Aniversario de la ermita en Valle Maria Anniversary of the wayside shrine in Valle Maria Erster Jahrestag des Bildstocks in Valle Maria Foto: Ríos © 2004
Ermita de Viale Wayside shrine in Viale Bildstock in Viale Foto: Vignola © 2004
Misión de Viale: con los niños Mission in Viale: activity with the children Mission in Viale: Einsatz mit den Kindern Foto: P. Pablo Pol © 2004
Ermita en el centro de salud en Strobel Wayside shrine in the Health Center in Strobel Bildstock im Gesundheitszentrum in Strobel Foto: Ríos © 2004
Misión de Viale: Misa de cierre con Mons. Maulion, arzobispo de Paraná Mission in Viale: Final Mass with Archbishop Maulion of Paraná Mission in Viale: Abschlussmesse mit Erzbischof Maulion von Paraná Foto: P. Pablo Pol © 2004
Misión en Viale: los Padres Vandemir Meister (izq,), y Alexandre Awi de Mello (der.), de Brasil, con el P. Ricardo Abalde, parroco de Viale. Mission in Viale: Schoenstatt Fathers Vandemir Meister (l), and Alexandre Awi de Mello (r.), Brazil, with parish priest Fr. Ricardo Abalde Mission in Viale: die Schönstattpatres Vandemir Meister (l) und Alexandre Awi de Mello (r) mit Pfarrer Ricardo Abalde Foto: Vignola © 2004

ARGENTINA, Entre Rios, Tita Rios/Itati Vignola / mkf. Three wayside shrines could be blessed during the last few months of 2003 in the department of Diamante in the Province of Entre Rios. One in Aldea Spatzenkutter, where many prayers were answered and the number of missionaries is growing. Another wayside shrine is in Strobel in a Health Center; and the first anniversary of the wayside shrine Valle Maria was celebrated on January 5th. Soon the family missions in Diamante which is also preparing its wayside shrine, will take place.,  In Viale, Province of Entre Rios, where the wayside shrine was blessed in October, the young missionaries from Buenos Aires went back to visit the families.

The mission in Viale started on December 26th; the coordinator was Father Pablo Pol who arrived with two Schoenstatt priests from Brazil; Fathers Alexander Awi and Vladimir Meister. Sister M. Sabrina, working with the Girls' Youth of San Isidro (Buenos Aires) also came. The group was made up of  around one hundred and fifty people from the Boys' Youth and Girls' Youth of Buenos Aires, San Isidro, Salta, Mar del Plata, Florencio Varela, and four young people from Londrina, Brazil. The mission (does she mean pilgrimage?) included  visiting the homes with the Pilgrim MTA, children’s activities, lectures for adults and youth, etc. Holy  Mass was celebrated each day in the schools. A deep bond was experienced between the people and the missionaries. It was a time when Mary’s work and Her way of opening  hearts was really evident. Many went back to church and received the sacraments. On the 29th Father Pablo Pol blessed the home Shrine of Itati Vignola’s house.  She is responsible for the Schoenstatt Rosary Campaign of the Pilgrim MTA in Viale. On January 1st Holy Mass was  celebrated in the wayside shrine. On the 4th, the closing Holy Mass was concelebrated  by Archbishop  Mario Luis Maulion,  of Parana, who had made his Covenant of Love with the MTA when the Shrine in Rosario, Province of Santa Fe,  was blessed in 1993. He expressed his gratitude to the missionaries who brought Jesus to so many people .Special thanks went to Fr. Ricardo Abalde, from the Santa Ana Parish, for opening the doors and the hearts of his parish community.

