ARGENTINA, Lilita and Carlos Ricciardi/mda. It was 2001; Carlos and Litlita Ricciardo traveled from Argentina to Schoenstatt, Germany, with the dream of going on pilgrimage to the Original Shrine and sharing their experience with the Family Missions. They accomplished the pilgrimage part first, listening and seeing much of what they were shown, and as to sharing their experiences, the only thing that remained was having a conversation with the editor of schoenstatt.org, who was in Schoenstatt at that time: no other interest was shown except in listening to their experiences and their concern. Thirteen years later, on Friday, the 24th of October, through the official invitation of the organizers of Jubilee 2014, they presented the Family Missions at the Pontifical Council of the Family after presenting them in the “Family” Tent of the Covenant Culture in Schoenstatt.
During a “repetition” of the 2001 meeting – now at Belmonte and without the need of translation – they fulfilled the promise of sharing their experiences from the perspective of the missionary sending forth by Holy Father Francis. Here is their testimony:
“What a joy to have met in Rome, in the Belmonte Shrine! It was the culmination, the highlight of everything that was experienced in Schoenstatt and at the Vatican. This Jubilee experience was completely unexpected for us. We had not planned to travel, but…circumstance and the Blessed Mother’s roads led us to do it. The graces we have received, the experiences lived and shared with our brothers/sisters in Covenant fromallover the world have been a privilege and a gift of God. We have celebrated one hundred years of Schoenstatt, and we have seen and verified the recognition of the Church of Father Kentenich’s task carried out in his favorite Work. Pope Francis’ and the delegate’s words have corroborated it.
Sowing…
We are very happy to have participated in the Jubilee representing the Family Missions, along with Alicia and Eduardo Monguillot (founders of the Family Missions in Argentina, who continue to mission after participating in sixteen missions). Having been in the Covenant Culture Tent of Marriage and the Family with the Family Missions stand, andbeing able to share two workshops with our Chilean brother and sister, Veronica and Rodrigo Bascuñan, in which we attempted to share with our brothers/sisters from allover the world about what the Family Missions are, has been a gratifying task. We would like this seed tobe sown, for its future fruits …that the seeds would spread…the Blessed Mother will take care of the rest…
Fruit of communication at the service of the real life
Having participated in the Jubilee with the Family Missions was a great responsibility: it is the schoenstatt.org team. Without the collaboration, support and dissemination by schoenstatt.org, the Family Missions would not be known around the world. A simple example:we were at the Family Missions’stand when some Ecuadorians approached saying that they had news about the missions through some compatriots, (Pablo and Cristina Terán), who had gone to Argentina to learn about the Family Missions, and after the visit to Argentina, they had founded the Family Missions in Ecuador. A little later, the Teránsappeared, and we shared a warm embrace. We are grateful for the courtesies and advice offered during their visit to our city to learn about the Family Missions, and sharing with our missionariesfor one day. Presently, they are preparing a fourth mission! It was truly a great joy to meet with our Ecuadorian brothers and sisters! And all of this emerged because Pablo read an article about the Family Missions onschoenstatt.org and he wrote to you. And you forwarded the message.
What communication can do when it is noticed and acted upon!
We also had the opportunity of meeting our missionary brothers/sisters from Paraguay, who helped to found the Family Missions in Argentina. They had received the post about the Chilean Family Missions that were created through the inspiration of Father HernánAlessandri. As you can see, all of this is accomplished thanks to attachment…So our gratitude goes the schoenstatt.org team for everything it has done for the Family Missions and its dissemination.
Centering ourselves on Christ and not centering on ourselves
It seems that the Family Missions are a part of the great mission that is Schoenstatt. The Schoenstatt message is the great mission for the present day world: to accomplish the formation of the new man in the new community, just as Father Kentenich proposed from the beginning. For this, and as Pope Francis says, we should change many things, but fundamentally we should change our heart so that the world will change and be better.
For this, we commented on the usefulness of having a space for all the Schoenstatt Missions indicating the dates and places monthlywhere they will be carried out and soto be able to pray for them. It is a way of joining tasks and efforts, something that is so difficult to do in Schoenstatt (but not on schoenstatt.org). Perhaps this is the reason the Pope spoke to us about centering on Christ and not centering on personal egoand ourselves.
Pope Francis: “Advising us in a paternal manner…as a true Father, as he is to all of us…”
We received many things from the encounter with Pope Francis, all of them very valuable: attachments, Father Kentenich’s recognition and that of his Schoenstatt Work, not to center on ourselves, to stop being the center of things and to give Christ his place, about the Blessed Mother Pilgrim Shrine he has in his bedroom that he touches and greets when he arises, in the apostolic mission, not to remain “combing sheep.”In addition of course, there is more, but we remain with the simplicity and the joy of his message, with the simple and humble manner in which he transmitted it. It seemed that we were having a conversation of friends, at a coffee table, or in a round of mates (herbal teas), where in friendly and informal language, he related his experiences and life situations, advising us in paternal manner, like the true Father that he is to all of us. It was a great jubilee gift!
Once again, thank you for everything that schoenstatt.org does for the Family Missions. And from now on, for all the Schoenstatt missions.
“We hope to meet at some mission!”
Original: Spanish – Translation – Celina M. Garza, San Antonio, TX USA
