Jubileo de Plata del Santuario de Queretaro, bendición de la estatua del Padre Silver jubilee of the Shrine in Queretaro, blessing of the Father statue Silberjubiläum des Heiligtums in Queretaro, Segnung der Vaterstatue
El Padre Antonio Maria Borges con la Virgen de Belmonte Fr. Antonio Maria Borges with the Blessed Mother of Belmonte P. Antonio Maria Borges mit der Gottesmutter von Belmonte
Procesión Procession Prozession
Visita en una familia Visiting  a family Besuch bei einer Familia Fotos: Wolf © 2006

MEXICO, Father Juan Manuel Perez/mfk. It is here again seated in the small chapel of the House Mount Moriah, on the Dachau altar, the altar where the Blessed Karl Leisner was ordained, where Father Kentenich celebrated Mass and where so many priests, who were prisoners in Dachau, placed their suffering. Dachau was the place where Jesus made himself present in the midst of a world full of hatred and death. The image is adorned only in the acrylic frame holding it. What a great treasure! It speaks of its four month pilgrimage through almost all of Mexico. It has returned, waiting to be asked by others to continue on its pilgrimage: The Blessed Mother dressed as a poor person, as many call her, the picture of the MTA for the Shrine of Belmonte that fell in the Vatican Gardens during the vigil for the blessing. It is the picture that the young priests framed with cardboard as a symbol of a poor Church, the Church on pilgrimage.

Monsignor Peter Wolf, General Director of the Institute of Diocesan Priests, took her to Mexico in October, when he traveled to Queretaro for the Silver Jubilee of the Shrine, Loyal Heart to the Church. On October 17^th, Monsignor Wolf narrated the history and the message of this special MTA picture in a conference with participants from all over the country. The picture was present during the Silver Jubilee celebration, forging a living attachment between Queretaro and Belmonte.

On pilgrimage to the borders of Guatemala

Later the picture went to Chiapas, on the border with Guatemala, where it was received by the priests of the Institute, Federico Kloetgen, Federico Pons, Jose Luis Aguilera and Amilcar Cancion. It stayed in Chiapas for a month, where it was taken to the state of Guerrero, and there it visited several parishes in Taxco, Iguala, Chilapa, and the Schoenstatt Shrine in Chilapa. All the parishes received it with enthusiasm and they were made aware of its special mission in Rome. It is important to stress that in preparation for the pilgrimage of the Blessed Mother, the priests of the Institute from Mexico made a brochure with photos and a great amount of information about the Shrine of Belmonte, to make it even more the Shrine for "everyone".

In the state of Guanajuato it visited the Diocesan Seminary in Celaya, several home shrines and Movement groups in this city; later it traveled to Sinalao, where the couples groups, missionaries of the Pilgrim MTA and the sick received it. In the city of Guanajuato, it visited parishes and families of the Movement between the 18^th -20^th of December; it also visited parishes and families in Leon. The MTA continued on its pilgrimage to the city of Queretaro and further north to Torreon, Coahuila, where it was in a wayside shrine and traveled through the branches of the Movement as well as with the Rosary Campaign. In January, it was received in Monclovia where it visited the Shrine of Guadalupe, the Saint Theresa Chapel, the St. James the Apostle Parish and the sick. In Piedras Negras, on the border with the United States it was received on the 5^th of January at several home shrines and by families of the Schoenstatt Rosary Campaign. On the 6^th of January, it crossed the border visiting families, the sick and missionaries in Eagle Pass, Texas. It was in two Work Shrines, twelve Home Shrines and it presided over a vocational retreat for the youth – all in one day!

The Wonders of Mary

It was in Via Villa de Fuente and Monterrey and on the January 13th it arrived in San Luis de Potosi, where it was placed in the Schoenstatt Shrine, "Wonders of Mary", until Father Juan Manuel Perez returned it to Schoenstatt where it arrived on the 20^th of January. During its pilgrimage, more than 2,000 brochures were distributed with the history and mission of Belmonte and with an introduction to Schoenstatt.

Mexico certainly experienced the wonders of Mary during this pilgrimage. In the future, this so beloved picture will take the Capital of Grace, the prayers and the affection of the Mexican people to those who receive it.

Translation: Celina Garza, Harlingen, USA