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| About 2,000
persons participated in the dedication of the Shrine in San Luis Potosí Ungefähr 2.000 Personen nahmen an der Einweihung des Heiligtums in San Luis Potosí teil |
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| The bell is
fastened on the day before the dedication Die Glocke wurde am Vortag der Einweihung angebracht. |
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| Solemn entrance
on the day of the dedication Feierlicher Einzug am Tag der Einweihung |
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| The Archbishop
of San Luis Potosí blessed the new Shrine Der Erzbischof von San Luis Potosí segnete das neue Heiligtum |
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| The MTA picture
was brought in procession Das MTA-Bild wurde in Prozession zum Heiligtum geleitet |
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| The founders
of the Schoenstatt Movement in San Luis Potosí brought the
MTA picture to the Shrine Die Gründer der Schönstattbewegung in San Luis Potosí trugen das MTA-Bild zum Heiligtum |
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| Young people
formed an orchestra for the festive celebration Jugendliche bildeten ein Orchester für das Fest |
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| Singing for
the Blessed Mother in her new Shrine "Marvels of Mary" Ein Lied für die Gottesmutter in ihrem neuen Heiligtum "Wundertaten Mariens" |
| Fotos: Schoenstatt, San Luis Potosí, Mexiko© 2001 |
MEXICO, P. Bernardo Parra/ www.Schoenstatt-mx.org. Mexico has a new Shrine - on December 9th the Shrine "Marvels of Mary" of San Luis Potosi, Mexico was blessed. The Queen of Schoenstatt wanted to establish a new home in the middle of the Potosi desert, where 2000 people, approximately, came to visit her.
On the 18th of October, 1999 Eduardo and Jose Ruiz Esparza, founders of the movement in San Luis Potosi gave the frame of our Mother for the Shrine. From then this image has pilgrimaged to all the houses of the Schoenstatt families in San Luis Potosi, staying one month in each house. On November 4, 2000, a day of work finalized the plans for construction of the Shrine. In Holy Mass at the end of this day, all present committed to the Blessed Mother to build her a Shrine. On January 7, 2001 the Archbishop of San Luis Potosi blessed the location where the future Shrine would be built; little time later on July 1st, the founding stone was blessed and laid down.
Preparing for the great day
The day previous to the blessing of the Shrine, Marvels of Mary, December 8th, began to develop great activity, working intensely to prepare everything for the ceremony of the following day and to conclude the last details on the Shrine. At the 10 o'clock arrived the truck that transported the altarpiece and the altar; as soon as it arrived, a group of the Schoenstatt Family accommodated them in its place in the Sanctuary; the installer of the vitals finished his work after noon; also the bell was placed that was from an old locomotive of a railroad, and thus passed the day making the hundreds of pending details. When night arrived the interior of the Shrine was complete, although on it's outside the last roofing tiles of the ceiling were still being placed. That same night more than sixty boys' youth, who were camping for the first time nationally at a nearby place, met to celebrate Mass. Fathers Horacio Lopez, Bernardo Parra and Lucho Verdejo celebrated the mass. A group of the Schoenstatt Family from Monterrey also met, after the youth mass, to also celebrate the Eucharist with the Father Marcel Mouras.
And came the day so longed for ...
The 9th of December started cloudy and cold. From seven in the morning, the hour when it starts to clear, there was a lot of activity around the Shrine, some put up the canopies to give shade to the altar, others swept and cleaned the vestibule of the Shrine, also the Shrine received its last cleaning before the ceremony. Later the boys' youth, who were camping for the first time came to place more than thousand five hundred chairs in the esplanade, other assistants began to arrive around 11 that morning, to help complete tasks that had not been finished. The day became warmer, not by the weather but by the hearts that were glad to meet in this place.
And the cars and trucks continued arriving …
In moments began to arrive such a large amount of buses and cars that made me reflect, "We were short on our calculations". Nervousness began. Everything was in its position; those in charge of liturgy, those of security, those of welcoming, the choir, those in charge of the celebration were already cooking the enchiladas, the tacos and all the delicious Mexican meals. By 12 noon 1500 people had already arrived. One of the delegations that stood out the most was the Family of Querétaro that entered singing from the beginning of the pilgrimage path. Later the seminarians arrived, who always accompanied the bishop. 1 pm came, the hour for the beginning of the celebration, but the Bishop has still not arrived. There were more than two thousand people and they continued to arrive in cars and trucks.
The culminating moment
At 1:30 pm. the celebration began with the song "Quiero constuirte una casa Señor" (I want to build you a house, Lord) The whole liturgy flowed naturally, accompanied with the choirs of Queretaro who came to sing to our Mother. Don Luis Morales Reyes, Archbishop of San Luis Potosí, presided the Eucharist along with six Fathers who worked in México, Father Christián Christensen, Father Federico and other priests who worked in the dioceses. When the moment came to place our Mother, the Girls' and Boys' youth of San Luis Potosi carried her through the path and gave her to Eduardo and Jose Ruiz Esparza, founders of the movement in San Luis Potosi. They then gave her to the Bishop who giving her a kiss took her to inside the Shrine and asked me to place her, since he could no longer climb the ladder. A great honor … it was so spontaneous and the joy of the family was breathed in the ambiance. The image that I held was one of many emotions and events, especially that of Maria Fernanda Borbolla who sang happily although in pain from an accident where she lost the life of here son, offering this for the Shrine.
At the end of the celebration, thousands of pilgrims lined up in a long line to visit the shrine. At the same time began the music of the Mariachis, the Marimba and the choirs. A great party of the Mexican family, all happy. Later came the hour of hugs and goodbyes. First left those from the north who prepared to lay the founding stone for their Shrine in Monterrey. At 9 pm. the last one, I retired with a feeling of thanksgiving to God and our Mother for all the people who made it possible to build in 11 months this ... and why not say it, beautiful Shrine of our Queen, who wanted to establish herself in the middle of the desert Potosi.
Translation: Cousett Ruelas, Austin, Texas, USA
More Pictures: http://www.schoenstatt-mx.org