ARGENTINA, mda. While thousands and thousands of members and people who are close to Schoenstatt celebrated the 100 years of the Covenant of Love in the Schoenstatt Shrines, in Paraná it was celebrated in another way. Like every year, the “Pilgrimage of the People” was carried out on the third weekend of October. With the motto, “In Covenant with Mary we walk for peace,” thousands of the faithful from Entre Rios followed National Route Nº 12 from Hasenkamp toward the city of Paraná for the 32nd edition of the “Pilgrimage of the People.” The line of the faithful left on the afternoon of Friday, the 17th, from the Mother Thrice Admirable’s Wayside Shrine, the patroness of the Schoenstatt Apostolic Movement in Hasenkamp. They walked the edge of the route during the night and the following day, until they arrived close to 7:00 p.m. at the La Loma Shrine, in the provincial capital, in the midst of a strong storm and winds.
The organizers and the security team made sure that more than 20,000 people participated from this demonstration of faith and devotion to Mary, which this year was marked by the centenary Jubilee of the Covenant of Love that Father Joseph Kentenich, founder of the Schoenstatt Movement, sealed with the Virgin Mary at the beginning of this ecclesial work.
In the light of the torches
The organizers planned six stops within the ninety kilometers separating Hasenkamp from Paraná. The pilgrims were overcome with great emotion upon arriving at one of the stops at the height of the Cerrito site close to 2:00 a.m. There they received the torches, and they walked in the light of candles as a gesture that symbolized the desire for the renewal of faith.
Because of the intense rain that began at noon, the pilgrims arrived exhausted at the Shrine and the Mass had to be suspended until later. Despite this, the presbyter, Alfonso Dittler, the pastor of Saint Joseph of Hasenkamp, and one of the organizers of the march, stressed the great number of the convocation and the demonstrations of faith, especially among the youth.
“It has been a celebration of faith and although we have gotten wet, and we had some difficult moments, we fulfilled the goal we had set. I believe this should serve as encouragement to the youths and remind them that they have a mother, who is the Virgin who loves them, who waits for them and shelters them. I consider that the Church has to give the youths an important place so that they can walk the road of Christ with a project from faith.”
… but you continue and continue
Flavio Miguel Schiavoni, from Hasenkamp, participated for the second time. He shares his testimony:
“After carrying out the pilgrimage in 2013, although not always walking, upon arriving and participating in the Mass at the Shrine, I promised our Mother to walk it completely this year of 2014. A month before, I began to prepare myself spiritually and also physically with some setbacks that emerged. At times you do not feel your legs or feet, but you always continue and continue, the group and the desire to finish carries you. All of this is truly very beautiful, you do not know if you are going to Heaven or if Heaven is descending, you feel that angels go up with everyone’s petitions, and they come down with blessings and graces, strengthening our soul, giving peace to our heart.
The entire experience is very beautiful, and I do not have words to describe it. It is recommended to everyone, also to be servers, helping and accompanying the people, protecting them on the route, guiding them through the safest way, in the vans, in helping with the buses and the stations, in helping the police, the firemen and gendarmes, doctors and nurses with their ambulances and places of assistance, trucks that provide water at many of the intervals on the route. Everyone participated joyfully, and I will do it as many times as I can.
The weather was good for almost the entire route, it was not very hot, and for the most part it was cloudy; even the night was pleasant. Night was very touching when everyone lighted candles in small torches prepared with cane and cut plastic bottles. Along the route, there are many hills in our area, and seeing everyone from afar with flaming torches was like the walk was a river of fire taking the light of Christ to all the nations. Many people joined at all the stands and towns, and all the people on the route received many blessings. And this is the reason it is called the Pilgrimage of the People.
Close to the last noon, it was very hot and we received rain, just like almost every year. It greatly refreshed us since we needed it and it gave us the strength to finish, since it was hot and we were getting close. This did not stop us from finishing. Almost everyone had wet feet, others were totally wet, and yet, we gave ourselves strength with songs of praise; we mutually encouraged each other. There you encounter people you have seen other years and you feel very joyful about this. The rain continued until 7:00 p.m., and we finished very cold and tired, but everything turned out excellently, and it was an offering of total giving of self, which strengthens you for your entire life. We were also able to participate in the Mass at the conclusion. Upon returning home, the recuperation was complete after some rest. The next day I did not feel tired, or pain, but with much spiritual strength.
It is the second consecutive year that I carried out the 90km Pilgrimage to the Schoenstatt Shrine from my city and twenty-six hours of prayer and praise. Upon seeing the Shrine, I had the feeling that I should revive my devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Patroness of America…”
Original: Spanish – Translation: Celina M. Garza, San Antonio, TX USA
