ARGENTINA, Lilita and Carlos Ricciardi. The Family Missions by the Schoenstatt Family from La Plata have ended. These have taken place for the second consecutive year in Coronel Pringles (Province of Buenos Aires). The commentaries from the missionaries who have returned confirm that they have been successful. During the Family Missions, priests from other areas have come to observe and to consider the possibility of having them next year in their parishes. Therefore, they are going to have a lot of work to do, and for that reason, they need our help with prayers for the fruitfulness of the Family Missions and for recruiting new missionaries who can continue with this wonderful apostolic task which is in line with that of our Pope Francis.
A testimony from the Missions for this year arrived – as an anticipation of other testimonies. It reflects the reality of our era. The people need to be heard, they need to be paid attention to, they need to be pampered with a warm glance, with a smile, with a friendly gesture, with a cordial greeting. You do not need great things to reach the brother in need. The people are tired of being spoken to, spoken to, and spoken to…they need to be heard.
A moving testimony
“As they did every day, the young missionaries went out to visit the homes in Coronel Pringles. After walking several blocks through the neighborhood, they knocked at a home, which on the outside, looked somewhat gloomy and abandoned. As is customary, after knocking at the door, they held up the Image of the Pilgrim Mother thus announcing that She is coming to visit. This makes it possible, most of the time, for the door to open. Suddenly, they noticed that someone was looking through the spyhole, and a woman comes out looking impassively at the Blessed Mother. For several moments, she seemed enraptured by the image, and then asked them to come in. The house was dark and seemed somewhat abandoned; but this is where the woman and her husband lived. Once they were seated, the youths realized that the woman had some sort of problem. She commented that she had not been outside her home for seventeen years, and that her husband did everything. He went out to run errands and was the only one who had anything to do outside the house. After conversing for a long while, she confessed to them that when she saw the Image, she felt something very special and asked them who She was. The missionaries began to explain and slowly a dialogue developed between them.
Since it was late, and it was soon time for lunch, she invited them to come back another day. The following morning, she waited for them with some cookies that she herself went out and bought!
The missionaries were very impressed. They then invited her to participate in the afternoon Eucharistic celebration in the neighborhood’s chapel. At the appointed time, the lady was sitting alone on a pew in the chapel. The missionaries approached her, she recognized them, embraced them, and they knelt down. The three of them, sobbing, began to pray.
The lady has been participating in daily Mass for three consecutive days.
Once again, Mary awakens in another, strength and uncommon confidence, breaking down barriers which until now had been insurmountable.”
Original: Spanish. Translation: Carlos Cantú, La Feria, USA
