ARGENTINA, Guillermo Ferreyra •
In the days leading up to June 20, the anniversary of the death of Manuel Belgrano, the creator of our national flag, various events are held in Rosario, the place where the flag was first raised. Many schools come from different parts of our country so that their students can take a vow to the flag. —
Consecration to the Blessed Mother before departure
The vow to the flag
As they do every year, the fourth grade primary students of our Colegio Covenant went on a class trip to the city of Rosario, located about 350 kilometers from our city, to take the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag. They also visited other interesting historical sites.
As part of their integral formation, they visit a Schoenstatt Shrine on each trip or educational journey to deepen the experience of encountering the Blessed Mother in their country.
Mass in the Shrine of Los Olmos, Pilar
Two shrines in two days
This time the youth experienced two shrines at once. On the first day, they visited the Shrine of the Holy Trinity in Rosario, where to the surprise of everyone, the community awaited them with a snack of cake. And on the second day, on the way back, they visited the Shrine of Los Olmos in the city of Pilar, one of the newest Schoenstatt Shrines in Argentina, where they had lunch and enjoyed the facilities.
This time it was very special because they had the opportunity to visit two shrines in two days, one that had just celebrated the thirtieth anniversary of its blessing and one that had just turned two years old.
Shrine of Rosario
Almost the same, but not quite…
The children spontaneously began to compare the different symbols of the two shrines, noting that the Blessed Mother wears a crown in Rosario and not in Los Olmos, and that Saint Michael has parts of his armor gilded in one shrine and not in the other. It was a beautiful moment to deepen our understanding of the symbolism of our pedagogy.
We all returned with a deep love for our country and enriched by the encounter with the Blessed Mother and the community of the Schoenstatt Family.
Celebration at the monument to the banner in the city of Rosario
Original: Spanish. Translation: Maria Fischer @schoenstatt.org
