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Algo nuevo comenzó... el 8 de diciembre en Belmonte, Roma. Something new began... on december 8 at Belmonte, Rome Etwas Neues hat begonnen… am 8. Dezember in Belmonte, Rom. Foto: Avarena © 2003 |
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El lugar del nuevo Santuario - ya santo por la presencia de la Mater The place of the new Shrine - already holy through the presence of the Blessed Mother Der Platz des neuen Heiligtums - schon heilig durch die Gegenwart der Gottesmutter |
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Celebración Celebration Feier der Grundsteinlegung Foto: Ciola © 2003 |
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Presencia de la Mater - presencia de los misioneros y peregrinos con su capital de gracias Presence of the MTA - presence of the missionaries of the Campaign and the pilgrims, with their capital of grace Die Gottesmutter ist da - und macht die Missionare der Kampagne und die Pilger mit ihrem Gnadenkapital present Foto: Macro © 2003 |
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La Presidencia Internacional de la Obra de Schoenstatt The General Presidium of the International Schoenstatt Work Das Generalpräsidium des Schönstattwerkes |
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Domingo, 7 de diciembre: Misa en la iglesia de Bonus Pastor Sunday, December 7: Mass in the church of Bonus Pastor Sonntag, 7. Dezember: Messe in der Kirche von Bonus Pastor |
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Homilía: Mons. Peter Wolf Sermon: Mons. Peter Wolf Predigt: Mons. Dr. Peter Wolf |
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Misa en Bonus Pastor - con todos los schoenstattianos presentes Mass at Bonus Pastor, with all schoenstatt pilgrims present Messe in Bonus Pastor mit allen bereits anwesenden Schönstatt-Pilgernde Gottesmutter |
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Angelus en San Pedro Ángelus at St. Peter's Beim Angelusgebet auf dem Petersplatz |
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Encuento con los Focolares Encounter with the Focolare Movement Begegnung mit der Fokolar-Bewegung |
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Encuento con los Focolares Encounter with the Focolare Movement Begegnung mit der Fokolar-Bewegung |
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Cena festiva, 8 de diciembre Festive dinner, December 8 Festliches Abendessen am 8. Dezember Fotos. Avarena © 2003 |
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INTERNATIONAL, mfk. The 9th of December…The General Presidium sent a program letter to the Schoenstatt Family inviting everyone to "fill the earthen jars" so that "the mystery of the fruitfulness of the Original Shrine may also be repeated at this place as it has been evident on a world-wide scale in many other Shrines." In the comments of the participants as in the many greetings which arrived in Rome, it seems that the Schoenstatt Family is ready to fill this Shrine with its contributions to the Treasury of Grace.
"Without a doubt, yesterday was a day of special graces. I think we all left ‘with a small gift from our Mother’ and inspite of the great cold weather our hearts were on fire by Her love. Now we have the task to transmit all we have received to each community; to each one in his own territory, also among family and friends," commented Rosita Ciola, an Argentinian living in Trento, Italy. "Something new began," said Father Marcelo Aravena. "For the blessing we have to invite the Schoenstatt youth to participate en masse because they are the ones who will see what began on the 8th of December."
FILL THE EARTHEN JARS
While the 350 participants in Rome offered up being there in the cold and wind of a winter day, at the Shrine of Belgrano some taxi drivers came together to accompany the celebration with their praying of the Rosary: "From the Shrine ‘Mary’s Tabor’, in the heart of the city of the nation’s capital, from the Shrine where we were born as missionaries, the taxi drivers of the MTA wish to be united with you in the laying of the cornerstone for the Shrine in Belmonte, Rome, "Matri Ecclesiae". There, while Mary places her heart we will be praying a rosary so that the graces of God will always be with you, as it has happened to us taxi drivers. There, many of them feel called by our Mother who wants to unite us in the love of the Son who came to give his life for all of us. May our Mother bless you all," writes Cliver Beltramo.
"We want to invite the International Schoenstatt Family to ( in a holy competition of love) meditate on the mysteries of the Rosary and offer them up for the Shrine in Rome. In the blessing we will take to the Shrine, in large earthen jars, the symbols of the prayed Rosaries proceeding from many countries, and we will gather them there," write the members of the General Presidium..
THE BUENOS AIRES TAXI DRIVERS ALREADY OFFERED THEIR FRIST ROSARY…
A group of couples who on that same day sealed their Covenant of Love in the Shrine of Bellavista, Chile write: " The Covenant of Love which we sealed with Mary in the Shrine of Bellavista unites us closely to all of us who form a part of this great Schoenstatt Family and especially in an event such as this. Father Kentenich should be happy, and we too. We promise to make many contributions to the Treasury of Grace of which we are sure will be a spring of life for the new Shrine of Belmonte."
"We feel like direct participants of what happened yesterday," wrote Sergio and Sole Sepúlveda from Temuco, Chile. They recently signed the document in October during the Delegates’ Meeting in Bellavista.
THAT THE CORNERSTONE BE FILLED WITH MANY SIGNS OF SURRENDER…
"I was very moved when the cornerstone was filled with the documents, various letters, symbols and signs brought by the pilgrims. The open space for the conclusion was half filled with all of these offerings. There is still much room," commented Msgr. Peter Wolf. As the members of the Italian Schoenstatt Family were arriving with their vases, they filled the space with all the papers and letters they brought in their vases. It was a moving and simple moment of surrender.
