea there were placed flags with the Jubilee 2014 logo that were to be blessed during the Holy Mass. It makes one think: the flags that are in the Holy Mass ‘in covenant’ are just for the country, but where this flag flies, people must be marching in step, and it is symbolic of total loyalty to the party line… and those who do not follow the party will most likely be put in a concentration camp. The flags that were blessed this morning fly in the freedom that Father Kentenich wanted for his family and for her to take to the Church and society.
The Original Shrine was so filled with Schoenstatters that many had to be outside. “And the atmosphere was one of tangible unity,” said one participant. Ana Aristide, Diocesan Coordinator for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Nueve de Julio in the Buenos Aires province, and María Inés Cutrone of the Buenos Aires Family Work, participated with much joy in this Holy Mass; as missionaries of the Schoenstatt Rosary Campaign, both are very excited with the idea of pilgrimage and the missionary force of the Covenant of Love, which have a central role in the preparations for 2014. “From the website, we had learned about these ‘Towards 2014 Masses in Covenant with…’ so even though we didn’t understand a word of the introduction or the prayers of the faithful, it wasn’t so bad. But when Father Jose Maria Garcia began to pray the pilgrimage prayer in Spanish, we were very happy and prayed fervently!”
A Pilgrim Family Pilgrimage reaching out to the others
When they return home in a couple of weeks, they will be glad to read on the website that Father Garcia spoke exactly about this attitude of making a pilgrimage, and for the Schoenstatt Family to once again put on the attitude of a pilgrim mind-set on the road to 2014. A Family that is on the move to serve God and man is what Schoenstatt should offer the Church with this Jubilee 2014. Father Garcia explained, “That Schoenstatt exists in a country like North Korea, we know from the international website, schoenstatt.org’s analysis. Visits on schoenstatt.org from this country demonstrate that interest in Schoenstatt is there. When modern technology makes it possible for people to virtually meet the Shrine’s grace, this should urge us as a Schoenstatt Family to reach out to them as a servant Church.”
In the prayers of the faithful, Sister M. Luciane prayed for North Korea’s Christians, for the Schoenstatt Family’s pilgrimage toward 2014, for all those preparing for this October 18th and for the delegates to the German October Conference. Father Garcia very intentionally deposited the papers with all other intentions, pilgrimages, big events of this weekend and the following days together with the petitions for prayer that were sent to the Original Shrine, in the jar.
And the flags…
The flags were blessed…. however this wasn’t sufficient for those present. After the final song was sung, as it was really already late, everything was kept and left in place for those who would take part in the next Holy Mass. But some wanted to look at the flags more closely and get an explanation about them… Meanwhile, the flags stand ready to be contemplated by all.
Meanwhile Father Garcia greeted the two Argentineans who were making a pilgrimage later that day to Gymnich to give thanks for the year of the Father Current at Father Kentenich’s birthplace and to also give thanks for this coming year’s Shrine Current and all that it has to offer them.
Video: Holy Mass in Covenant with North Korea
Translation: Mary Cole, Manchester, England
