URUGUAY, by Maria del Rosario de Armas •
In 1947, when Fr. Kentenich arrived for the first time in Latin America, the Sisters of Mary had three schools in Uruguay: one in Nueva Helvecia, Departamento Colonia, another in the city of Cardona, Soriano, and a third one in the Deaprtamento de Salto to the north of the country. Today there is only one in Nueva Helvecia, close to the First Daughter Shrine.
After staying for several days in Colonia, Fr. Kentenich traveled to Cardona, from there to Paysandú, and then he continued to Salto by train.
Our group of Schoenstatt Rosary Campaign missionaries from Montevideo wanted to follow his footsteps, but we could not retrace his trip exactly, because there are unfortunately no more passenger trains in this country. Our group departed by bus on 17 June at 11:00 p.m. traveling the route marked on the map. We arrived in Salto on Saturday, 18, Covenant Day, at 6:00 a.m.
Covenant footsteps
During this Holy Year of Mercy, this pilgrimage was a very profound and blessed experience. Sr. Mariela accompanied us from the start; she recently arrived in Uruguay, her country, as the adviser for the Movement.
Our group met Fr. José García at Salto; he is the parish priest at St. John the Baptist Basilica, the place where Fr. Kentenich stayed. We traveled through this place imagining the Father and Founder walking through those same halls, gardens, praying in this wonderful church.
On the way out, we met a former student from the school; she was very happy to here to share her memories and experiences. She would stay at the school all day, since she lived outside the city.
The school building is now a polyclinic, but many elements are still intact: the windows, floors, ceilings and even the wooden trellis everyone remembers on the playground. Some other women, who were also former students, were waiting for them. They all belong to a support commission of this polyclinic, whose building is parochial. It belongs to Sacred Heart Parish, where the group participated in Holy Mass.
It is important to stress that these former students transmit such love for the Blessed Mother. They have incorporated it to their families. Their way of thinking and acting revolves around the Blessed Mother. There is no doubt the Sisters of Mary left their mark on them. The house where the Sisters lived is around the corner.
Schoenstatt life evident near wayside Shrine blessed in 2015
Before the Mass, we prayed the rosary at the wayside shrine blessed in December 2015. It is located on a public square and the Schoenstatt Family is in charge of maintaining it. During the Eucharist, we could see how it is integrated in the parish life: choir, mothers, youths, couples.
Fr. Kentenich presented a conference for professionals in the city of Salto in a place known as the Green Hall, but, they did not locate the place and they did not have access to the transcripts of this conference.
It was known that he traveled accompanied by Sr. M. Ursula, his secretary and interpreter, so we supposed that there should be some record of his passing through this place.
Fr. Kentenich traveled by plane from Salto to Montevideo on 20 June 1947. From there, he departed for Buenos Aires on another plane; he arrived there for the first time on 29 May.
Paysandú’s gifts: missionaries, honking horns, and cake!
The following day, Sunday, 19 June 2016, our group continued to Paysandú, to visit a group of missionaries who take care of the Blessed Mother’s wayside shrine built along Route 3 leading to Montevideo. Before that, we participated in a Holy Mass at the Basilica. The missionaries were waiting for us.
We spent a wonderful time, on a spectacular day, with songs, prayers and a very delicious meal. The time there concluded with a delicious cake.
While there, we saw that it is place with busy traffic: many buses, cars pass by and almost all of them greet the Blessed Mother by honking their horn.
It was a grace-filled pilgrimage. We appreciated everyone who made this time so pleasant.
Without a doubt, there is a very rich life in the interior of Uruguay that must be made known.
Original: Spanish. Translation: Celina M. Garza, San Antonio, TX USA. Edited: Melissa Peña-Janknegt, Elgin, TX USA
