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Jóvenes de Brasil, con la 3ª Auxiliar Internacional, bendecida por Juan Pablo II, rumbo a Colonia Youth from Brazil, with the 3rd International Auxiliary, blessed by John Paul II, to Cologne Jugendliche aus Brasilien brechen mit der von Johannes Paul II gesegneten 3. Internationalen Auxiliar auf nach Köln Foto: JUMAS © 2005 |
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Compromiso de la Juventud de Paraguay Act of the Schoenstatt Youth of Paraguay Aussendung der Schönstattjugend von Paraguay Foto: JM Paraguay © 2005 |
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Misa de Alianza de la Juventud de Portugal Covenant Mass of the youth of Portugal Bündnismesse der Jugend aus Portugal Fotos: POS Fischer © 2005 |
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Misa de la Alianza de la JM de España Covenant Mass of the Boys’ Youth of Bündnismesse der Mannes-Jugend aus Spanien Foto: Cabero © 2004 |
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Petrona Graciela Castagnino de Gonzales: llevar jovenes de Cuba, Paraguay y Peru a Schoenstatt Petrona Graciela Castagnino de Gonzales: bringing young people from Cuba, Peru and Paraguay to Schoenstatt Petrona Graciela Castagnino de Gonzales: sie brachte junge Leute aus Kuba, Peru und Paraguay nach Schönstatt |
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Misa de Alainza: Juventud de Brasil Covenant Mass: Youth from Brazil Bündnismesse: Jugend aus Brasilien |
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Bandera de Paraguay en la tumba del Padre Flag from Fahne von Paraguay in der Gründerkapelle |
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Padre, voy a tu encuentro Father, I come to meet you Vater, ich komme zu dir Fotos: POS Fischer © 2005 |
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WYD-SCHOENSTATT, mfk. Open Shrine: no other expression can best describe what is experienced in Schoenstatt during two weeks. The doors of the Original Shrine are never closed, Mass after Mass is celebrated, in a constant going and coming of the youth. "The Covenant of Love was sealed here, Schoenstatt started here, The Blessed always dreamed of us here, in the Shrine – and behind the Shrine, where the tombs of heroes lie, that is to say, the giving of the self, in sacrifice, in the giving of their life for Schoenstatt", said Father Alexandre Awi de Mello in the Covenant Mass of the Scheonstatt Youth from Brazil, on the night of the 13th of August. Whoever want to see how the Schoenstatt Youth are, should stay in the Original Shrine for a day or even for a night ,should go see Father’s tomb covered with letters, symbols, photos, and flags….
At the same time, the other side of the coin, is the "post-festival" look: tiredness, bad temper a result of the late nights of working and of celebrating, a disorder of boxes, cartons, boards in several corners. The effort to dispose of the trash left in the houses and the sadness to see the damage in some of the dormitories. And to top it off, the rain that does not stop. But in reality that is not the most important thing, these are only collateral effects, the true face of the Schoenstatt youth can be seen in the Original Shrine, during the hours of prayers of the youth from Ecuador, Costa Rica, Chile, United States, Puerto Rico, Portugal, Paraguay, Brazil, Germany…
Blessed Mother I go out to meet you
On Friday at five o’clock in the morning, before departing Schoenstatt, the youth from Paraguay are in the Original Shrine, where some of them sealed their covenant, ending with an act of giving of self at the tombs of the Schoenstatt heroes. Friday afternoon, it is the Youth of Portugal who have its Mass in the Original Shrine. Because of the number – approximately 120 youth – more than half were outside, seated on the ground, praying and singing with zeal and emotion. Several of the sealed their Covenant of Love…Hours before, some girls from the United States also sealed their covenant , under the heavy rain of the "German summer", that is cold and wet. A little after 11:00 p.m., the youth from Spain close the windows and the door of the Original Shrine, not to exclude anyone, but to keep silence during the covenant of five boys, while outside just a few meters away, in front of the Pallotine Church the music and shouting of the celebration resounded .The atmosphere of giving of self and of commitment reigns in the Original Shrine, that is expressed in very moving songs. Juan is the first boy from the Boys’ Youth from Asturia to seal his Covenant; others give testimony about the missions carried out by the Youth from Spain, who made a stronger commitment, to the point of totally changing their life. Their hour of covenant is transformed into a single testimony of what those who live their covenant experience, as the Blessed Mother works miracles in and through the hearts that are open to her so that she can establish herself in them. Saturday afternoon some five priests and deacons from Bolivia, accompanied the youth from that country, celebrated the Holy Mass in the Original Shrine.
