Don Joao Pozzobon, pregrino y misionero de María (1904 - 1985) John Pozzobon, pilgrim and missionary of Mary (1904 - 1985) Joao Pozzobon, Pilger und Missionar Mariens (1904 - 1985) Foto: Arendes © 2002

Peregrina Original Original Pilgrim Mother Original der Pilgernden Gottesmutter Foto: Arendes © 2002

Salta, Argentina: 30 de junio, Misa en el Santuario de Tres Cerritos Salta, Argentina: Holy Mass on June 30 in the Shrine Salta, Argentinien: Heilige Messe am 30. Juni im Heiligtum Foto: Badano © 2002

Don Joao Pozzobon con la Peregrina Original y niños, rezando el rosario John Pozzobon with the Original Pilgrim Mother, and children, praying the rosary Joao Pozzobon mit der Peregrina Original, beim Rosenkranzgebet mit Kindern Foto: Arendes © 2002

P. Esteban Uriburu con peregrinos en Santa Maria, casa de Don Joao Fr. Esteban Uriburu with pilgrims in Santa Maria, house of John Pozzobon P. Esteban Uriburu mit Pilgern in Santa Maria, Haus von Joao Pozzobon Foto: Arendes © 2002

Una de las nueve ermitas en Corrientes One of the nine wayside shrines in Corrientes Eins der neun Bildstöcke in Corrientes Foto: Badano © 2002

Corrientes: Recorriendo unas ermitas de la ciudad, 27 de junio Corrientes: Pilgrimage from wayside shrine to wayside shrine on June 27 Corrientes: Wallfahrt im Kleinbus von Bildstock zu Bildstock am 27. Juni Foto: Badano © 2002

Peregrinos en Santa Maria, con Padre Esteban Uriburu (fallece en 1998) Pilgrims in Santa Maria, with late Fr. Esteban Uriburu Pilger in Santa Maria mit Pater Esteban Uriburu (+ 1998) Foto: Badano © 2002

Hno. Arendes (l), Don Blan: intercambio sobre Joao Pozzobon y la Campaña Mr. Arendes (.l), Don Blan: sharing about John Pozzobon and the Campaign Herr Arendes (l), Don Blan: Austausch über Don João Pozzobon und die Kampagne Foto: POS Fischer © 2002

Paraguay, Campaña: Rosario encendido Paraguay, Campaign: Illumined Rosary Paraguay, Kampagne: Lichterrosenkranz Foto: Marini © 2002

... con la Auxiliar de Paraguay ... with the Auxiliary of Paraguay ... mit der Auxiliar von Paraguay Foto: Marini © 2002

INTERNATIONAL, mb/mkf. On June 27, 2002, when the 17^th anniversary of John Pozzobon's death was commemorated, the missionaries of the Campaign and the Schoenstatt members who, without being missionaries, understand and value the contribution that means the Campaign for the whole Movement, joined thanksgiving for the life of this humble man, dedicated Schoenstatt member, and in process of canonization.

John Pozzobon, in words of his inseparable companion during long years, Mr. Arendes, never interrupted anything that he had begun for and with the Blessed Mother, faithful to the assumed commitment, without caring either for the praises nor the critiques that, in major or minor measurement he would receive. He believed – and knew that " when it is from God, a single person can move the world ... ".

Whereas in Santa Maria, Brazil, the cradle of the Campaign, the anniversary was commemorated on June 27 with a peregrination from John Pozzobon's house to the Tabor Shrine, in many places of the world the missionaries assembled to praythe rosary or to take part in a Holy Mass offered in honor of John Pozzobon and for the expansion of the Campaign. "When it is from God, a single person can move the world ..., what wonderful honoring to John Pozzobon! ", Ann Dentice, of Milwaukee, USA, wrote after reading the article on schoenstatt.de. " What benediction for us, to count with so many special people !"

