Haiti: Procesión con la Peregrina Jubilar Haiti: Procession with the Jubilee Pilgrim MTA Haiti: Prozession mit dem ersten Bild der Pilgernden Gottesmutter

Monseñor Miot, arzobispo de Port-aux-Prince: Coronación de la Peregrina Jubilar, entrega de las nuevas Peregrinas Archbishop Miot of Port-aux-Prince: Crowning of the Jubilee Pilgrim Mother, sending out of the new Pilgrim MTAs Erzbischof Miot von Port-aux-Prince: Krönung der Peregrina Jubilar, Überreichung der neuen Bilder der Pilgernden Gottesmutter

Hna Mariluisa de la República Dominicana Sr. Mariluisa, Domincan Republic Sr. Mariluisa aus der Dominikanischen Republik

Fotos: Schoenstatt República Dominicana © 2002

HAITI/REPUBLICA DOMINCANA, Hna. Mariluisa. The first anniversary of the arrival of the first Pilgrim Mother in Haiti – the Jubilee Pilgrim MTA sent from Santa Maria during the International Meeting of the Schoenstatt Rosary Campaign in November 2000 – was celebrated in Port-au-Prince with a Eucharistic Celebration in the Cathedral presided by Archbishop Miot, and the sending out of four new pictures of the Pilgrim Mother. A delegation from the Dominican Republic, from where the Jubilee Pilgrim Mother was sent to Haiti, participated in the celebration.

On August 30, 2002, Sister Georgina and Sr. Mariluisa left for Haiti by bus with a group of people from the Dominican Republic to celebrate the first anniversary of the sending out of the first Pilgrim MTA to the Republic of Haiti. The group was composed of thirteen people. Three of them came from Puerto Rico and one was a seminarian from Haiti who was the translator. Around 8:00 PM, Haiti time, they arrived in Port Prince, the capital of Haiti, where a group of people attached to Schoenstatt welcomed them.

In the Cathedral of Port-aux-Prince: Celebration with 4,000 persons present

The Eucharistic celebration of the first anniversary took place on August 31 at 8:00 AM at the Cathedral of Port Prince. Msgr. Miot, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Port-aux-Prince presided. He was joined by four priests and a deacon who concelebrated with him. By 7:40 AM when we arrived at the Cathedral, it was filled to overflowing (the crowd was estimated at 4,000). Next to the main altar there were two tables with two Pilgrim MTAs. One was a replica of the original Pilgrim MTA from Brazil and the other one was the first Pilgrim MTA that was sent to Haiti, also coming from Brazil. The four new Pilgrim MTAs that were going to be sent were also placed there. One of those Pilgrim MTAs was going to be given to one of the priests who was concelebrating in order to start its pilgrimage in his parish.

A crown for the first Pilgrim MTA

During Holy Mass the act of crowning of the first Pilgrim MTA in thanksgiving for all the blessings received from her during the first year of her pilgrimage in the Archdiocese took place. After Holy Communion Sr. Mariluisa went to the podium and spoke to the people about the meaning of crowning. She spoke in Spanish and the seminarian translated into Creole (a French dialect used by most people from Haiti as their language.) Then, Msgr. Miot went to the place were the MTAs were and, while the Salve Regina was played instrumentally, he crowned the first image of the Pilgrim MTA. Only then the people started to sing the Salve Regina. While the people sang, he took another Pilgrim MTA in his hands and looked at it for a long time as if he would be in deep prayer. When the song was finished, he said a few words in Creole and gave it to the priest who was taking the Pilgrim Mother to his parish. It is the intention of the Archbishop that all the families in the parishes of the Archdiocese receive the Pilgrim MTA.

"After the final blessing, something unexpected and very touching for us happened," said Sr. Mariluisa. "In our country most of the people do not even wait until the final song of Holy Mass is finished in order to leave the church. These people instead, in a very spontaneous and heartfelt way, ran to the altar in order to express their love, gratitude and affection to our MTA."

When can we seal the Covenant of Love?

After Holy Mass about 70 people gathered in the Parish Hall to learn more about the origin of the Pilgrim MTA and about the Covenant of Love. They inquired how they could prepare themselves to seal the covenant of love with the MTA and Sr. M. Georgina explained to them all about the six claims and the six promises and promised to send them some Schoenstatt literature in French so they could start preparing to seal their covenant. Perhaps during the next encounter with the team from the Dominican Republic they could seal their covenant of love.

After this encounter with the people who were interested in Schoenstatt, the Campaign team went to the central house of the Association of Divine Love were the hosts had prepared a delicious buffet for us. A most beautiful atmosphere enveloped all as they ended the day of celebration of the first anniversary of the sending out of the first Pilgrim MTA to Haití.