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29 mayo 03: Feli y Florentín -en el centro- reciben más imágenes para El Salvador en Washington. 11 misioneros se las entregaron, cada uno con un testimonio. May 29, 2003: Feli and Florentin from El Salvador, receiving new pictures for El Salvador, in Washington. 11 missionaries gave them to them, each one with a testimony. 29. Mai 2003: Feli und Florentin erhalten in Washington DC mehr Bilder der Pilgernden Gottesmutter für El Salvador; 11 Missionare überreichen sie ihnen, jeweils mit einem Zeugnis. |
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12 de junio de 03: Feli y Florentín en el aeropuerto National, de Washington, de regreso a El Salvador, después de 12 años de no volver. Envío, cantos y emoción. June 12, 2003: Feli and Florentin at the National Airport of Washington, ready to leave for El Salvador after 12 years without having been there. Mission, songs, joy, tears… 12. Juni 2003: Feli und Florentin auf dem National Airport in Washington, Minuten vor dem Abflug nach El Salvador nach 12 Jahren in Washington. Aussendung, Lieder, Freude, Tränen... Fotos: Soros © 2003 |
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Grupo de señoras en El Salvador: fiel a la Mater por años Mothers' group in El Salvador: faithful to the MTA for years Müttergruppe in El Salvador: treu zu Schönstatt über Jahre |
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Conchita con la primera Peregrina en El Salvador Conchita with the first Pilgrim Mother in El Salvador Conchita with dem ersten Bild der Pilgernden Gottesmutter in El Salvador |
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Fotos: Cox/ Vinculo © 2003 |
EL SALVADOR, P. Carlos Cox / mkf. The first Centralamerican Schoenstatt Convention is planned for September 15th in the city of Esquipulas, Guatemala. Schoenstatt in Centralamerica – today without a shrine, without Sisters or Fathers of Schoenstatt – is growing slowly but steadily in Belice, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama, El Salvador. But there is the Pilgrim MTA; there is the MTA in the wayside shrines of the Center and above all in the faithfully committed hearts. Like the hearts of Conchita and the group "Persevering holding Mary’s hand" in El Salvador.
Señora Dominga (Conchita), a Salvadorean from the small village Llano los Patos, province of La Union, in the border with Nicaragua, could not imagine the consequences of that visit to her daughter Feli and her son-in-law Florentin in Washington DC. They told her about the Virgin of Schoenstatt and suggested her to become Her missionary back in El Salvador.
Like a little disciple of John Pozzobon
The visit to Milwaukee, to the Shrine of the Exile and to the International Center of Waukesha was a dream. There she captured the meaning of Schoenstatt and returned to her homeland. Like a little disciple of John Pozzobon she started traveling with the images through villages and towns inviting people to pray the rosary and creating family groups of prayer. In this way she placed other images till she had a network in contact with their parish. Her quiet fidelity became strong when meeting with another quiet fidelity.
Persevering holding Mary’s hand
There is a ladies group since 1996 in El Salvador founded from Guayaquil (Ecuador). It was sponsored for a while by Fr Jose Luis Nieto, but he has not visited for the last five years. Their name Persevering holding Mary’s hand is an expression of reality. With material sent from Ecuador and by maintaining contact with the small Family of Esquipulas, in Guatemala they have matured into the Schoenstatt riches.
The MTA visiting El Salvador in twenty-eight pictures
They planned to go to Llano los Patos while Fr Carlos Cox was visiting El Salvador, to meet there with another group of Schoenstatt Salvadoreans. The reunion and welcoming were impressive: with decorated small chapel, festive music, fireworks, talks, exchange and a Mass honoring the Virgin by kissing her image to express each person’s gifts of love. This confirmed Sra Dominga in her mission and the ladies of the group saw a new area for their apostolic work. Now that Feli and Florentin have returned from Washington to Llanos los Patos to stay for good and a tear after the arrival of the first image of the Pilgrim MTA brought by Dominga to the town there are twenty-eight images of the MTA blessing the whole local population. Everybody wants to receive her and no one wants to be excluded.
The small country on the coast of the Pacific... land of the MTA
El Salvador is a small country in Central America on the coast of the Pacific Ocean. It has 5.5 million inhabitants of which over 2 million are counted as living in the USA and whose periodical contributions in money to their homeland (in $US) is one of the major sources of income of the country. A land wounded by earthquakes and a long civil war (the murder of Mons. Oscar Romero is a sign of it). Its people make it a place of strong will and determination to grow by using a tremendous strength to overcome adversity.
Schoenstatt is beginning thanks to the loyalty of this ladies group and the step by step development of the Pilgrim MTA Campaign.
Mphc et v. Mother will take perfect care and will be victorious. She is the Great Missionary.
From the magazine: Vinculo, Chile, # 171,
June 2003; with contribution of Gonzalo Vega, Costa Rica.
Translatoin: Carmen Barruel, Belgium