Dear pilgrims

A time of encounter…

Wherever you are, it is advent time. Mary and Joseph journey seeking shelter, the expectation of the encounter with the saviour draws near.

Expectation grows as we journey toward 2014.

I’m a very real way I am able to experience this expectation and encounter in an intensive way, as I travel, with David Perera to visit the national teams preparing for 2014 in South America.

We encounter each other – how great to meet so many people on the same journey I am. Families, Sisters, Fathers, a brother of Mary helping pilgrims on their way to Cracupe (now I know that at least one person reads this newsletter), travel agencies and other movements… On that common journey, we experience each other in a new way, open ourselves and give courage for the journey.

We encounter each country – and the richness is a blessing. It’s amazing how each family has its own strengths, how the fruits of the covenant are so varied and vast. Work with the families in Mexico, the youth of the Shrine in Paraguay, the vastness of the work of the pilgrim Mother in Brasil the work with Bioethics in Argentina, the social work of Maria Ayuda in Chile, just to name a few….

We encounter Mary and the covenant – Mary is alive at the heart of our family, she works from the Shrine. the connection to the national Shrines of pilgrimage in each country a testimony to life in the covenant in all it’s originality and diversity.

What a blessing this journey is for our Schoenstatt Family. Grace 2014 is not something that is coming, it is here, it is now:

Wishing you a deep time of encounter step by step on your pilgrimage 2014

God Bless

Fr. Andrew Pastore

The Pope is awaiting us in Rome…

Many are aware of a letter to Cardinal Errázuriz (Schoenstatt Father and member of the group of Cardinals working closely with the Pope after his election) confirming the Pope’s willingness to meet with the Schoenstatt Family in Rome ion the 25th October 2014. This is a responese to an invitation from Fr. Heirnich Walter. The letter includes the typical “Roman” caution, as no one can foresee what may happen between now and then, but various moments of encounter with Pope Francis have confirmed that he is aware of our celebrations and is awaiting us in Rome for this encounter. As a Schoesntatt Family we will have the opportunity to see the pope twice during our Pilgrimage. Once in the jEncounter with him on Saturday, 25th October and a second time after the final mass in St. Peter’s Cathedral, at the midday Angelus on the Sunday.

Journey in South America…

Fr. Andrew and David Perara have been to vista a number of the national teams in Latin America. These visits followed the encounters both in Europe and America North and South of the Fathers and Sisters representing the national Schoenstatt Families.

These encounters were a great chance both to share and to listen to the progress of the preparations for 2014 in the different countries and connect this to the preparations taking place of the International Pilgrimage to Schoenstatt and Rome. We came in contact with a wealth of streams of preparation, novenas, capital of grace, projects and much more….

The journey to 2014 is a real international journey. We have so much to share with each other – incredible fruits of the covenant of love.

Two questions we were repeatedly asked

Will I be able to enter the Shrine….
Yes… The Original Shrine, as well as the Adoration Church are “Spiritual Centers”. Everyone will be able to spend time there – as much as they like. Of course – everyone wants to enter the Shrine – and we want that everyone has the chance. So the space around the Shrine will be a place where once you have been inside – you can spend time with your thoughts and prayers… It is and will be a place of prayer and adoration. The same is true of the Tomb of the Fr. Kentenich

What will the we be like…
The last two years have been very mild. There is plenty of space for people to find shelter and warmth if the weather isn’t as good as it was this year.

Fr. Andrew Pastore

We are celebrating our Jubilee year.  Every month is another step leading us to the feast of October 18th.  Last November, we moved closer to our Founder and Father and are more united to him.  Here in December, we propose to share the great joy of Jesus transformed into man.  Father Kentenich says: “Joy is a profound means of reaching sanctity.”  This is a month of jubilation, an expression of the jubilee joy that accompanies us throughout this course.  We are building a spiritual network of living shrines.  This network unites all our filial shrines, home shrines, work shrines and heart shrines.  During this month, we take up the commitment to live more joyfully.  This way we aim to bring joy to others.  A shared joy is a bigger joy.  Life enkindles life.  In Advent and Christmas, there are several opportunities to live with more joy, with more peace.

As the Spanish Schoenstatt family, we want to give a gift to Mary in thanksgiving of the first 100 years of the Covenant.  This gift we would like to present to the Church and the world, and it involves our commitment to build a network of living shrines, which means consecrating our hearts to Mary to shelter the hearts of many others and be apostles of Christ in the midst of our world: family, work….  The symbol of this gift is a net.

In November, the accent of our endeavor was Father Kentenich.  In Father´s hands, we forged this net of living shrines.  Besides the unity, which we aspire to, the net reminds us of our mission: cast your nets into the sea.  Everyone tries to deepen, personalize, conquer these accents or symbols, so through our example, we radiate the Covenant Culture in a more simple way.

Mother, give us the strength 
to spread a covenant culture
in our world today 
and educate us
to be your true missionaries for this century.

Since October 18, 2013, we have commenced the Jubilee year for the 100 years of the first Covenant of love with Mary.  Joyfully we thank Mary and Our Lord for everything that we have received during these years.  There have been many miracles of love that she has done silently in so many hearts.  The Shrine has been the fountain of life whose source is the very heart of God.