ARGENTINA, Guillermo Elcano. The members of the Family Missions of the Schoenstatt Movement from La Plata arrived in Pringles on Saturday afternoon, January 26th. On Sunday, January 27th, they began to walk the streets of the neighborhoods of Saint Peter’s Chapel.
This missionary group composed of families, youths, seminarians and priests arrived to Pringles by public transportation and several vehicles; they would walk the streets of the neighborhoods of Saint Peter’s Chapel for seven days to carry out different activities for children, youths and adults, which El Diaro de Pringles would publish each day. The long trip and the afternoon heat did not keep this large group from transmitting their missionary joy. They will be housed at the unit of the Academic facilities that were graciously offered to lodge the Family Missions.
It is the Year of Faith
“The first activity was at the internal level, with all that the mission implies,” related Father Javier Arteaga, National Director of the Schoenstatt Movement, as he arrived at Pringles. Father Javier pointed out that: “They have waited for us fantastically; the way they have organized here is great; [and] we are very grateful to Father Ernesto and the entire community. Tomorrow we will start with the mission.” On Saturday afternoon, the local pastor celebrated the Mass of sending forth of these missionaries in a very touching celebration.
Father Javier told this media outlet that “this is a very special year, it is the Year of Faith, and how the missionaries want to collaborate to help increase the faith through everything that will be done in the catechesis, in what is done for the youths. For the family that is precisely our forte– to work with the youths and the family.” This will be done by “visiting the neighborhood around Saint Peter’s Chapel, house by house. Visiting the families and the sick, announcing Christ,” and above all “strengthening the faith”, a task that is carried out “through dialogue, human personal attachment, and through this dialogue of a shared faith becomes more life and more faith,” the National Director of the Schoenstatt Movement said. “Just as the apostles, the first Christians, did, who shared their faith and even set the faith of others on fire. This is what we want to do and we do it as a family.”
To Mission as a family
The characteristic of this group is to go on mission as a family, “they are family missions,” Father Arteaga said, adding that “many families, couples with their children have come, and at the same time there are many youths, who accompany these couples and families. These are the family missionaries, who will go to visit the designated neighborhoods.”
It is important to stress that this year the Family Missions from La Plata is celebrating fifteen years of missionary life. The Schoenstatt Movement in Argentina also has Family Missions in Mendoza that were on mission last week in Mundo Nuevo, department of Rivadavia de Mendoza; and Paraná will be on mission next week in Piedras Blancas, Entre Rios.
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| January 31, 2013 |
Published (in Spanish) at: El Diario de Pringles, edition of Sunday, 27/01/12 and at El Portal de Pringles
English translation: Celina M. Garza, San Antonio, USA