Remembered in all the parishes and way side shrines of Salta, Argentina

"In all the parishes and wayside shrines of Salta the Rosary will be said and/or Masses will be celebrated. In the Capital of Salta, a Mass will be celebrated in John Pozzobon's memory, on Thursday, 27^th June, at 8:00 PM. in the parish of "The Vineyard", and on Sunday, June 30, there will be another Mass in the Shrine here", reported Alberto and Griselda Bozzone, Diocesan persons in charge of the Campaign in Salta, Argentina. "It is a bit difficult to communicate with all the coordinators of the Campaign, but I comment to you what we could find out on behalf of the commemoration of John Pozzobon:

• Group Neighborhood Libertador, rosary to the 07.00 hs., in the wayside shrine
• Group Neighborhood Limache, mass in the Church of "El Verbo Incarnado "
• Group City of the Miracle, rosary in the Chapel.
• Group Rosario de Lerma, mass in the Church of Santa Rita
• Group Chicoana, rosary in the Parish

I do not have certainty which will be the activities of the others ...".

Spiritual peregrination to Santa Maria

Father Argemiro, postulator of the "cause Pozzobon", invited all to spiritually join the triduum of preparation and the celebration in Santa Maria. Tere Bourne de Valarezo, missionary in Guayaquil, told: "I received the invitation to peregrinate to Santa Maria in prayer for the anniversary of John Pozzobon's death. Rightly in this moment I am finishing reading the book on his life and his magnificent work... I had the joy of beginning the triduum with a few friends with whom I assemble to say the rosary, and felt that John Pozzobon was happy for this event. On June 27, we are going to celebrate a Mass at 6:00 p.m. for the "small student" of the Father Kentenich and for the workshop that we are going to have for the missionaries on June 28 and 29, in Salinas; it is about how to organize the work and to be educated as missionary of the Campaign. The topic that I have to exhibit is exactly on the secret of being missionary and the secret of John Pozzobon."

Visiting four wayside shrines of the city of Corrientes

" On June 27, 17^th anniversary of the death of John Pozzobon, motivated by the message of Father Argemiro in Schoenstatt's web (More), a group of missionaries of the Schoenstatt Rosary Campaign of Pilgrim Motherof the city of Corrientes, we decided to do a 'peregrination' asking for the Don Joao's prompt beatification ", shared Martha de Liotti, promotor and founder of the Campaign for the babies in risk. "We rented a minibus and we visited four of the nine Wayside shrines of the Blessed Mother that exist here. During the way, we read passages of the life of the deacon, from the book of Father Esteban Uriburu. In every Wayside shrine, missionaries from this community expected us; with them, we shared prayers and singings. It was a very rich experience that made us feel united to the Family by the wayside shrines and Shrines of the whole world ".

Rosary Meditation in the Shrine " Mary, Way towards Heaven "

"Thanks to the information of Father Argemiro, the missionaries hurried to organize a meditated rosary of John Pozzobon here in Monterrey, Mexico, which was celebrated in ou newly dedicated Shrine ' Mary, Way toward Heaven'; we prayed all 15 decadeswrote Marissa Benavides de Heron Sada. "Also in four Wayside shrines the Rosary was said almost simultaneously, in some it was said at 9:00 am and in others at 10 am. In the evening, with the Circle of Sion, we also meditated the Rosary, and Father Horace Lopez celebrated Mass with the same intention". 

From now on we are going to work, really to work a lot.

