A week in Rome

Maria Elena Vilches, P. Andrew Pastore. A series of encounters took place during the past week in Rome. Members of the Team 2014 traveled to join the Rome Team for an intense week of planning.

There was no better way to start the official meetings but to participate from the Pentecost Vigil – the Encounter of the Movements – with Pope Francis on the afternoon of Saturday, May 18^th. 150,000 pilgrims gathered at St. Peter Square, among them 100 members of the Schoenstatt Family… a very symbolic number! The Holy Father’s words – addressed to the Church as a whole – apply to Schoenstatt in a perfect way: “The Church cannot be locked within itself.”

Fr. Heinrich Walter shares some thoughts about his experience at the Vigil: “The high point took place when the Holy Father gave his very personal testimony. He set all sheets of paper aside, made jokes, and created an atmosphere of trust, opening everyone’s hearts. He then spoke about the way his faith grew in depth already during his childhood. ‘Love of Christ should come first.’ Just as Peter did in Jerusalem, today Pope Francis gave public witness of his love for Christ. He also spoke about the new person. This crisis is not a crisis of the world, but a crisis of the person, but still man and women are image of God.”

With this initial motivation a fruitful and intense week started out. On Pentecost day – while the Holy Father celebrated the Pentecost Mass with the Movements, all the members of the Rome Team gathered at the International Center in Belmonte to present all the progress that has been done so far and to decide upon the next steps to take in this way to the Jubilee celebration. There is the great desire that all the pilgrims find the way to the International Shrine “Matri Ecclesiae” at Belmonte. The Cor Ecclesiae Shrine of the Schoenstatt Sisters is also prepared to receive all the pilgrims.

Opened doors

Much newness was encountered during the week! Many doors have been opened in terms of live transmition and coverage: further conversations with EWTN took place, as well as with CTV (Vatican Television) and news agencies that transmit in different languages. Also, there has been concrete advance in terms of a meeting with the the Holy Father and the use of the Paul VI Aula.

Fr. Andrew Pastore had an important meeting with Fr. Federico Lombardi – spokesman of the Vatican – who mentioned the importance of the contribution that Schoenstatt makes to the Church as he encouraged to use the celebration to take steps forward towards the contribution of the Movement to the life of the church.

Throughout the week, the words engraved on Fr. Kentenich’s sarcophagus came to mind again and again: Dilexit Ecclesiam. “At the end of the celebration Fr. Kentenich’s words came to my mind: ‘Dilexit Ecclessiam’. Pope Francis shows us his love for Christ and for the Church, and invites us to live out of a greater love, to go beyond ourselves, being more specific, to seal little daily covenants in everyday life” commented Fr. Heinrich Walter.

Joyful news comes from Schoenstatt

The Team community gathered in Rome rejoiced with the news about the Original Shrine  – where probably  all the Schoenstatters of the world were spiritually present on the May 22^nd. A group of Sisters spontaneously went to the Church were St. Vincent Pallotti’s body rests and presented him with a flower bouquet in gratitude for the gift of the Shrine. The news – that went around the world in a matter of minutes – will be also transmitted in an interview to Fr. Andrew via EWTN.

There is a long way to go still, however, this week in Rome has been already a festive pilgrimage. During these days an atmosphere of jubilee joy and the “Grace 2014” were a tangible experience