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 published: 2003-06-20

The Schoenstatt Family in the heart of the Church

First meeting of the Schoenstatt Family of Italy, June 15th, 2003

15 de junio de 2003: primer encuentro nacional de la Familia de Schoenstatt en Italia

June 15, 2003: First national meeting of the Schoenstatt family of Italy

15. Juni 2003: Erstes Treffen der Schönstattfamilie von Italien

 
 

Charla del Padre Ludovico Tedeschi

Talk by Father Ludovico Tedeschi

Programmatischer Vortrag von Pater Ludovico Tedeschi

 

Testimonio - uno de nuevo testimonios en este día

Testimony - one of nine given on this day

Zeugnis - eins von neun, die an diesem Tag gegeben wurden

 
 

Es la genialidad de la Mater que mueve Italia...

It is the Blessed Mother who moves Italy...

Es ist die Genialität der Gottesmutter, die etwas bewegt…

 

...y somos todos instrumentos.

...and we are her instruments.

…und wir sind Werkzeuge dabei.

 
 

"Schoenstattiano italiano" desde Burundi

"Italian Schoenstatt member" from Burundi

"Italienischer Schönstätter" aus Burundi

 

Un intercambio profundo

A fruiful exchange of experiences

Fruchtbarer Erfahrungsaustausch

 
 

Misa con 6 sacerdotes de 4 nacionalidades

Holy Mass with six priests from four nations

Heilige Messe mit sechs Konzelebranten aus vier Nationen

 

Schoenstatt joven

Young Schoenstatt

Junges Schönstatt

 
 

Últimas preparaciones

Final preparations

Letzte Vorbereitungen

Fotos: Macro © 2003

 

La Peregrina Auxiliar de los ciegos

The Pilgrim Mother for the blind

Die Pilgernde Gottesmutter der Blinden

Foto: Vallendar © 2002

 

 

 

ITALY, Fr. Alberto Eronti. After a long time of eagerly preparing, with prayers and capital of grace in several countries as well as in the Original Shrine, on June 15th 2003, on the Feast of the Holy Trinity, the first national meeting of the Schoenstatt Family of Italy took place in the Shrine "Cor Ecclesiae" in Rome.

It was a bright sunny day on Sunday the 15th and the temperature was high. Fr Ludovico and I arrived early to the Cor Ecclesiae and met the welcoming team already at their places. The Shrine and surrounding areas looked strange: six tents, over one hundred chairs, tables and benches under the trees, people walking around making sure everything was in its place..., they were not nervous but with expectations: We were about to have the first meeting of the Schoenstatt Family of Italy! Minutes before the scheduled time the participants start arriving. From the North and South, East and West, from Rome: Here was the Family of the Father in Italy! It is worth mentioning the presence of three couples and one lady, all from Argentina, who had immigrated to Italy and who had in their respective places of residence, started to work for Schoenstatt. The largest group came from Zelarino, near Venezia-Mestre, lead by Marlene Alves, from Brasilia. We were also glad to have one seminarist, one young layman and two nuns from Burundi who got in touch with Schoenstatt in their country of origin and joined the Family on this occasion.

The gift of God to Schoenstatt and of the Family to the Church

We started the meeting with a prayer in front of the Shrine. Sr. Lisianne was in charge of giving a brief history of the Shrine Cor Ecclesiae, blessed almost 13 years ago. She reminded us of the meaning of the Shrine in our Family: a place for Mary’s presence by the mystery of the Covenant of Love and our love offerings to Her. It is, she said, the gift of God to Schoenstatt and of the Family to the Church. She briefly recalled the blessings of the Shrine and the meaning of the Capital of Graces. To do this she used interesting and clear images and symbols.

To navigate into deeper life dimensions

Next was the programmatic lecture of Fr Ludovico. He tried to interpret the moment: to know and feel each other as Schoenstatt Family, to place ourselves in today’s Italy and its Church and to think of our contribution. For this he analyzed the Italian reality under the light of our charisma and our ideals, using the meeting theme time and time again: "With Mary, duc in altum!" This means, in practical life, to let go of attitudes, posing, and things, to navigate into deeper life. In this sense, Schoenstatt is presented like a percorso (road, way) to new depths of life, of faith, of hope and love. All our life is invited to new and fascinating depths, that is why the most repeated expression was: Prende il largo, go deep sea. Is worth mentioning that on the same date and time, around the Shrine of the Shoenstatt Family Federation, hundreds of people of many national origines and in celebration of the silver anniversary of the Shrine, joined together under the inspiring phrase: Duc in altum! Coincidence?