Mission with the Pilgrim MTA

Soon after, the young missionaries from the Santa Teresita and Sacred Heart Parishes of Paraná  prepared themselves to go out with about thirty pilgrim images. Those from the Parish Santa Teresita will for the first time, visit the areas of the Department of La Paz, border with Department Feliciano (bordering the province of Corrientes) which are the most distant from Parana. Those from the Sacred Heart Parish are going near Parana, to Las Delicias,  where the closing will take place with the visit of the Auxiliary Pilgrim MTA. Motivated by the mission, the missionaries committed their images to its service; looking at a small medal blessed by Father Kentenich which came as a gift directly from Schoenstatt, a young woman proudly showed her Covenant medal, larger than the one blessed by the Father. This motivated her and all the othersl to feel happy and profoundly united  to the Father’s mission and proving that they were an International Family. Also, that they were instruments and that the MTA gives her maternal love to all who approach her Shrine. This happened to the husband of one of the missionaries. For three years she had been a missionary and he now went with her for the first time. At the sight of the image looking at him he was deeply moved and he now prays the rosary even at work.

Apostolic work during vacations

The VI Family Missions of the Apostolic Movement of Schoenstatt in La Plata (capital of the Province of Buenos Aires), in Diamante (Entre Rios) will take place from January 26 to February 1 2004. This is the sixth consecutive year in which the couples and young members of Schoenstatt, most of them from La Plata, will go on missions. Other missionaries from other parts of the country are joining,  people  who committed to spreading the word of God and to bringing the image of Our Lady to the homes. "Those of us who don’t go out on the missions can accompany the missionaries in our prayers or in the Holy Mass every day wherever we are" writes Carlos and Lilita Ricciardi from La Plata in an inspiring letter. "We just have to choose a time between 7 a.m. and midnight during the days of the mission and in this selected time pray for their success." It may be a rosary, or any other prayer or a moment of meditation. You may also offer the Holy Mass daily for the Missions. At the end of their working day the missionaries get together for the night prayers. In that moment they read the names of all those who have been praying for the missions. This is a good way to support the missionaries who feel compensated for their efforts especially when we consider that many of them used their vacation time to go on this apostolic mission.

The pilgrim MTA stays...

The "family Missions" originated in Santiago de Chile through the inspiration of  Father Hernan Alessandri in the Parish of Our Lady of Sorrows. He called them "Catholic Fmily Missions", with the idea of opening them up to all the church groups who wanted to work with them. First they expanded to Paraguay and then to Argentina with a stronger "Schoenstatt accent." How do they work? A place is chosen for the mission, usually a town not too big and in need. It is organized in collaboration with the parish priest. They set the dates and necessary infrastructure. The group consists of families: between 8 and 10 couples and their children and children’s friends. Around 70 or 90 people altogether. What is so particular about this experience? It is that the whole family becomes missionary. Parents and children work together to serve the Gospel and their brothers in need. The "Schoenstatt accent" is shown on the fact that they want to leave someone in the place. Someone who is not just a memory, but also a program of spiritual growth. That is why the pilgrim Virgin stays in the town. Once the missionaries leave, it is Mary who continues the missionary work and visiting the families. In this way the missionaries keep in touch with the town and once in a while one family will visit to help and support what Mary is doing. Naturally, the missions have a double effect: on the families who work for them and in the town. Parents and children learn about each other in a new way: as apostles, as helpers of their brothers. This awakens hidden potentials in the couple, in the children and in the whole family. It is a real "pneumatic" experience, the strength and power and love of the Holy Spirit acting in and through the covenant of love in the couple and the family. For the places chosen it is also very effective, it is a new experience: missionary families. For many weak homes with different problems, it brings renewal and hope to watch these parents working together with their families to serve and give love. It is a realization of the words of the Father in the Second Founding Document,  "Take great care of the conscience of divine mission and the instrumentality" The instrumentality! In these family missions it is the whole family working as instruments in the hands of Mary.

With contributions from Fr. Alberto Eronti, Roma; Carlos and Lilita Ricciardi, La Plata, and Fr. Pablo Pol, Buenos Aires.

Translation: Carmen Barruel, Belgium/ Marlene Peter, Harare, Zimbabwe