Pilgrim Mother Tag

ARGENTINA/BELMONTE, by Mercedes MacDonough and María Fischer • On Pentecost Sunday, 15 May 2016, the “Belmonte Meeting,” near Buenos Aires was unplanned, but it was very fruitful. The plan was to discuss the Schoenstatt Rosary Campaign, but when meeting on Pentecost…one should be prepared for any surprise! After a conversation about the historic experiences during the blessing of the Shrine of All of Us in Rome in 2004, such as when the accident with the MTA picture for the shrine occurred or when hundreds of Pilgrim Mothers were raised, andRead More
PARAGUAY, by Maria Otilia and Héctor Fleitas • The IPS Mission takes place on first Saturdays at Social Security Institute (IPS) Central Hospital. It begins with Fr. Martín Gómez commissioning Eucharistic Ministers, and Rosary Campaign missionaries. The several people who are involved in this apostolate go through the building’s eight floors taking the Eucharist, visiting the sick, and their relatives with the Pilgrim Mother.  When the priest participates, he administers the sacraments of anointing of the sick and reconciliation. The mission concludes with praying a Holy Rosary in the chapelRead More
By Maria Fischer • It is a sunny Saturday unlike most lately at the Original Shrine.  While a group of German pilgrims pass through the Holy Door of the Original Shrine and celebrate their Mass, a large group of young pilgrims approach, and stay on the grounds for almost an hour, in the sun, listening to Sr. Andrea Narvaéz’ explanations.  “Their Mass will be at 3:45 p.m.” Hilde Fellhofer, from Austria, explains. She and her husband Herbert are substituting for the sacristans of the Original Shrine during vacation.  “Today isRead More
PARAGUAY, by Amada Girett and Maria Liz Ibaizabal • This is María Liz Ibaizabal’s testimony: she lives in Santa Rita, Alto Paraná, Paraguay. After the event that she relates, she felt called to be a missionary by the Blessed Mother, and on 18 March 2016, she received a Pilgrim Mother. She believes she is a miracle of the Blessed Mother, which happened a year ago. We heard about it when she shared it with the missionaries from Santa Rita. It is a testimony of how the Blessed Mother works. AllRead More
TENERIFE/AUSTRIA, María Dolores Fernández Lapuente • María Dolores Fernández Lapuente is an Argentinean physician, currently living in Austria, who previously lived in Tenerife, Spain, where at that time, a wayside shrine of our Mother Thrice Admirable of Schoenstatt was blessed.  The name of the shrine is “Desciende María” [“Mary, descend”] located in Bajamar and found on the shrines and wayside shrines’ map. In addition to the wayside shrine, the Pilgrim Mother is also already traveling in Tenerife. The first Tenerife Pilgrim Mother on pilgrimage Dolores relates:  The first Pilgrim MotherRead More
PARAGUAY, by Julia González Mareco • The story begins in the Diocese of Encarnación, Itapúa department, Paraguay, by the Blessed Mother’s hand, and it begins with Luciana Ester Valenzuela de Roman, this family’s first missionary of great heroic childlikeness. Luciana took a Pilgrim Mother to her sister, Dionisia’s home, and she asked her to pray, to pray for her family, for everything, for the daughters that were to be given to her.  At that time, Dionisia did not know how to pray the Rosary, but in time, the Blessed MotherRead More
ARGENTINA, by María Fischer • “Today I am 40 years old,” joyfully said a woman who seemed much younger. Her two little children were on her lap. And before everyone could sing “Happy Birthday,” she surprised everyone with her announcement: “We are going to get married…” From the stairs outdoors, where most of the men stayed, a faint, distant voice could be heard echoing her statement: “Yes, it is true, we are going to get married”. There was spontaneous and sincere applause. “You should know he was an alcoholic,” CristinaRead More
ARGENTINA/SYRIA/IRAQ, by Cristina White • Sr. María Guadalupe, from Argentina and missionary of the Incarnate Word has carried out her apostolate in the city of Aleppo, Syria for five years. During the past few months, she has been in Argentina in different areas giving her testimony. It is very difficult to hear the heartbreaking reality of the war, from the protagonist role at the service of the sorrow, and the atrocities that she defines as genocide. To hear her provokes a tremendous inner quivering, and one cannot be indifferent toRead More
ARGENTINA, by Ana Giarratana and Silvia Sibay • On 26 June Fr. Guillermo Cassone sent out 18 new Schoenstatt Pilgrim Mother Campaign missionaries from the “Garden of Mary” shrine in Tucumán.  With joy and emotion, they gave their yes to the Blessed Mother and committed to take her image wherever she wants to go. Earlier, commemorating the 31st anniversary of the death of João Pozzobon they went to the memorial that bears his name and as a gesture of acknowledgement that they are Mary’s humble instruments and faithful heirs ofRead More
ITALY, Trent, by Milena Allera • Last year I got to know the Schoenstatt Pilgrim Mother through one of my colleagues, Gisela Ciola, who is a Pilgrim Mother missionary. Gisela had the same health problems that my dad was going through and she offered me the image of the Blessed Mother to take home and keep for a few days.  I accepted it with great joy and a little trepidation.  Was I worthy of such greatness? This is how Our Lady of Schoenstatt came into my life and the lifeRead More