…AND THE SHRINE WITH PILGRIMS WHO BEAR THE TREASURY OF GRACE
" At this place which is already holy by the presence of Our MTA, I had the great joy of leaving my humble contribution to the Treasury of Grace and my petition as a missionary representing all my missionary brothers and sisters who would have loved to have been there yesterday, and also in the name of the Campaign, who as you can imagine, could not be left out," said Rosita Ciola. "Thus the Pilgrim Auxiliary Shrine was there, presiding over this beautiful ceremony. I really like the ceremony of the hammer which I did not know of and later learned that it is a proper German custom. There were important Church representatives present as were members of the Schoenstatt Family and of the persons who will be responsible for the building of the Shrine. ‘The missionaries and pilgrims are missing, I thought to myself. So, I made it a very personal point that the MTA would receive the many intentions of Her ‘pilgrim’ children who surely with their work, prayers, contributions to the Treasury of Grace, and humble donations would also help to build this new ‘Little House’ of the MTA. Therefore, my concrete petition was that She transform this place into a pilgrimage place where many children may visit Her, bringing their contributions to the Treasury of Grace so that this place may become a ‘great Bank of Graces’ which surely She will transform into blessings so that many may benefit."
"Dear Brothers and Sisters, on this very special day for you and for all who love the MTA, we want to accompany you with our hearts and prayers," writes Sara Faggiotto, a missionary of the Schoenstatt Rosary Campaign from Málaga, Spain.
WHERE HEARTS ARE ALSO ON FIRE FOR THE MATRI ECCLESIAE SHRINE
It is a work of the entire Schoenstatt Family, reads the letter from the International Presidium. It is already the Shrine of many. There are already many places where hearts are also on fire for the Matri Ecclesiae Shrine: "From one of the highest cities in the world, La Paz, Bolivia, and from our Shrine in Achumani where Schoenstatt hearts also beat for the laying of the cornerstone for the Matri Ecclesiae Shrine, we send you our heartfelt greetings and all our energy from the Andes where Mary has also wanted to establish Herself. We offer our prayers as contributions to the Treasury of Grace so that this Shrine may be built rapidly and be a symbol of fraternal bonds which extend to the world from Rome as our founder once envisioned," so writes Lizzie Loetz de Alipaz in the name of the Schoenstatt Family from La Paz, Bolivia. From Ibadan, Nigeria the seminarians of the Schoenstatt Fathers united themselves spiritually together with Fathers Alfred Kistler and Klaus Desch who are also building a Shrine for our MTA.
In the name of the family in Ecuador, Beatriz Arosemena comments: "We would also wish to unite ourselves by sending a symbol of our Shrine and for that we would like to know if there are any rules regarding the size which must be taken into account so that it can be placed in the cornerstone. We think it is a marvelous invitation to pray and meditate the Holy Rosary as we approach the centennial celebration of the birth of Joao Pozzobon." Many more greetings arrived in addition to those mentioned, among others from Argentina: Paso Mayor, Bahía Blanca; Goya, Corrientes; Corrientes; Bragado; Tucumán, Paraná, Entre Ríos; de Chillán, Bellavista, Valdivia, Chile; from Cambrai, France; from Stuttgart, Memholz, Liebfrauenhohe, Germany; from Quarten,Switzerland; from Costa Rica, and from Celaya, México. Greetings were sent by Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary, the Institute of the Schoenstatt Priests, Professionals, families from the three communites of the Family Work, mothers, and missionaries from the Schoenstatt Rosary Campaign of the Pilgrim MTA.
IMPRESSIONS OF THE PILGRIMS TO ROME
Those who made the Schoenstatt Family physically present in Rome during those grace-filled days have returned as enthusiastic as everyone else.
To be in Rome on the 8th of December "as Schoenstatt" –among a daily growing number---the majority being German---with an international flavor---with the presence of the Italian family---and Schoenstatters from Argentina, Chile, Spain and Austria---marked the experiences of the 200-250 pilgrims in Rome.
The encounter with St. Vincent Pallotti on Saturday the 6th of December helped to better understand the mission of Schoenstatt and its universal apostolate as was the encounter with Don Silvano of the Focolare Movement on its 60th anniversary. It opened hearts for a key aspect of the future function and mission of the International Schoenstatt Center: the encounter with Movements and ecclesial communities and being able to invite them over to "our house" instead of to Casa Tra Noi as up to now.
On Sunday, the 7th of December, all of the Schoenstatters present in Rome gathered at Casa "Bonus Pastor" for a holy Mass where the 12 priests who were on a "pilgrim retreat" with Msgr. Peter Wolf, shared their experiences and Fr. Heinrich Walter said in his homily that the aroma of a new beginning is now felt.
In the afternoon they visited the house on via Giovanni Eudes 25, formerly the home of the Sisters of Providence where Father Kentenich was with the representatives of the Schoenstatt Family in 1965. Fr. Oskar Buhler related how in that place and being a young priest, he encountered Father Kentenich for the first time. He experienced him as the good shepherd and at the same time as a prophet.
Much is said among the pilgrims of the beautiful experience of the "festive dinner" in Tra Noi which gathered everyone---the Italian and German Schoenstatt Families and the Presidium…The Family of Rome gave a small Roman vase to each participant from the countries outside of Italy. "There is a climate of reappearance, " said Fr. Oskar Buhler, "and everywhere it is heard: Until the blessing of the Shrine!"
TOWARD THE 8TH OF SEPTEMBER
God willing, this will be on the 8th of September of 2004. Already they are "announcing" pilgrimages from Paraguay and Argentina. The Schoenstatt Family from Munster, Germany will charter a plane…on the 7th of September, a festive Mass will be celebrated at the Church of St. Mary Major following a night vigil. On Wednesday, the 8th , participation in the general audience will be possible in the morning---the blessing will take place in the afternoon. On the 9th, a Mass of Thanksgiving will be celebrated at St. Peter’s Basilica.
SEE YOU IN ROME !!!
Translation: Carlos Cantú, La Feria, Texas, USA