For a moment he looked into my eyes

What did I like most about the Schoenstatt Festival and WYD? María Fragueiro Frías from Mar del Plata, Argentina shares her "unforgettable moments" from the "youthful August ‘05"

Santo Padre, voy a tu encuentro!

Holy Father, here we are!

Heiliger Vater, wir wollen dich sehen!

Foto: Weltjugendtags GMBH © 2005

Un apretón de mano... A handshake... Die Hand geben...
Una mirada personal... Returning one’s gaze... Ein Augen-Blick...
Tan cerca de la juventud... So close to the youth... Ganz nah bei der Jugend… Fotos: Weltjugendtags GmbH © 2005
Otro hito: Alianza a las 3 de la mañana Another climax: Covenant of Love at three in the morning Ein anderer Höhepunkt: Liebesbündnis um 3.00 Uhr morgens
Momentos inolvidables Unforgettable moments Das werde ich nie im Leben vergessen Fotos: POS Fischer © 2005

WYD- MOMENTS. What did I like most about the Schoenstatt Festival and WYD…..? About the homeland…..just to be there…..to be able to confirm what is always said and what I myself believed: it is Tabor where the MTA is transfigured, where she lets herself be known in her maximum expression. We were more than 2,500 Schoenstatt youths from all over the world with our different customs and languages but nevertheless, we understood each other perfectly. What was predominant was the language of love, disinterested assistance, and the mission which our Father Kentenich left us as a legacy.

Since we Argentinians have to set the stage, we had a Covenant of Love Holy Mass at 3:00 AM in the Original Shrine! Father’s tomb, the black crosses, the 13 Shrines, the songs, the place and the ideal context (except for the daily rain) all made us exclaim: We are doing very well here!

That look changed my life

From Cologne…..putting aside all of the inconveniences with food, the heat, the many people…..nothing can compare with the possibility of seeing Benedict XVI! We gathered to wait for him with many Schoenstatters who were there. He would be passing by on one of these streets upon his arrival. There were four or five hours of singing, rosaries, nervousness, anxieties…..

Suddenly he passed by very quickly in his Popemobile. That is something I will never forget! There were only two persons in front of me at the fence. He passed less than 2 meters in front of me, and then the Blessed Mother gave me the great gift of looking into his eyes. For a moment he looked into my eyes with the glimpse of a father who makes it all possible for his lost son to come home.

I am still not fully conscious of what God gave to me during those days, but that look changed my life and that look alone conquered all of the discomforts that followed during the rest of WYD.

With all my heart, I hope that everyone may have that experience, and I ask Mary to help me radiate throughout my whole life the love I felt for the Church, for Schoenstatt, and for the mission which we all have as Christians.

May we always say, in each circumstance of our life: "WE HAVE COME TO ADORE HIM!"