In May, soon after having been in Schoenstatt for the first time due to the fact that they assigned a flight to Frankfurt, Germany, to him, Don Blan, on board of a Boeing 777, had the opportunity to be again touch this place of grace. Like always, he brought the Pilgrim Mother who fulfills her mission from the cockpit of the plane; this time he had a meeting with Mr. Arendes, and the two shared a long and intense chat. " I really enjoyed my time at Schoenstatt. My family took a vote and told me I can not go back without them!!!!!!! I look forward to talking with Mr. Arendes again. Our conversations and the events of the day have lead me to reflect much on the Campaign". One of the central topics of this interchange was John Pozzobon's collaboration with the priests – a model of lay and priestly responsibility in mutual complementation-, another aspect was how he managed to handle the lack of understanding and the rejection bysome leaders of Schoenstatt during a long time. The response: he suffered – in 1975 he expressed his gratitude to the Blessed Mother for the tears shed in the last years-, said Mr. Arendes; he renewed his Covenant of Love, did not speak too much about it, continued working like always in order that this was not affecting the Campaign, showing a sincere affection towards all. Nonetheless, he affirmed also, taht does not mean that he did not understand what they said. But his principal aim was not to save his own reputation but to assure the future of the mission that the Mother thrice Admirable had entrusted to him. "The simple people always stayed on his side ", added Mr. Arendes. He also went out in John Pozzobon's defense and gave to him the support that was necessary to go ahead – passing the painful process of the acceptance of the Campaign as part of the Schoenstatt movement, until Schoenstatt considered the Campaign integral part of the Movement. "In these thirty years", wrote John Pozzobon commemorating the 30^th anniversary of the beginning of the Campaign, in 1980, "a great gratefulness to the lack of understanding, a time in which I could feel Mary closer to me," (Pilgrim and missionary, p. 288)

"This interchange has illuminated a lot of experiences that I have lived through, "commented On Don Blan, "encouraging me again to commit myself totally as missionary of the Pilgrim Mother."

Mr. Arendes also shared how the Blessed Mother had responded to John Pozzobon's loyalty. That September 10, 1980, on having entrusted the Original Pilgrim Mother to the Sisters of Mary in a simple and deep ceremony in the Tabor Shrine, Don Joao looked to the future, saying: " I see something very big towards the future, very big... We have a lot ahead to realize, very much, very much ... it looks to me as if we had just begun. From now on we are going to work, really. Because she has prepared a great field, and is going to need someone that can support and make this field grow, so that she will be known and loved. " (Heroe today, p. 89).

In this interchange between the two missionaries, Mr. Arendes affirmed that – in his opinion – the Blessed Mother had given to Don Joao this so longed "someone" in the person of Father Esteban Uriburu, who from 1983 devoted himself entirely to the spread of the Campaign. "Ohe counted with four prerequisites that literally destined him to be this 'someone' of the vision described by John Pozzobon. A strong trend towards the international, a mission for the international given by the Father and Founder; the natural gift of knowing the languages neccessary for the spread of the Campaign, and coming form a diplomats' family, he had contancts and friends in the whole world ". With a smile, Mr. Arendes added: "And his brother was employed at Argentine Airlines so he had the possibility of flying gratis or with very economic tickets!" The Blessed Mother, in her unbreakable loyalty, granted John Pozzobon the grace of knowing this instrument and being a witness of the beginning of the fulminating irradiation of the Campaign to the world!

Secretariat "John Pozzobon" in Paraguay

The longing for a Secretariat John Pozzobon in Paraguay has become reality. Juan Carlos and Gloria Lobos took charge of the same. Gloria is also a secretary of the Campaign together with Margie. The secretariat secretariat was inagurated on Monday, June 17^th, by the Council presided by the Director of the Movement, Father Antonio Cosp.

On June 27, this new team of the Campaign organized the Mass in the "Young Shrine" on behalf of John Pozzobon's anniversary. Already the pictures of John Pozzobon with the prayer approved by bishop Ivo of Santa Maria Brazil, were available. During the mass, this prayer was said for John Pozzobon's prompt beatification.

The Auxiliary of Paraguay presided the Mass that was celebrated by Father Jose Maria García, Novice master of the Fathers. The pictures were distributed to the attendees. Thus the history of the Secretariat John Pozzobon in Paraguay begun!

Contributions: Coco and Marijú Pereira, Asucnción, Paraguay; Don Blan, Dallas,USA; Martha Liotti, Corrientes, Argentina; Alberto and Griselda Bozzone, Salta, Argentina; Tere Bourne de Valarezo, Guayaquil, Ecuador.

See also: