A Gift of Love

Father Kentenich's visit to New York

USA, Mercedes Vazquez. During Father Kentenich’s exile, something very unique happened... A current started to flow from the Exile Shrine in Milwaukee to Brooklyn, New York. It would seem inconceivable, but a connection was made between Father Kentenich and the Puerto Ricans who lived in Brooklyn.

A love and faithfulness to Father and to the Blessed Virgin Mary bloomed in such a manner that it drove the Puerto Ricans to make all kind of sacrifices in order to be able to go to the Exile Shrine and, of course, to visit Father Kentenich.

What made these Brooklynites develop such a love and faithfulness to Father?

Father Kentenich was the instrument that brought them to the shrine and to "La Mater" (MTA). He instilled in them a sense of dignity, of transformation, and of fidelity that was unknown to them. Father was the instrument used by the Blessed Mother to mold them into a family, a Schoenstatt family!

Now, we are celebrating his visit to New York. Forty years ago, a wonderful thing happened. Father Kentenich received a telegram asking him to report to Rome. On his way there he decided to visit the Puerto Ricans who lived in Brooklyn. He insisted that he would like to return the many visits the Puerto Ricans had paid him in Milwaukee. He wanted to visit "La Vieja Candelaria," that is, the shrine erected by Frank and Ramonita Diaz to the Blessed Mother, our MTA.

The constraints of time placed limitations on the amount of time Father Kentenich could be in New York. His flight was scheduled for later on that same day. However, that did not deter him. He wanted to meet those Puerto Ricans who had traveled to Milwaukee to be with him. For them language was no barrier. Nothing mattered to them. Love had no bounds when it came to Father Kentenich, and he wanted to reciprocate that love and those visits by stopping in Staten Island and later on in Brooklyn.

The enthusiasm when the plane landed at Kennedy Airport was indescribable.

When the Schoenstatt family saw Father Kentenich they all broke into the song, "Caminando."

They followed him wherever he went. They wanted to be next to him, and some of them had even taken off from work so that they could be with Father.

How does one account for that? That a love so strong can grow between people whose cultures are worlds apart?

Some people say that maybe they saw Father as a truly warm and personable fatherly figure. Others saw him as someone who reflected God the Father’s goodness and merciful kindness, and others saw him as a true prophet of Mary. Maybe others saw him in the light of a priest who willingly went through so much for his love for the Blessed Mother and for the Church, and whose humility in accepting this suffering opened the doors for others to understand everyday sanctity.

Puerto Ricans have always been devoted to the Blessed Mother, and Father Kentenich recognized that they had a childlike quality which endeared them to her. He opened a different door in their approach to her. She was not only a mother, but she was also the educator. Father realized that most of them were humble people with open hearts and he showed how Mary could help them to educate themselves, be their mother, and their intermediary.

The covenant of love became a complete way of life which they lived truthfully and faithfully. It became the most important thing in their lives. It gave birth to the "La Vieja Candelaria" (Brooklyn) and eventually to the Shrine of Light (Staten Island), the new Candelaria.

This is what you call a gift of love: From the Blessed Mother through Father Kentenich to those Puerto Ricans, hearts are fused together in Divine Love!

From: Schoenstatt Family Magazine, USA