PARAGUAY, Youth Ministry of Pedro Juan Caballero, by Elvira Boveda and Mima Cardona•
Can you imagine the Blessed Mother, the Mother Thrice Admirable of Schoenstatt, walking through the streets of an area affected strongly by dengue fever and cleaning places mosquito incubate that transmit this disease? There’s no need to imagine it, we have the photos to prove it, yes, with Mary combatting dengue fever in Pedro Juan Caballero, the Department of Amambay capital in Paraguay.
We have photos of Mary, walking through this city with the young people of the Youth Ministry of the Schoenstatt Rosary Campaign.
“The Blessed Mother’s allies”
The Blessed Mother’s allies: This is what the Youth Ministry apostolate of Pedro Juan Caballero is called. They have visited the sick since last year, taking the holy rosary with joy, hope and generosity, helping as instruments of prayer before God the Father and our Mother.
They visit the sick at home, in daycares, in Homes for the Elderly, and in their families. They not only offer the rosary for the sick, and they also sing with them, pray with them, and they care for them.
They pray for and with the sick, offering them much joy and gratitude. Through this apostolate, they have been able to experience covenant culture, as Pope Francis had asked– a Schoenstatt reaching out. These young people feel very touched and grateful to the Blessed Mother for being present in every home of their sick brothers/sisters and the needy.
They not only visit the sick; they also clean their homes and places combatting dengue fever, which is very prevalent in this region.
In parishes
The Youth Ministry’s young people are also committed to parish life. They prepare patron saint celebrations, they organized a living manger at Christmas, and recently they took charge of the St. Blaise celebration.
To be a hero today
The do it for love of the Campaign, following Joao Pozzobon’s example, they dedicate themselves to the poorest, the neediest. “We want to be heroes today,” they say.
Everything began in 2007, with the beginning of the “little missionaries” at Juan Pedro Caballero. The children’s Campaign took small Pilgrim Mothers to their kindergartens or school companions, as well as to their families. These children grew and today they are young adults and teens – and the Youth Ministry was founded along with other youths, who joined, and they continue to go on mission.
Elvira Boveda, the coordinator of the Youth Ministry always accompanies them in everything.
All of this work is done in response to Francis’ request to go out to encounter the neediest, the forgotten, and the anguished.
To visit the sick is a work of mercy, carried out by the Campaign’s young people of this Paraguayan city, on the border with Brazil. That makes the Good News credible to every person of good will.
Elvira with a missionary of the Youth Ministry
Original: Spanish. Translation: Celina M. Garza, San Antonio, TX USA. Edited by: Melissa Peña-Janknegt, Elgin, TX USA
