BRAZIL, Sr. M. Rosequiel Fávero and Sr. M. Nilza P. da Silva. We are just a few days away from the start of the Original Pilgrim Mother’s ‘pilgrimage of grace’ through the dioceses of Brazil. A great deal of preparation has begun in the cities and dioceses that will receive her. The Original Pilgrim Mother will have an important role to play in the 2014 Jubilee celebrations of the Covenant of Love in Schoenstatt, and especially in Rome.In the 2014 Working Document it is written: “With a missionary spirit, the Original Pilgrim Mother will come to the ‘2014Covenant of Love’ in the Mother Shrine – as a sign of the return current, placing herself at the center of the international missionary pilgrim Family. With the Pilgrim Mother, the Jubilee becomes a celebration for millions of people around the world.” (Working Document, 1.2.2)
The culminating moment will be in Rome: “At the start of the second century of our Covenant of Love, we will present our apostolic projects to the Holy Father and ask him to send us out as signs of the missionary cross and the MTA picture, particularly in the previously cited apostolic fields: marriage and family life, youth, education, Church and society: Nothing without us.
This sending out will be expressed through the blessing of our missionary crosses and the crowning of the Original Pilgrim Mother (as a noble example of the missionary power of the Covenant of Love in all the apostolic initiatives) Nothing without You.” (Working Document, 2.2).
In preparation for this, the Original Pilgrim Mother will travel throughout Brazil, starting in April 2012.
Brazil prepares to receive her
Messages are arriving from allover, expressing the joy of receiving the Original Pilgrim Mother. For example, Isack and Simone Alves from Manaus/AM wrote: “We are excited to see this image here in Manaus, because it is the first time that the Blessed Mother leaves her ‘original house’ to visit her children in the northern region. We are praying to hear what she wants from each one of us here in Manaus. Here the Blessed Mother will go on pilgrimage by boat and canoe along the Amazon River. Thank you Mother for this great blessing. We are telling everyone that Grace will arrive on an airplane in July. We are here in Manaus waiting for Mother.
In Jundiai/Sao Paulo, the program to welcome the Original Pilgrim Mother is also creating excitement. Adilson de Carvalho explains: “On 22 July 2012, the original image will be in Jundiai. It will be a huge celebration! She will be received at the entrance to the city, taken in procession on the fire engine to the Cathedral of our Lady of Exile. The people will hold vigils and attend special Holy Masses at the Cathedral and St. Joseph Carmel. It will be a day of praise and prayer to the Mother of Jesus who educates us and takes us, as the great missionary, to her Son, Jesus.”
So each community awaits the visit of the Original Pilgrim MTA, with creativity, and the same love.
Santa María prepares to send her
In the same way as this waiting is filling so many filial hearts, so too at the Marian Centre in Santa Maria/RS – where she has lived since 1980 when João Pozzobon returned her to Sr. M. Terezinha – Pozzobon’s children are happy to provide such great joy to their brothers in the Covenant and to share the blessings of the original.
As soon as this ‘fantastic idea’ of a pilgrimage by the Original Pilgrim Mother across Brazil became concrete, the first question was: “How will the Blessed Mother travel the length and breadth of Brazil?” In the house chapel of the Marian Centre, a beautiful acrylic reliquary protects the Pilgrim Mother. But this will not be strong enough even for the first leg of the journey. A Family Federation couple, Elson and Valéria Biacchi took up the challenge to design a ‘traveling reliquary,’ so that this great treasure can travel with the security and honor she deserves. After weeks of work and effort, they were able to give the Blessed Mother a reliquary that will protect her, and at the same time, allow her many children to meet with her.
The second ‘work front’ was a lamp accompanying the Original Pilgrim Mother and representing the Tabor mission through the Covenant of Love. Sr. M. Senira, Sr. M. Juciele, and Sr. M. Roseli from Metalearte where Father Kentenich took up this task and twenty-two lamps, one for each of the Schoenstatt shrines in Brazil, will be on the altar of the Tabor Shrine during the Easter celebrations.
The secretariats of the Schoenstatt Pilgrim Mother Campaign in Santa Maria and Atibaia/SP will organize the pilgrimage itinerary, ensure the preparation of the support materials for the celebrations and experiences, and provide all the necessary documents. All this needs to be done quickly, because the sending out –April 18th– is fast approaching.
Taking care of this treasure
On the ‘other side’ in the parishes and dioceses, among the great joy of receiving the news of the Original Pilgrim Mother’s visit, preparations to receive such a dear and meaningful person also increased in frenzy. No less important is the care required for the transportation of the Pilgrim Mother who, with her ‘pilgrim reliquary,’ cannot be transported in a car. And João Pozzobon never placed her in the trunk of a car. Creativity and love will find the way…
Antonio and Ivone Rampazzo from São Paulo/SP write: “Yes, all of the Schoenstatt Pilgrim Mother missionaries will take the necessary care to ensure that this relic is treated, transported, and venerated with all the affection, respect and dignity, honoring Pozzobon’s apostolic fervor, and all of us as missionaries that we may have the grace to, once again, be near her.”
Participate in the best part
All this preparation is sustained by the ‘best part’: prayer and contributions to the Capital of Grace. From the moment that they received the news that Original Pilgrim Mother would once again go on pilgrimage, many people have been praying in particular for this intention. Fransisco Isaias and Luciana from Mogi das Cruzes/SP said: “We will remain in prayer until the moment we can place our contributions to the capital of grace into her hands.” Yes, this is the precious preparation, where everyone can collaborate to ensure that this great pilgrimage by the Original Pilgrim Mother can further unite the Scheonstatt Family in the Tabor mission as it journeys towards Covenant Jubilee!
Source: www.tabormta.org
International edition: alisol, Maria de Lurdes Dias
Translation: Sarah-Leah Pimentel, Pretoria, South Africa
