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Día de Alianza en medio de una lluvia largamente esperada Covenant Day in the much awaited rain Bündnistag im langersehnten Regen |
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Celebración en la Iglesia de Adoración: P. Lothar Penners, Mons. Ivan Seso Covenant celebration in the Adoration Church: P. Lothar Penners, Mons. Ivan Seso Bündnisfeier in der Anbetungskirche: P. Lothar Penners, Mons. Ivan Seso |
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Peregrinos de Croatia Pilgrims from Croatia Pilger aus Kroatien |
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Con la Peregrina en brazos: Hemilce N. de Guerineau, de Daireaux, diocesis de Bahía Blanca, Argentina With the Pilgrim MTA in her arms: : Hemilce N. de Guerineau, from Daireaux, dioceses Bahía Blanca, Argentina Mit der Pilgernden Gottesmutter überall hin: : Hemilce N. de Guerineau aus Daireaux, Diözese Bahía Blanca, Argentinien |
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Cantos bajo la lluvia: chicos de España Singing in the rain: children from Spain Lieder im Regen: Kinder aus Spanien |
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20 de agosto: Misa en español en el Santuario Original, con participantes de Puerto Rico, España, Argentina, Chile... August 20: Spanish Holy Mass in the Original Shrine, with participants from Puerto Rico, Spain, Argentina, Chile… 20. August: Messe in Spanisch im Urheiligtum, mit Pilgern aus Spanien, Puerto Rico, Argentinien, Chile… Fotos: POS Fischer © 2003 |
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Desde Puerto Rico a Schoenstatt: Esclavos de la Eucaristía y de la Virgen María From Puerto Rico to Schoenstatt: Esclavos de la Eucaristía y de la Virgen María Aus Puerto Rico nach Schönstatt: Esclavos de la Eucaristía y de la Virgen María |
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18 de agosto: Misa de Alianza de 90 Croatos en el Santuario Original. Con el P. Christoph Horn August 18: Covenant Mass of 90 pilgrims from Croatia in the Original Shrine; one of the priests in concelebration was Fr. Christoph Horn 18. August: Bündnismesse von 90 Kroaten im Urheiligtum. Einer der Konzelebranten war P. Christoph Horn Fotos: Badano © 2003 |
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Con la Peregrina de los enfermos: Hemilce y Rita en la Casa Sonnenau With the Pilgrim MTA of the Sick: Hemilce and Rita in House Sonnenau Mit der Pilgernden Gottesmutter der Kranken: Hemilce und Rita in der Sonnenau Foto: POS Fischer © 2003 |
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SCHOENSTATT, mkf. "I love Covenant Day when we as Schoenstatt Family can all come together throughout the world and think of one another in prayer, what a powerful thought," wrote Sally Leroy from Arizona, USA, on August 18. "One single day in the Original Shrine is better than thousand others," the meditation in the Covenant Celebration in Schoenstatt read that evening. "With desire, gratitude and love today, on this 18th, thousands and thousands spiritually come to the Original Shrine. Many of them will never have the possibility to physically touch this place of grace. Maybe today people are not standing in lines to get into the Original Shrine, as one would expect - but loves sees more; love sees the thousands, that today enter the Original Shrine…".
Covenant day began with heavy rain - and what normally would not make for good news, this time did so: after already on past Wednesday the temperatures fell significantly, Germany on August 18 finally got the long-awaited rain so much prayed for. After over six weeks without rain and temperatures around 39°C life is now getting back to normal!
Covenant Mass in the Original Shrine
In the Mass early in the morning in the Original Shrine, Father Gerold Langsch, USA (in the Chapter of the Schoenstatt Fathers) prayed for all the Schoenstatt people who would spiritually visit this place and all who live in the Covenant of Love. A missionary of the Schoenstatt Rosary Campaign from Bahia Blanca, Argentina, had placed her Pilgrim MTA for the Sick, with a fine white rosary, white rose, blue-white tape, and a bright white ribbon, on the communion rail. "We ran out of pictures," she shared later, "when you go around, young people keep begging you to become a missionary, but we don't have enough pictures, there is such a demand for pictures!"
At 9:30 hs, approximately 90 Croatian Schoenstatt pilgrims filled the Original Shrine; Fr. Christoph Horn and Mons. Ivan Seso came with a pilgrimage from Croatia. During their Holy Mass, the Original Shrine resounded with the joyful songs of the Croatians, whose joy in being at this place of grace was audible, visible, tangible! The Croatians will spend this week in Schoenstatt, and celebrate their Covenant as Croatian Schoenstatt family come August 22, in the Shrine of the Families.
All day over, pilgrims came to the Original Shrine, to pray the rosary, renew the Covenant of Love, remember their loved ones or unite with Schoenstatt at other places.
