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Rosario Iluminado en el Santuario de Colonia, en presencia de la Tercera Auxiliar Internacional, bendecida por Juan Pablo II Illumined Rosary in the Shrine in Cologne, with the Third International Auxiliary (blessed by John Paul II) present Lichter-Rosenkranz im Vaterbündnis-Heiligtum in Köln – mit der von Papst Johannes Pauls II beim Weltjugendtag 1987 gesegneten Auxiliar |
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Un pequeño Cenáculo A small Cenacle Eine kleine Coenaculumerfahrung Fotos: POS Fischer © 2005 |
GERMANY, mfk. Half an hour before the scheduled time for the Illuminated Rosary in Cologne, the panorama was very bleak: there was a torrential rain, very little response from the branch members, the Church where it was planned to pray the Rosary was closed, the posters and flyers that were sent to the Sisters in Cologne were put away because they thought the rosary would be held in June...Because all these unexpected things, the four organizers, of the Professional Branch, thought that they would probably be the only ones participating. One of them suggested: Let's pray for a little while and then we can go. Another responded: It doesn't matter how many persons come, we will offer the Illuminated Rosary to Jesus and Mary, so let's go to the Shrine to pray it! This is how Providence blessed them with a "small Cenacle", in which the three persons of the Holy Trinity were present with Mary...
With the Blessed Sacrament exposed; the presence of the Third International Auxiliary, blessed by John Paul II on Palm Sunday on the 12 of April 1987, before departing for the closing Mass of World Youth Day in Buenos Aires; the candles were strategically distributed on the floor of the Shrine where on a 30th of October, Father Kentenich pro-claimed the Covenant with God the Father, the unforgettable moment began...They awaited with Mary for the descent of the Holy Spirit in the Cenacle, youth, pilgrims and professionals united to pray for the World Youth Day; and through the petitions and intentions, little by little, the Shrine began to fill with people "opening themselves" to the thousands of youth that are preparing to participate in the World Youth Day, bishops and priests, newsmen and politicians, family members, friends, the inhabitants of Uzbekistan and of Iraq, babies who are ill and premature babies, the Schoenstatt Family in Quito, Ecuador, who is awaiting the blessing of their City Shrine, to all who have never prayed an Illuminated Rosary, for those who still have not received a visit from the "Auxiliary of John Paul II" - Queen of the new evangelization - the Mother's Branch, men and families who at this same hour are on pilgrimage to the Camp of Mary, where there will be a Vigil and final Mass with Pope Benedict XVI.. In this way, from her Shrine the Auxiliary blessed the place were the next World Youth Day will take place, in which many dreamed and yearned above all for another "encounter" between Her and John Paul II, after having seen each other again last year in the audience at Castelgandolfo, on the day afterthe blessing of the Matri Ecclesiae Shrine.
So that the Church and the whole world will experience a new Pentecost
During the Rosary, Christel Sonnekalb, from Venezuela, a volunteer in the Office of World Youth Day in Cologne, arrived, happy that she could participate and add her petitions for World Youth Day - above all a special one: that the Church throughout the world will experience a new Pentecost. Someone, who perhaps knew the history of this Auxiliary, placed a picture of John Paul II imparting his blessing on the the glass that protects the image of the MTA, a souvenir of his visit to Argentina for World Youth Day in 1987. Perhaps, with the visit to Cologne at this precise moment, the Blessed Mother wants to "extend" this blessing of John Paul II in which would be the first World Youth Day celebrated out of Rome, the first World Youth Day that he would preside from heaven. Whether She is in Cologne during World Youth Day or not, commented a Campaign coordinator when she heard the details about the Illuminated Rosary, "Her visit on Saturday, the eve of Pentecost, and this special rosary which she gave you, a few blocks from the Cathedral, is in itself a sign - for the Pope, for the youth, for us: She wanted to bless, in advance, the arrival of the new Holy Father to this city for World Youth Day with her presence".
Sent as apostles from the Cenacle
The rosary ended with a hymn to the Sacramental Jesus, imploring his blessing for all the persons who were mentioned during the rosary.
Everyone left the Shrine of the Covenant with the Father, as the apostles left the Cenacle. Everyone returned home, except for one Pilgrim MTA, that by the hand of Christel has already been on pilgrimage in Venezuela, and now at the end of May, it will be on pilgrimage in the different homes and offices of the volunteers of World Youth Day in Cologne.
Translation: Celina M Garza, Harlingen, TX, USA