"Somewhere in Germany
While all of Schoenstatt is Youth – youth on the way to WYD in Cologne –a group of ladies and children who live ten minutes by car from Schoenstatt, but who had never heard about this place of grace arrived. Petrona Castagnino de Gonzalez, from Piribebuy, Paraguay, was visiting in the home of her relatives, she spoke to them about Schoenstatt, that is "somewhere in Germany". She is a missionary of the Campaign and she could not leave Germany without visiting the Blessed Mother in the Original Shrine. They finally found out where Schoenstatt was and since it is so close, her relativies invited some friends from from Peru and Cuba to accompany the on their pilgrimage. What a surprise it was for Petrona to see the Auxiliary in the Press Office: "It is the International Auxiliary", she exclaimed "it was in my house, years ago, it was in my house all night and I prayed with her for the whole time." The Blessed Mother was waiting for me!" A truly moving encounter.. After talking about Schoenstatt in Cuba, Peru and the Campaign in Paraguay, they left with pictures of the MTA, little shrines with dirt from the Original Shrine, novenas – and the desire to return! It seems that this pleasant reunion awakened restlessness in the Auxiliary to depart on pilgrimage.and the preparations began.
3,000 Pilgrim MTA’s and an Auxiliary – JUMAS’ greeting to John Paul II
At 8:00 p.m. the Holy Mass was celebrated for the delegation from Brazil, in which two youths sealed their Covenant of love. Father Alexandre Awi de Mello spoke to them about the mission, of the importance of the Shrine and of their own commitment. Proudly, they signed the Covenant Book, and quickly a boy from Ciudad del Este, Paraguay, who had sealed his covenant a couple of days ago, hurried to also sign the book…perhaps it is the first name from Paraguay in this book that Father Kentenich signed in 1947.
"We brought 3,000 cardboard Pilgrim MTA’s,"commented Father Alexandre, "inspired by the Pilgrim MTA that always appeared on TV during the funeral of John Paul II. We want to send our greeting through these cardboard Pilgrim MTA’s, since we couldn’t bring more because of the weight.." They found another way to make the blessing of John Paul II to the youth present, they did not hesitate for a moment to carry the Third International Auxiliary Shrine on their shoulder to take it to Cologne! This Auxiliary has a very special history with the Holy Father, John Paul II, that besides the fact that he blessed it during the WYD that took place in Buenos Aires, Argentina, it always accompanied him during his stay in the Nunciature, presiding in his private chapel, just outside of his bedroom. There, vested for the ceremony, he bid farewell to her, before leaving for the Palm Sunday Mass, which for the first time, was not celebrated in Rome. It was also present in Santo Domingo during the celebration of the 500th Anniversary of the Evangelization of the Americas, and its last meeting with him was last year, in the audience in Castelgando during the blessing of the Matri Ecclesia Shrine. "As soon as I found out about the death of John Paul II the Great, I asked the Auxiliary to work it out to go to Cologne and make him present there", and immediately I entrusted this Auxiliary to them. "I felt somewhat sad and disillusioned to see that throughout the Festival she was still there;.but, as always, she never stops surprising us, and what a great and marvelous surprise it was when I found out it was going with you! Beloved JUMAS, I accompany you in spirit and with my prayers there as well as in Cologne. "She is the Great Missionary, She will work miracles!" A Mae to the world."