COSTA RICA, Flora Rojas • During an intensive weekend, the Blessed Mother glorified herself in the diocese of Ciudad Quesada. — With the participation of five couples, the first leadership conference was held in the area. Elementary topics such as the Good Shepherd, the pedagogical goal of Schoenstatt, the laws of organic growth, the laws of organic leadership, the pedagogical style, the practical faith in Divine Providence, the role of the leaders and the guides, and the guidelines for the encounter were discussed. The day began with the celebration of
Read More PARAGUAY, Dionicia Martínez • The wayside shrine of the Mother Thrice Victorious of Schoenstatt, located in the San Miguel neighborhood of Cambyretá (in Guarani, Kambyretã, means “land of milk”) celebrated its fifth anniversary on January 6th, for which a Mass and a special remembrance were celebrated. As it coincided with Three Kings’ Day, a delicious snack and gifts for the children present were offered, as every year. — In an interview published a few days before the celebration on the Encarnación Mas website, Dagiana Bogado, the coordinator of the Schoenstatt
Read More NETWORK OF SHRINES, Inés Petiti, Maria Fischer • Another October 18 is approaching. It is not simply another anniversary…it is not another “jubilee” or celebration of so many years of Schoenstatt’s founding. It is a day of renewal in the Covenant of Love, a day to once again ask the Mother Thrice Admirable of Schoenstatt to establish herself among us – in the shrines, wayside shrines, home shrines, work shrines – and to renew our willingness to be instruments to build a covenant culture where we live. — In many
Read More GUATEMALA, Edgar Tórtola • Edgar Tórtola tells his real story of how he met the Madrugadores in El Salvador and how he was instrumental in their founding in Guatemala. — I am Guatemalan, but I was fortunate to work in El Salvador for 27 years at the cement company Holcim until I retired four years ago. At Holcim, I had the opportunity to work with Vinicio Reyes when I was in the concrete department, and little by little we realized that we needed to get closer to God. So, I
Read More POPE FRANCIS – PRAYER FOR PEACE, Editors • At St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, more than 3,000 people watched the ceremony, while another 2,000 gathered in St. Peter’s Square on March 25, the Feast of the Incarnation of the Lord, to support Pope Francis’ initiative. Another gesture by the Pope to end the war. Another strong appeal from Francis to end the conflict “that makes everyone suffer.” All over the world, the faithful gathered in different ways for a global prayer. Also in the Original Shrine in Schoenstatt, as in
Read More Bárbara de Franceschi, Spain • “The horror of war awakens both the best and the worst in human beings.” Since 11 days ago (alas, by now many more) the horror of the war in Ukraine has aroused a feeling of impotence in most of the world before a situation which was unthinkable in the XXI century. — Russia may indeed have felt menaced when Ukraine was considering joining the NATO, yet nothing could justify a Russian invasion of a territory until then considered a friend, an invasion that immediately began with bombardments,
Read More PERU, Fr. Alberto Celis • Amid the third wave of the pandemic, an initiative emerged so that the Blessed Mother, from the Shrine, could enter a seminary so that the seminarians and formators could pray for priestly vocations. The “virtual rosary” is an initiative of the Schoenstatt Rosary Campaign. — The seminary was that of my own diocese of Carabayllo, Lima Norte, the “Mater Misericordiae Major Seminary”. In union with Schoenstatters in the shrine, we prayed for the seminarians and their families, for the deacons and for the formators. We
Read More ITALY, Patricia Manson • For fifteen years now, week after week, a small group of Schoenstattian faithful have been unfailingly meeting every Wednesday at the Cor Ecclesiae Shrine in Rome to pray the Rosary. As long as it was possible, and I could find a ride since I do not drive, I too most willingly would join them to participate in a prayer gathering of a rather new type for me, who grew up in a Protestant environment. — I must admit that at first I met with difficulty in
Read More ARGENTINA, Inés Petiti • The family of the Holy Rosary of the Pilgrim Mother in Goya invites everyone to pray the rosary during the month of May, joining in the Holy Father’s request. — Everyone is invited to gather at 13:00 local at any shrine, church, home shrine or heart shrine. The rosary will unite us in a network of shrines, in a covenant of love that calls on the Lord’s help to put an end to the pandemic. Thirty shrines, representing all the shrines of the world, will pray
Read More ECUADOR, Maria Fischer • In a short and nice video, a group of children guide us on a virtual pilgrimage to the Schoenstatt Shrine in Quito, Ecuador. — “It is a visit to the Schoenstatt City Shrine. We are invited to pray the Angelus and the rosary with the Catholic children in the month of Mary”, reads the announcement on José Ronda’s YouTube channel. Accompanied by the song “Together with you, Mary”, a small group of children, carrying a Pilgrim MTA for children and a candle, run to the Shrine,
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