Encuentro de la juventud en el Santuario en Nueva Yorka Youth encounter in the Shrine in New York Jugendtreffen im Heiligtum in New York Foto: Bracero © 2003

USA, NEW YORK, Sr Isabel Bracero. On Sunday, August 10, twenty youngsters from New York, Connecticut and Washington DC met in the Shrine of Light from 1-4pm for some hours of prayer and singing. With youthful enthusiasm they developed ideas and plans about how to bring the image of the Blessed Mother to the world they live in.

They had a mini retreat. Fr. David Spinoza, a diocesan priest from the diocese of Brooklyn, NY, was so kind to be with them for a talk and Holy Mass. They culminated their day with a heartfelt consecration to the MTA in the Shrine. Some know Schoenstatt for many years already, some know Schoenstatt for a few years, and for most of them it was the very first time they were in the Shrine.

They ended the day by using the prayer which the Holy Father prayed on Palm Sunday of this year in order to consecrate the youth of the world to the Blessed Mother. Everyone enjoyed the afternoon. It was short, and it was very nice also.

Why not go to Times Square with her?

As an activity they tried to creatively come up with a new way or trend of introducing the Blessed Mother into our pop culture and into our American culture. Some of the suggestions were: to have a clothing store for women that would only sell Marian-style clothing, to have a computer program that would remind you every morning of your prayers and of your consecration. Another suggestion was to simply bill boards that would announce the Blessed Mother. Finally, why not go to Time Square with her?

In the end, all agreed that the way they can start a trend that would bring the Blessed Mother into our culture would be by simply fostering healthy, sound relationships among ourselves. That's the only way we will be able to have the power to transform history the way Mary transformed history, through her FIAT.