Los jovenes en oración Praying Jugend im Gebet
18 de agosto: vigilia en el Santuario Original August 18: vigil at the Original Shrine 18. August: Vigil am Urheiligtum
Adoración del Santisimo Sacramento Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament Anbetung des Allerheiligsten
Jovenes de Mendoza, Argentina, vinieron el 19 de agosto Youth from Mendoza, Argentina, came August 19 Jugendliche aus Mendoza, Argentinien, kamen am 19. August
Misa de „Lumen Dei“, en la Iglesia de la Adoración Mass of “Lumen Dei” in the Adoration Church Messe von “Lumen Dei” in der Anbetungskirche Fotos: POS Fischer © 2005

WYD-SCHOENSTATT, mkf. On the 18^th, a little before 11:00 p.m., Schoenstatt is usually sleeping in peace at this hour. But not on this 18^th of August, hours after the Holy Father’s arrival in Cologne, not on the18^th of August of WYD. There is murmuring from the Marian School as a group of more than 500 youth go on pilgrimage to the Original Shrine. When they arrive they sit on the grass The darkness of the night is illuminated by large lanterns. Father Jose Maria Garcia greeted the youth, and an unforgettable moment arrives: the priest took the Blessed Sacrament from the Original Shrine and placed it on the stone altar that is in the square close to the Original Shrine, and a vigil of adoration begins.

It is the youth from the Diocese of Getafe, Spain who are on the way to WYD in Cologne. For a moment it seemed as if you were in Taize, when you see this number of youth in prayer during the darkness of night their faces illuminated, and in silence…but they are behind the Original Shrine. During the last hour of Covenant Day the Blessed Mother is surrounded by more than 500 youth in prayer. There are priests available for confession at every corner, and none of them is idle at any time. An atmosphere of profound prayer reigns.

Graces of the Shrine

In a meditation for Adoration, the priest invites the youth to open themselves to the three graces of the Shrine, which are the Covenant graces: a covenant of love, a covenant of humility, and a covenant of collaboration. He speaks to them of how the Blessed Mother is now looking at them with the same affection as she looks at her son Jesus, he speaks to them of their vocation of being beloved children of God like and with Mary; he speaks to them about the limitations and failures that can be accepted in the covenant of humility and use it them as a means of interior transformation; he speaks to them about the covenant of collaboration and the invitation to be missionaries among the youth and within the youth of Spain. "Spain is Mary’s land", he says, "and we are called to return Spain to Mary and Jesus". The culminating moment (also for the Schoenstatters who were present) was when he invited the youth to pray the short consecration prayer together repeating the words:

My Queen, my mother." and 500 youth repeat: . My Queen, my mother. I give myself to you.. I offer everything to you..

The vigil ended with the blessing with the Blessed Sacrament,..the 18^th in the Original Shrine ended.

Where is the Original Shrine?

The following morning, the 19^th of August, the pilgrims bid farewell to Schoenstatt with a very moving Mass. At the same time, a Mass was celebrated for a group of pilgrims from Spain who found Schoenstatt on the Internet, and the large group of "Lumen Dei celebrated their Mass, according to languages, the largest was in Spanish, in the Adoration Church. "A United Youth –Marian Missionaries", is their motto and ideal, and the Mass was the moment to assume the legacy of the Founder of their Movement, Father Molina, who died on the 28^th of April of 2002. "Go" (Mc 16, 15) to proclaim the Good News to everyone who has received the Word of God, Father Rodrigo Molina, would say, with outstretched arms, in his closing address during the retreats.. In his eagerness of be "Light of God, itinerant of the divine, he wanted to give meaning to many lives through the Spiritual Exercises and through Retreats. In response to the call of Vatican Council II and to the Encyclicals of the last Popes, he founded PRODEIN, a Christian Charitable Association to Promote Wholesome Development, in Cuzco, Peru in 1967 and years later, he founded what today is the Ecclesial Family Society: LUMEN DEI UNION, that is composed of priests, Sisters, and consecrated laypersons. The content of this morning’s omily was the call to sanctity and the call to be a missionary.

At noon two large groups left – Lumen Dei and the Diocese of Getafe –, but the Original Shrine was still full of pilgrims: A group of some 30 pilgrims from Mendoza, Argentina arrived, with some Schoenstatters who "took" them to the Original Shrine. There was also a group from Brazil, who asked everyone on the way: "Where is the Original Shrine?"

Translation: Celina M Garza, Harlingen, TX, USA