ORIGINAL SHRINE, Maria Fischer •
Around the Original Shrine it is still quiet as usual, but the photos that Pedro M. Dillinger sent us recently show the preparations. The air is full of youth, the air of World Youth Day (WYD). The symbol of the event has been on the altar of the Original Shrine for a long time, and outside you can see a structure that gives an urban touch to the “little chapel in the green meadow”. —
Original Shrine in World Youth Day mode
Many groups, especially from Latin America, will take advantage of the Atlantic crossing to visit other European countries before arriving in Portugal for World Youth Day. In the case of the Schoenstatters, it is an opportunity for many young people to get to know Schoenstatt.
It has become a tradition that a few days before WYD, these young people gather around a nearby Shrine. Since this year’s World Youth Day will be held in Europe, the youth will also gather around the Original Shrine during the last days of July.
More than 50 Paraguayan youth from the Schoenstatt Movement are ready to leave for Lisbon this Sunday, July 16th, to participate in World Youth Day, where youth from all over the world will gather with Pope Francis. “We are very excited, and we will be in Rome, Assisi, Padua, Germany, and finally Portugal,” said Vanessa Torres, director of Universo Turismo and coordinator of this long pilgrimage.
A large group of youth from the Mexican Schoenstatt Movement has already arrived, as well as groups from Ecuador (with Father Rafael Amaya, who we know from the “Charity Bags”), Brazil (with Father Rafael Mota, correspondent and translator for schoenstatt.org), Puerto Rico, USA, Chile, Argentina, and other countries, especially from Latin America.
On July 25th, there will be a Holy Mass for all the youth present in the Pilgrims’ Church, and they will renew the Covenant of Love in the Original Shrine.
The large white letters “SCHOENSTATT” next to the Original Shrine – like the city names at the entrance of Latin American cities – are a beautiful photo opportunity for all the groups … and a message.
Where there is a Shrine, there is Schoenstatt. Where there is Schoenstatt, there is a Shrine. At home, at work, in the neighborhood, in encounters, in social work, in our time.
Collaboration: Claudia Echenique, Pedro M. Dillinger
Original: Spanish. Translation: Maria Fischer @schoenstatt.org
