There is a person in heaven now, who knows how to dance and sing the song "Unser Weg bewegt"

Felipe Vera Meier’s death and the Youth Festival – Thoughts by a Project Office Volunteer

Un heroe de Schoenstatt, muy cerca de José Engling A Schoenstatt heroe, close to Joseph Engling Ganz nah dran an Josef Engling Fotos: esa © 2006
Agosto de 2005: las estrellas de Schoenstatt August 2005: The Schoenstatt stars August 2005: Die Sterne Schönstatts
Felipe fue uno de los 3000 en el festival de la Juventud Felipe was one of the 3,000 at the Youth Festival Einer der 3000 Jugendlichen hier war Felipe
Gracias, Felipe... Thank you, Felipe... Danke, Felipe...
Tu y yo por ellos You and me for them Du und ich für sie Fotos: POS Fischer © 2006

INTERNATIONAL, Andrew Arriaga. The other day as I walked to an appointment through the rain, I was thinking of Felipe, and talking to him...

The youth of the world look around the world and they only see the world. They only see what is before their eyes. But Felipe (who now sees everything perfectly) could see much more even while upon the earth . Why else would he leave this life, a young soldier, with a sword in his hand? Or some beads? We know that Felipe saw something more. He was one of the Schoenstatt youth. Not a victim of the world; a savior for the world.

As confused and as troubled as we are in our daily lives, our daily struggles, we are apostles sent from our Father and Founder into the real world. Life can seem so short, so fragile, so fast. And yet in this reality, we are called to rely on one another, and to bind our lives into one great life. The life that Felipe led was not separate from my own, nor was the life of Joseph Engling. We are all living the story of a covenant, and like Fr Duncan told us, each person has some line to write who none other can write.

You and me for them

I can imagine Felipe, with his thousands of brothers and sisters, dancing on the Pilgerplatz. I can imagine that he sang "Unser Weg bewegt" with the motions, with the dance! And I cannot imagine that heaven could be so much different.

On August 10th, 2005, three thousand youth were saying: you and me for them! We want to make our Covenant again, we want to make it deeper, we want to make it so that we can see into God’s heart, see that he longs to bring all of the youth of the world to himself, through his Mother, through us. This covenant of love for the youth of the world needs sacrifices. Our lives, even until our death. Felipe reminds us of that. The one who was with us when we placed our shoes in a path to the Original Shrine... who was with us in Cologne, where the youth made a human chain to the Kölner Dom... he is with us as long as we are true to the legacy! We cannot forget anything... Who remembers Felipe in the youth festival? Who remembers someone else? Are we really doing all that we can do to stay in touch, to inspire one another, to remember one another? Schoenstatt Youth! Let us cast our nets deeper!

Felipe, you are a star for me!

Felipe, we are united with you, and I now you are still with us. I am not just saying pleasant words that I heard someone else say, its true. You are a star for me, who shows the way, the simple, beautiful, earthbound way. I see your mission, and it fills me with joy and honor to say to you, "you and me for them". You must pray that every single one of the thousands of youth with whom you sang, prayed, danced, and ate in Schoenstatt last August might become living, burning, world-changing apostles. You must ask our Blessed Mother to help us to show the youth of the world how beautiful life can be. (And of course, don’t forget to teach Josef Engling how to dance to the song, Unser Weg bewegt.) - Andrew.