Like on each 18th…
Like on each 18th, wayside shrines and Shrines all over the world were the places where the Schoenstatt family cam together to celebrate the Covenant of Love, with Masses, rosary, Thousand Hail Mary… The Schoenstatt family of Resistencia, in Argentina, celebrated the 2nd anniversary of their wayside shrine, with a rosary, and "mini pilgrimage"; August 21, they'll have Holy Mass, blessing of the wayside shrine, and of the Pilgrim Mother pictures, and consecrate Argentina to the Mother Thrice Admirable of Schoenstatt. In Viale, Province of Entre Ríos, Argentina, a wayside shrine was blessed. In January, this small town was the place of a Schoenstatt mission; a picture of the Pilgrim MTA was left with the people, and those who were ready to become missionaries worked hard to get their wayside shrine. In Goya, also in Argentina (Province Corrientes), the Schoenstatt Rosary Campaign celebrated, with the prayer of Thousand Hail Mary's, the 5th anniversary of the Campaign in Goya. They received a highly motivating letter of the local bishop. In gratitude for all the gifts and graces received in these 5 years, one of the 20 rosaries of the Thousand Hail Mary was offered as rosary of food, with bags with food for each Hail Mary that were later given to a home for poor old people.
A spiritual pilgrimage to the Shrines of the World
At 7:30 PM, the Covenant celebration began in the Adoration Church; the pilgrimage from Croatia, a group of Schoenstatt families from Spain, missionaries from Argentina, a course of the Federation of Families from Austria, youth from Russia and Poland, pilgrims from England, Puerto Rico, Chile, Portugal, and the local Schoenstatt family was present. A special welcome was said to several Schoenstatt Fathers participating in the General Chapter of the Schoenstatt Fathers. Father Penners in the name of the Chapter thanked the international Schoenstatt family for their prayers and support during the time of the Chapter and announced a Holy Mass in gratitude towards the end of the Chapter /August 30, 5:00 PM, Adoration Church)- a chance also to present the new General Superior, Fr. Heinrich Walter, and Council (Fr. Mario Romero, Fr. Patricio Moore, Fr. Angel Strada, Fr. Paul Vautier) recently elected.
The Covenant Celebration was designed as a spiritual pilgrimage to the Shrines of the world, especially to the youngest Schoenstatt Shrines, praying for the special graces the Blessed Mother wants to share from their Shrines - in Cebu, Belo Horizonte (Freedom), Cordoba (Hope and Life), Pereira (Shrine of the Poor), Monterrey (way to heaven), Escobar (New Bethlehem), San Luis Potosi (Marvels of Mary), Bydgoszc, Madrid (Schoenstatt for the Church), Salvador (Mother of the Redeemed), Mudurai (Sion), Trujillo, Puerto Montt (Attachment), Irinjalakuda (Light of Faith), Bamberg (Attachment), Manchester (your Shrine - our Home), Ciudad del Este (Portal of the Trinity, Garden of the Father), Poços de Caldas (Wellspring of life), Gliwice (Mother of Unity), Cornelio Procopio (Faithfulness to the Church).
Children brought flowers to the picture of the MTA during this spiritual pilgrimage.
Then, all offered the capital of grace of this past month to the Blessed Mother, and renewed the Covenant of Love, united with all, praying "My Queen, my Mother" in German, Spanish, and Croatian. At the end, a Croatian woman from Hamburg received a Pilgrim MTA picture.
Despite of the rain, most of the participants processed out of the Church to the fire, where the slips of paper with the Capital of grace were burnt, followed by the typical "talent show" style singing of songs by the different groups - although short, this time, due to the rain.
A physical pilgrimage from the Shrines of the world
The families from Spain that are spending this week in Schoenstatt made for a remarkable descend of the average age in Schoenstatt - with 15 toddlers and kindergarten children, they fill Schoenstatt with young life! On August 20, anniversary of the Foundation of the Apostolic Federation in Hoerde, in 1920, they had a Holy Mass in the Original Shrine, celebrated by Mons. Hermann Gebert along with two members of the "Esclavos de la Eucaristía y de la Virgen Maria" from Puerto Rico, who are spending a week in Schoenstatt before one of them will leave for studies in Rome. Hilda Pagan, from Puerto Rico, represented Schoenstatt in Puerto Rico during this Mass. Come February, the Schoenstatt Shrine that their community built in Puerto Rico, will celebrate its 20th anniversary. The two looked eagerly for chances to celebrate Mass in the Original Shrine. A group of Brazilians came on August 19 on behalf of a birthday celebration. They got a quick tour of Schoenstatt, with the Original Shrine, Founder Chapel, and Father Kentenich House. A priest from Santa Cruz, Brazil, arrived in Schoenstatt soon after they had left. A Schoenstatt member from Chile, presently working in Ireland, used some free days for a visit to Schoenstatt.
The Schoenstatt pilgrims from Croatia are preparing to renew the Covenant of Love as Croatian Schoenstatt family on Thursday, August 21, in the Shrine of the Families, while Antonieta, a missionary of the Campaign in Portugal, will seal her Covenant early in the morning of August, 22, Feast of Mary as Queen -, in the Original Shrine.