Toward 2014 – in covenant with New Zealand

org. “I appreciate the photograph in the interior of the Shrine; the gesture of placing the photo of the Unity Cross over altar was mentioned during Mass as a testimony of spiritual unity”, Guillermo Romero, wrote on the afternoon of November 6th, a few hours after the blessing of the Unity Cross in the wayside shrine of Nogoyá, Argentina. A photo of this Cross was over the altar during the Mass “toward 2014”, celebrated in covenant with New Zealand -showing more and more that it is a Mass in covenant with the entire family. Father Francisco Sobral from Portugal, Secretary General of the Schoenstatt Fathers, was the celebrant. He was the loyal translator of the transmission of the opening of the Year of the Shrine current and Saturday after Saturday, he is in charge of offering the participants of this Mass information about the countries and the petitions for the day.

While the opening song was sung in English, Father Franscisco silently greeted everyone, who was following the Mass via Internet, with a look and a smile; at least this was the impression of several of the “virtual” participants. Several members of the Schoenstatt Family from Argentina were especially moved by this personal touch. Very late, on the previous night, the news of Luz Maria’s death in a horrible accident arrived at Schoenstatt. She is the daughter of a Schoenstatt family from San Luis, and Father Francisco had spontaneously promised to pray for her, for her family, and all the victims. In Spanish, Father Francisco expressed his solidarity with Luz Maria’s family and the Schoenstatt Family from San Luis. Luz Maria was mentioned later during the prayer for the dead after the Consecration.

An international Mass in covenant

Alternating in German, Spanish, Portuguese, and English, Father Francisco introduced New Zealand, greeting the Schoenstatt Family from this country in English, and he mentioned the intentions of this Mass: as always, the pilgrimage of the entire Schoenstatt Family toward the covenant jubilee, the fruitfulness of the apostolic projects, the activities and conferences around the world’s Shrines and wayside shrines, and especially the Schoenstatt Family in New Zealand, the blessing of the Unity Cross in Nogoyá, the members of the Schoenstatt Family who died this week, the ill – especially Father Jonathan Niehaus -, and all the petitions sent via schoenstatt.org, from more than fifteen countries.

The Sisters of Mary candidates contributed songs and the prayer of the faithful in English. After praying the Pilgrimage Prayer 2014 together in Spanish and German, Father Francisco invited everyone to unite in the simple and profound act that followed: the presentation of the slips of paper with all the intentions and petitions that were placed in the jar as a symbol of the contribution to the capital of grace. “We also add the email with the news about Luz Maria’s death”, he said, and this marked a moment of profound unity in the covenant. Hours later, the members of the family from San Luis were in front of the screen, profoundly touched by this gesture.

With bonds that cannot be broken

It does not take much to show that the Original Shrine is the international home of the entire family, and that there are no strangers on this pilgrimage toward the covenant jubilee…On the morning of November 5th, the profound attachments among New Zealand, Nogoyá, and the Original Shrine were woven…

After Mass, there was time for family unity with meetings and greetings among the participants, which took place during the breakfast at House Marienau, with a lively exchange about the progress in the Bundesheim.

Next Saturday everyone is invited to unite covenant with Austria. The Schoenstatt Family from that country will be in charge of the Mass. On Friday the petitions and information can be found on the link “2014” of the news of this web page. Schoenstatt-TV will transmit live.

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