The lecture left some open theme possibilities which will be worked through during the new year that starts in September.

The MTA heals our blindness

It was time for mid morning break, the temperature was already in the 30ºC but the internal temperature was not standing behind either. On the second part we listened to the testimonies of different groups and communities; nine altogether. Since it will be impossible to describe them all, I choose two of them: Mrs. Rosa Ciola (from Villa Ballester, Argentina) told us an impressive experience of deep religious living. She and her husband Alfredo brought the Pilgrim MTA for the blind. It is an image of the Virgin of Schoenstatt carved in wood. When they moved to their current place of residence in Trentino, Rosa took the image to the parish priest and told him its history. The priest was impressed and agreed to let the image go on pilgrimage in his parish. He announced the news during Mass on a week day. The priest explained the name and meaning of the image; then, and on his own initiative he continued: We are all blind, we have internal blindness which needs healing or to be enlightened with God’s grace..., that’s why I invite all those who feel it in their hearts, to come forward close to the image and closing your eyes "see" Mary touching her with your hands and ask her to heal the internal blindness and to teach us to see God in life. At this point Rosa got emotional and so were all of us. The Virgin teaches those who can see to see that which we don’t see!

A beautiful place

The other testimony, full of simple interior freshness came to us from Gilberto, from one of the couples groups in Zelarino. He told us that when someone asks what is Schoenstatt he responds: A beautiful place. If they ask him what does Schoenstatt offer its members, A beautiful place! When he was asked why he was going to Rome, To a beautiful place! If he has to explain it, he says: The place is beautiful because Mary is there. (As I listened, I remembered the phrase of the first Schoenstatt priest I met: Don’t complicate Schoenstatt, Schoenstatt is love....) We closed the morning with the Angelus, the bells of the Shrine expressed our own joy.

The Holy Trinity, model of the Family-Church and of the Italian Family

We had lunch under the trees, each participant had received a color coded card that showed him/her the table. This allowed the participants to mingle, making it possible to have good exchange of experiences. After lunch we started the final part of the meeting. The altar was placed next to the Shrine under the shade of the big trees. We prayed the three Luminous mysteries of the Holy Rosary (leaving the other two to pray on the way home) and then started the celebration of the Eucharist. It is good to note that the six celebrants were representing four nations: Italy, Puerto Rico, Brazil and Argentina. It was presided by Mons. Ignazio Sanna, member of the Institute of Priests of the Schoenstatt Dioceses. In the sermon he remarked on the message of the liturgical feast: the Holy Trinity. The original Family reflected in the Church Family joined around the altar. In the day of the Holy Trinity, we gather together, we know and experience together as the Schoenstatt Family in Italy, God shows us what we are and we ought to be.

The mystery of Schoenstatt in the heart of the Church!

It was time to say good bye. The faces showed the joy, the happiness was expressed in words, gestures and wishes... we will do this again! It was so good to be together! Everything was so good! And Gilberto saying good bye: Beautiful place, right? Those who arrived to the Shrine for the first time not only praised the beauty of the place, the loving attention and welcome of the Sisters of Mary who multiplied themselves in the attention given, and also of the Family in Rome, but they left impressed by the experience of the Shrine. The how well we feel here! was once more a reality. The mystery of Schoenstatt! The mystery of Schoenstatt in the heart of the Church And that experience so particular and attractive: to feel like the Father’s Family in Italy.

Mother, what would we do without your motherly and thoughtful care?

On the 16th Fr Ludovico left for Argentina and Paraguay for five weeks. What we exchanged before his trip allowed us to express the joy and surprise for all that the Virgin has done during this long first year of apostolate. What was lived on Sunday the 15th under the shade of the Shrine was a marker realized and lived during the wondering and fragility normal on any beginning, but... how beautiful has been everything! That is why we say to the MTA: Mother, what would we be without your motherly guidance! To all those who join us we ask to sing together the Song of Gratitude.

Translation: Carmen L Barruel, Belgium



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