TEAM 2014, Matías Cerviño. “It is necessary to have clear and concrete signs that say who we are,” said Fr. Alfredo Pereira, while explaining the motivation for the Youth Program during the Jubilee celebrations in Rome. The young Paraguayan Schoenstatt Father who has been working in Italy for several years is responsible for the “Youth Tent” – the meeting place for the youth during the Jubilee celebrations in Schoenstatt. He added that this “is a very concrete sign that unites with the missionary current that has been the impulse of the International Schoenstatt Youth on various continents for more than ten years.”
During the celebrations in Rome from 23 – 26 October, the International Schoenstatt Youth will have two opportunities to meet and celebrate. The first will be on Friday 24 October at 8p.m. It will take the form of a pilgrimage from San Salvatore Church in Onda, where St. Vincent Pallotti is buried, to St. Peter’s Square. The second meeting will be the mission in Rome when Pope Francis sends out the Schoenstatt Family during their audience with him.
A Youth Pilgrimage – for the entire Schoenstatt Family
“This pilgrimage is an expression of Schoenstatt’s gift for the Church. It is the lived experience of all for Schoenstatt, Schoenstatt for the Church, the Church for the Triune God. It is love for the Church,” explains Manuel Albuquerque from the Portuguese Boys’ youth who was responsible planning this pilgrimage, together with Maria Villar. This pilgrimage is a gift from the youth to all pilgrims belonging to the Schoenstatt Family. After the huge celebrations in Schoenstatt, after each group has visited the basilicas and shrines in Rome, they will come together in this pilgrimage. Deilton Coelho, a seminarian with the Schoenstatt Fathers, who is responsible for the youth program, describes the spirit of this pilgrimage as “retracing our history with gratitude and taking it as a gift to the heart of the Church.”
Missions in the City of Rome
“Pope Francis, will send the whole Movement out as missionaries. After the meeting with the Holy Father, the youth will gather near Paul VI Hall, break up into numerous groups and go to different parts of Rome, such as the parish of the Schoenstatt Fathers in Rome, Villa Pantfili Park and St. Peter’s Square, to be missionaries, to make Schoenstatt a movement that goes out onto the streets.
“As a symbol of the Jubilee and the missionary generation, we want to share this warmth, which is part of our charism in Rome, at the heart of the Church,” commented Fr. Alfredo. “It is our unique way of being counted among Francis’ Church. In this way, our celebration joins in the life that has been the mark of our youth for many years and Pope Francis’ constant invitation to share and announce Jesus Christ, to be a Church that goes out onto the street. He then said that this “speaks about who we are and who we want to be. We want to be in the heart of this Church that is building itself, this Church to which the Pope invites us, a Church that goes out.
Afternoon of Mission
The afternoon of 25 October will be an afternoon of mission. The youth will meet again at San Francisco and Santa Catalina Parish (belonging to the Schoenstatt Fathers) in the Trastevere area to celebrate Mass and to bring a close to the missions with an evening meal. Deilton explained that the aim of this activity is to “give space to the youth, as the protagonists of a new era so that they can take the fire and inheritance we received into the future. We want to celebrate this task and fire we have received.”
Finally, the Italian youth who are organizing the activities agree that this mission “is a concrete sign from the Blessed Mother so that the Italian youths can continue to make strides and our charism can become better known in Italy. Their desire is that missionaries may emerge from these activities who want to join the project in Rome, the youth who will want to come to Rome to help out with projects that are being carried out in this city.”
Translation: Team 2014/Sarah-Leah Pimentel, South Africa
