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Todo el grupo de Texas, Estados Unidos The whole group from Texas, USA Die ganze Gruppe aus Texas, USA Foto: POS Fischer © 2004 |
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En la ermita de Texas en el Monte Schoenstatt: Hna Corelia, Carlos y Elizabeth Cantú At the Texas wayside Shrine at Mount Schoenstatt: Sr. Corelia, Carlos and Elizabeth Cantú Am Bildstöckchen von Texas auf Berg Schönstatt: Sr. Corelia, Carlos und Elizabeth Cantú |
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Un corresponsal de schoenstatt.de en Schoenstatt... When a correspondent of schoenstatt.de comes to Schoenstatt... Wenn auch Korrespondent von schoenstatt.de nach Schönstatt kommt… |
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Visita a Gymnich Visit to Gymnich Besuch in Gymnich |
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Misa en el Santuario Original Mass in the Original Shrine Messe im Urheiligtum Fotos: E. Cantu © 2004 |
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SCHOENSTATT, mkf. "Each group of pilgrims from Texas visits the Texas wayside shrine at Mount Schoenstatt," Sister Corelia emphasized. And so did the 35 or so pilgrims that arrived on the morning of the 27th of July, to stay in House Marienau until July 30th, to then via Munich and Assisi to Rome. One of the highlights of their pilgrimage was the crowning celebration at the Texas wayside shrine, located since 1975 in Schoenstatt, close to the cafeteria of Sr. Astrid and the barn famous now thanks "Christmas tea and cookies".
The bells of the Adoration Church were ringing when the 35 pilgrims from Texas, accompanied by Fr. Héctor Vega and Sister Corelia, approached the wayside shrine, short before noon; and the bells that ring each day at this time to call for the prayer of the "Angelus", on this hot and sunny morning they seemed to ring for the pilgrims from Texas who had just finished a long and intense prayer time in the Founder Chapel. "The crowning was a really deep experience", said Carlos Cantu, of LaFeria, Texas, who with his wife Elizabeth and daughter Elma Estela had for a long time looked forward to these days in Schoenstatt.
"Father you visited us, now we visit you!"
The wayside shrine came to Schoenstatt in 1980. Five years earlier the first international pilgrimage from the USA, initiated by the Schoenstatt Movement in Texas, had taken place, with Schoenstatt members from Texas, Puerto Rico, New York, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and other areas of the USA taking part. "It would be beautiful to leave something precious here, to be present at the holy places, as Schoenstatt family of Texas" - a spontaneous longing expressed these days stayed alive and started to materialize… "Father, you visited us, now we visit you" - was the motto of the pilgrimage and striving. It was a long and hard path to get permission and conquer a place at Mount Schoenstatt for "something precious from Texas to stay in Schoenstatt". Concern was: when you do that, all the others will want to do that too…. Finally, permission was given and the place found. A Texas granite stone was carried to Schoenstatt as the foundation of the wayside shrine, and the "hidden treasure" down in Schoenstatt's soil is a cassette with personal and common treasures - medals, rings, symbols … - , expression of commitment and the longing to be present in Schoenstatt, place of origin, place of grace, and center of the worldwide movement.
Pilgrimage experiences
Bringing precious symbols of one's longing and striving to holy places, as sign of commitment, pledge, and confidence: this is part of pilgrimage culture everywhere, but especially in Schoenstatt with its emphasize on symbolical thinking. The Pilgrim MTA that one of the ladies carries to all places, a crown, a Father Eye symbol: hidden messages, petitions, expression of love and commitment. Pilar Huerta from San Antonio brought an album with photos of the Schoenstatt wayside Shrine (in fact a chapel), and of the land where they want to see a Shrine one day.
Some people say that shopping is part of each pilgrimage, too - you want to bring something home from the holy place of grace - be it a precious symbol bought a the goldsmith's of a simple medal, a rosary, or the latest Schoenstatt book found while checking mails (don't ask Fr. Carlos of LaFeria and Carlos Cantu about their afternoon in the Press Office!).
July 30, 8.30 PM. Pilar Huerta and her husband were lucky to still find the Original Shrine open at that hour of the day. It's time to bid farewell, and ask the Blessed Mother once again for the Shrine in San Antonio. "It's about three hours to the next Shrine, in Lamar", says Pilar, the only one in Texas, and one of the five of the USA. "Here in Schoenstatt, you could just go around the corner and you are in a Shrine," she says. When the group headed south early on Saturday morning, July 31, the main part of their pilgrimage was still ahead, but all felt like "filled" abundantly with Schoenstatt graces!