Fotos: POS, Fischer © 2002

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Fotos: POS, Brehm © 2002

Fotos: POS, Fischer © 2002

Fotos: © 2002

Fotos: © 2002

SCHOENSTATT, mkf.At the eve of Pentecost, the Covenant Day in May, the Schoenstatt family gathered around the Original Shrine to once again celebrate the Covenant of Love, united specially with all those who on this day gathered around the two new Shrines to be offered to the Mother Thrice Admirable of Schoenstatt, in Monterrey, Mexico, and in Belén de Escobar, Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The flags of Argentina, and Mexico, reminded all who were united by the Original Shrine of these two events that made the founding events once again become present, reality for all! The covenant celebration, and the closing of the Pentecost Novena were one on May 18, 2002, in Schoenstatt, what also meant that the Covenant Renewal of the family took place by the Original Shrine!

The Original Shrine was decorated all in Pentecostal red, with an additional huge yellow-gold flower bouquet, the gift of a couple that in the morning celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in the Original Shrine.

Foot Pilgrimage of the Schoenstatt Girls' Youth

Despite the rainy weather, the Schoenstatt Girls' Youth made their foot pilgrimage to Schoenstatt on this day – setting out in smaller groups from different Schoenstatt Centers! It was great to witness the bigger or smaller groups of young people arriving by the Original Shrine, wet and exhausted, but with real joy and pride. Each group greeted the Blessed Mother in the Shrine with songs and prayers. On the way, they had filled in cards with a personal contribution to the Capital of grace – upon arriving in the Original Shrine, they placed this card by the altar, and were invited to pick the card of someone else as expression of a real friendship in the covenant of love.

While the groups of girls kept coming in, a group of mostly senior pilgrims from the diocese of Trier came to the Shrine – members of a parish who had come more often, who, together with their parish priest, on this day made their covenant of love as pilgrims.

A Pentecost Experience - People from different Countries United around the Shrine - Talking in the Common Language of the Covenant

Before 20:00 – with rain dreading from gray skies – Schoenstatt members and friends, parishioners from Vallendar, Pallottine Brothers and Fathers kept arriving by the Original Shrine from all sides: The girls who had recovered (a bit!) from their walk, young women on retreat, a group of approximately 30 pilgrims from Vienna, Austria, the newly ordained deacons of the Schoenstatt Fathers (from USA, Byelorussia, and India), visitors and pilgrims from USA, Ecuador, Chile, Mexico. From Paraguay, Teresita Cabral came with a special mission: she is in charge of the costumes of the theater about Father Kentenich that is during this month of May performed with great success; together with her daughter, Teresita Bittnar, she brought the latest news, newspaper clips, and photos, and the full enthusiasm, joy and pride of the Movement in Paraguay to Schoenstatt, the source of origin! The theater about the life of Father Kentenich is THE event of Schoenstatt in Paraguay. The theater is performed on all Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays of the month of May, and has turned out to be a great success.

It was a Pentecost experience - people from different countries, and continents, of different languages and cultures, all united around the Original Shrine, sharing the language of the Covenant.

Two new Places of Grace Where Heaven Touches the Earth

While the people in Schoenstatt were gathered around the Original Shrine to renew the Covenant of Love, two new places of graces came forth: in Monterrey, Mexico, and in Belén de Escobar, Argentina, where new Schoenstatt Shrines were dedicated; two new sources of grace where heaven touches the earth, a Pentecostal call to once again set out from the Shrine and set the world afire.

Years of longing, striving, and aspiration climaxed on this Saturday, May 18, 2002, when approximately 2,000 persons celebrated the blessing of the Shrine in Monterrey, "Mary, Way towards Heaven". At 12.30 PM, the celebration began, presided by Auxiliary Bishop Gustavo Rodriguez Vega of the Archdiocese of Monterrey, who concelebrated the festive Mass with 12 priests. The voices of the choir, and the excitement of the participants who waved white handkerchiefs with the logo of the Schoenstatt Movement of Monterrey, made for an affective atmosphere of joy - with tears of emotion in many eyes! The reality of the supernatural, and the presence of Mary were tangible. The Mexican Schoenstatt Movement was well represented by delegations from Queretaro, Torreón, Saltillo, San Luis Potosí, Mexico City, and of course the entire Movement of Monterrey with ist different branches. As international participants, Schoenstatt members fromRockport, Texas, Chile, and Costa Rica were welcomed.

