ARGENTINA/CHILE, Fr. José María Iturreria/mda. “We’re drawing closer to the Jubilee celebrating Schoenstatt’s Centenary and so, we want to tell you the good news! We want to invite you to join Mary’s Crusade so that, as the International Schoenstatt Boys’ Youth, we can celebrate the 100th anniversary of Schoenstatt’s founding. We want to renew ourselves in the spirit of the first sodalists and founders and, once again taking up the four pillars of the International Boys’ Youth, want to take Schoenstatt into the next 100 years,” reads a letter sent to the International Boys’ Youth. “Registrations opened on a special date: 18 October,” commented Fr. José María Iturrería from Argentina who, together with Fr. Claudio Martínez Felmer from Chile are responsible for preparing the 2014 Crusade.
Over the last few months we have been working on the many logistical aspects, the numbers, the route, etc. On 15 October, we launched the 2014 Crusade website (in Spanish) and decided on the logo.
The leaders of the Boys’ Youth in several Latin American countries as well as the United States, Spain, Italy and Germany are receiving updates on the progress, with the information taking on a life of its own. It is great to share this information on the international Schoenstatt website, especially after Mary’s Crusade was recently highlighted as the “Project of the Week.”
Below we publish the leter to the International Boys’ Youth sent on 18 October 2013:
Dear International Boys’ Youth:
We’re drawing closer to the Jubilee celebrating Schoenstatt’s centenary and so, we want to tell you know the good news! We want to invite you to join Mary’s Crusade so that as the International Schoenstatt Boys’ Youth we can celebrate the 100th anniversary of Schoenstatt’s founding. We want to renew ourselves in the spirit of the first sodalists and founders and, once again taking up the four pillars of the International Boys’ Youth, want to take Schoenstatt into the next 100 years. As with the previous editions of the Crusade, we’ll follow the route taken by the liberation army, uniting the Schoenstatt Shrines in Mendoza (Argentina) and Santiago de Chile, and offer the 400km pilgrimage through the Andes to the statue of Christ the Redeemer situated at 3.850m above sea level as a gift to our MTA.
We’d like to share some preliminary key information with you and we invite you to communicate this to your branch leaders and directors if you’d like to participate. This is a unique experience, only for the most daring and most in love with the Blessed Mother, and this is why we invite you to join this “Crazy Love.”
DATE
Start: 15 January 2014 in Mendoza. We will meet at the Schoenstatt Shrine in Mendoza at 16.00
End: 1 February in Santiago de Chile. We will end with lunch at the National Shrine in Bellavista.
NUMBERS
As a symbolic number to celebrate 100 years of Schoenstatt, we had initially decided to have a cut-off at 100 pilgrims, but in order to allow more youth to participate, we have increased this number to a maximum of 150 people including pilgrims, priests, seminarians and the logistical support team.
Each country and local branch have been allocated a certain of places for those who want to participate. For more information, we invite you to speak to the local Boys’ Youth director in your country.
REGISTRATION CRITERIA
The criteria to sign up for the Crusade are as follows:
- The Crusade is for members of the Boys’ Youth who have a history and experiences in Schoenstatt
- The Crusade gives preference to university age students (Boys’ Youth members aged 16 and older can participate but must be accompanied by their local director)
- You can only go on Mary’s Crusade once
- Maximum age: youth who are currently at university (up until 25 years)
OPENING AND CLOSING DATES FOR REGISTRATION
- From 18 October 2013, the start of the Jubilee Year of Schoenstatt’s centenary, registration can be made through your local Boys’ Youth director, who will keep a tally of the numbers and communicate with the Crusade organizers.
- The cost of the Crusade is $200 USD and includes lodging and food for the entire duration of the Crusade. It excludes transport to Mendoza and the return from Santiago. These costs should be budgeted separately.
- Registration closes on 1 December 2013.
INFORMATION AND CONTACT
We invite you to visit the official website for the 2014 Crusade from 15 October where you will find all of the necessary information and can leave your comments: http://www.cruzadademaria.com.ar/
If you have any additional questions, please email the Crusade Organizing Team: cruzadademaria2014@gmail.com
Dear young people, we trust that this “Crazy Love” for the MTA, which is now in its 15th year, can be a sign that unites the Boys’ Youth who aim for radicalism to strive ever higher towards the Schoenstatt charism.
We greet you with the same words that have echoed since the time of the first sodalists: Nos cum prole pia…
Fr. José María Iturrería 
Fr. Claudio Martínez F
Mary’s Crusade – a Covenant Culture Project
We invite the entire Schoenstatt Family to accompany this Crusade with prayer and offerings to the Capital of Grace – or by uniting in Covenant solidarity in a personal and practical way – and to let them know in the comments section below.
Translated from the Spanish by S-L Pimentel, South Africa
