DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, Sr. Marissel. On the Tuesday afternoon of October 19th, Madelin Rincón Mieses, a member of the Schoenstatt Girls’ Youth in the Dominican Republic, left this earth to encounter the Heavenly Queen in Eternity….. Her life is a great testimony for the youth. She is probably the first “black cross” of the triennium towards 2014.
Getting to know a little bit about her life
Madelin was born on December 26, 1993 in La Victoria, Dominican Republic. She was the youngest of three siblings and the only girl of the house; therefore, she was greatly loved by all her relatives.
From childhood, her parents were concerned for her Christian education. Her paternal grandparents belong to the Schoenstatt Families Branch and, therefore, she had an attachment to the Blessed Mother in her Shrine. She made her first communion while still very young.
At age 11, Madelin was diagnosed with an insufficiency in the mitral valve. From then on began the strong crises which eventually weakened her heart. In spite of all the medical interventions, her heart continued deteriorating.
She was very helpful. She stood out because of her great love for children: she was always ready to take care of the children in around her, and the neighbors confidently would ask for Madelin’s help with this service. Timid and quiet, but always with a beautiful smile, she unselfishly would serve others and was, therefore, the center of attention for many.
Her love for Schoenstatt…
Madelin prepared herself very carefully to seal her Covenant of Love along with the members of her group. In spite of her physical weakness, she did all she could in order to participate in the preparation for her Covenant of Love. Not being able to seal her Covenant along with her group was a great suffering for her. Due to a very heavy downpour, Madelin was not able to travel on the day foreseen for her consecration. She wept bitterly. The Sister adviser to the Girls’ Youth asked her if she still wanted to seal it on her own. The group and the leader tried to motivate her, knowing how timid she was and that perhaps she might not dare to do it alone, but she bravely did not doubt in giving her response…..and a few days later, at the 7 AM Holy Mass, Madelin sealed her Covenant of Love.
Madelin sealed her Covenant of Love before the throne of the Mother Thrice Admirable, Queen and Victress of Schoenstatt in the Victoria Patris Shrine. She was accompanied by the members of her group and the adviser helped as much as possible so she would not be nervous. It was a day which left its mark on her and on all who participated in that act. She said in her consecration prayer: “Blessed Mother, I give you my defects and virtues, my doubts…..and my heart with its poverty and its richness.”
Her favorite phrase: “Blessed Mother, may whoever sees me, see You”
Madelin strove to maintain the fidelity to her consecration. In many of her writings she asks for the grace of fidelity, she often repeated the phrase: Blessed Mother, may whoever sees me, see You. In her petitions and writings, she would ask for Blessed Mother to help her remain pure and noble, like a little Mary. She loved the Youths’ national ideal: to be a “Living Crown of the Father for You.”
All who knew her perceived in her purity and nobility which she radiated, and how in the midst of the world, she made a difference among the other youths….. With our Father and Founder and united with the entire Schoenstatt Girls’ Youth of her area, she prayed daily: “Hail Mary, for the sake of your purity…”
The entire Schoenstatt Youth greatly esteemed her. They could see the effort she made to participate in all of the Branch’s activities. Often her group would go to her home to meet when she did not feel well…
During this year, 2010, Madelin suffered various crises which would not allow her to leave home. At the beginning of July, the doctors decided that open-heart surgery was necessary in order to change the valve in her heart. The risks for this type of surgery were known, and a prayer-chain was formed while the families and friends looked for the means so she could have the operation. Each month was a great struggle: she needed 18 blood donors and she had to have many medical studies performed. While everyone was concerned and anxious, Madelin looked very tranquil and serene, even when she went to the Youth Office to inform her adviser of the date for the surgery. The Sister – very concerned – asked her how she felt, but with a great smile she said: “Sister, you can relax. I am well because I know that Blessed Mother and Father will be with me.” This made the Sister very calm and joyful. While the date for the operation neared, the entire Youth prayed and offered many sacrifices for a successful surgery.
On the day before the surgery, Madelin went to the Shrine. She prayed for a while before the MTA, she had a long talk with her adviser, and she prepared herself for a good confession. The Sister and other friends from the Girls’ Youth accompanied her to her parish. She went to confession and received the anointing of the sick. She always inspired peace. When she finished receiving the Sacraments, she told her friends that she felt happy and very peaceful. They all embraced her and said: “Madelin, you are a saint.” She returned very joyful to her home and also expressed to her mother that she felt very happy because she had visited the Shrine, she had spoken to her adviser, and especially because she had gone to confession and had received the anointing of the sick…
With that joy and great peace, Madelin had the surgery the next day. According to the doctors, it had been successful, except that they did not expect that in the next few days her body would reject the valve which had been placed in her heart. They did all which was possible for her recovery, but on the fourth day they had to operate anew. This time she was not able to endure it. That day, many Youth members spent almost the entire day in the Shrine asking for a miracle, but God’s Will was something else. Around 3 PM, Madelin went to Heaven. Great pain paralyzed her family and the entire Schoenstatt Girls’ Youth, but they also understood God’s action in his Divine Providence with the certainty that she was already in Heaven.
Her last goodbye…
Madelin’s funeral was also an unforgettable experience: she was beautiful….. she looked like a princess in her white gown…..on her head a crown of little white roses…..the Rosary in her hands and her Covenant of Love medal. The banner of the Girls’ Youth was by her coffin and a multitude of persons – many youths among them – came to bid her a last farewell. She was taken to the Shrine, and with a Mass of Christian burial, Madelin went to bid farewell to her favorite place.
At the Holy Mass, the Girls’ Youth sang her favorite hymns. Everyone who saw her in the Shrine expressed their emotion because she really seemed like the Blessed Mother’s princess sleeping in peace. She is the first Living Cross of this generation who has gone to Heaven, and she is probably the first Black Cross of the triennium in preparation for 2014.
“We are grateful to God the Father for the gift of having Madelin in our Schoenstatt Family. She is now a great testimony for the Youth. We are also grateful for all who prayed with us for her.”
Translation: Carlos Cantú, Schoenstatt Family Federation, La Feria, Texas USA 110710