In Belén de Escobar the first Schoenstatt Shrine of the diocese of Zárate Campana was dedicated on this day, in responsibility of the Institute of the Ladies of Schoenstatt. A big number of people participated: Schoenstatt Fathers, Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary (who came with a bus from Florencio Varela), diocesan priests, members of the branches and pilgrims from different dioceses of the country, as well as a bigger delegation from Chile, and participants from Paraguay, Uruguay, Ecuador, and Germany. The Shrine of Escobar radiated against the dark background of deep-gray skies - heavy rain of the kind that had inundated the province of Buenos Aires the days before was dreading all the time but never started. In the central moment of the blessing a timid sunray was seen as a special gift, reminding all again also of the potential downpour that did not become reality! Victor Cutrone: "Only some raindrops fell, reminding us that we were experiencing a "great moment of Schoenstatt', as we are lucky here in Argentina to always have rain for such events. Additionally, this reminded us of Father Esteban who with his typical optimism always called rain 'a great blessing'." Zhe bishop of the diocese, Rafael Ray, began his sermon with a beautiful personal testimony. In 1980 he had had the grace of being present for the blessing of the Shrine in Mendoza, and approximately 10 years later, then already bishop of Zárate Campana, when he, together with Father Esteban, blessed the first wayside shrine, he had asked the Blessed Mother to grant his diocese a Schoenstatt Shrine before he would be transferred again. Finally, the Blessed Mother had responded to his request, and so he now would be willing to be transferred anywhere! He then expressed that many would get into a personal contact with Mary in the Shrine, with a real person, someone who is always present, with whom they could establish profound attachments. As John had received her into his house, we would today receive her into the Shrine. Therefore, we would have to open the doors of the heart, inviting her to reign there as well as in the whole diocesan church.

Give us your Peace!

The subject of the last day of the Pentecost novena in Schoenstatt, and covenant renewal, was peace – peace among the nations and peoples, peace in the families, peace in one's own heart, peace with God. The school shooting at Erfurt, Germany, the ongoing violence in the Middle East, in Colombia, in Zimbabwe, and in so many other countries were mentioned and included in the prayers of all, as well as the new Shrines – with the flags reminding of Argentina, and Mexico -, the ordination of two Schoenstatt Fathers in Portugal, and the many petitions and wishes entrusted to the Blessed Mother and to Father Kentenich in the Original Shrine.

Students of the Schoenstatt Fathers had prepared the texts, and accompanied the songs with guitars.

Father Beller blessed several new pictures of the Pilgrim Mother, praying for all those who through the visit of Mary and her Son would receive the experience of God's faithful love. He also blessed the participants, urging them to set out from the Shrine like the Pilgrim Mother and bring the graces from here to all!

Sign of a Covenant Love that Unites a Family Throughout the World.

All were invited to write the experiences of the past weeks, the joyful and the painful moments, on papers in the form of flames, and to add these to the papers already filled into the jars that are to be found in several Shrines in Schoenstatt, symbol for the jars that the disciples filled with water in Cana, water that was transformed into wine. The jars stood by the Original Shrine, filled with the contributions of those who had come here in the past weeks or had sent their prayer requests.

Before the celebration, Brother Richard and Brother Martin, the two sacristans of the Original Shrine, brought several big bags with the contributions to the Capital of Grace placed into the jar of the Original Shrine. They keep these cards, slips of paper, and letters that are given to the Mater in this special place of grace, waiting for a Covenant fire to be lit by the Original Shrine! So, in these moments of Pentecost Eve, the contributions given there since October were once again offered to the MTA and burnt, sign of a covenant love that unites a family throughout the world.

After the renewal of the covenant – uniting from Schoenstatt with all those who belong to the wide Schoenstatt family all over the world – all gathered by the big Pentecost fire that was lit in a good distance from the Original Shrine. In a special way, several Professional Women had worked for this "wide open Shrine" during the afternoon, joining in a common rosary that they prayed each in their home shrines, with the collected and shared intentions of the international Schoenstatt.

Joyful songs resounded, while the traditions cake (a donation of the Ladies of Schoenstatt, and the Women's Federation), was served. A good time to share, to meet and greet old or new friends. Many spent a long time in the Original Shrine, praying there specially for a day of grace for those who today enjoy the dedication of the two new Shrines, in Monterrey, and in Escobar, as well for the "Shrines to come", the one in Cordoba, Argentina, to be blessed end August, and the two in different zones of Lima, Peru, in La Molina, and San Borjes. sign of a covenant love that unites us as a family throughout the world.