Praying for the World Cup soccer games….

Illuminated Rosary in Schoenstatt – and the daily visit of the fans

Una rosa y una vela para Alemania en el mundial... A rose and a candle for Germany in the World Championship Eine Rose und ein Licht für Deutschland bei der WM
Las protagonistas del Rosario Iluminado The group in charge for the Illumined Rosary Für sie ist der Lichter-Rosenkranz “Freude pur” Fotos: POS Fischer © 2006
En Villa Ballester, Argentina: inauguración del salón odontológico de la Casa del Niño – posible también gracias a las donaciones de los participantes del Rosario Iluminado In Villa Ballester, Argentina: opening of the dental hygiene unit in the Children’s Day Care Center – possible also thanks to the donations of the participants of the Illumined Rosary In Villa Ballester, Argentinien: Eröffnung der Zahnstation in der Casa del Niño, möglich geworden auch durch die Spenden der Teilnehmer des Lichter-Rosenkranzes
Los chicos agradecen a sus amigos ... The children thank their friendo… Die Kinder danken ihren Freunden... Fotos: Saeuberlich © 2006
Javier Bilbao de Paraguay... uno de los muchos hinchas que visitaron a la Mater en el Santuario Original Javier Bilbao from Paraguay – one of the many fans who visited the MTA in the Original Shrine Javier Bilbao aus Paraguay – einer der vielen Fußballfans auf Stippvisite im Urheiligtum Fotos: POS Fischer © 2006 Albúm de fotos – photo album – Fotoalbum

SCHOENSTATT, MKF. An hour before the game between Germany – Sweden, on Saturday, June 24^th, the Illuminated Rosary began in the Adoration Church, with the participation of only the four professional young women who were leading it…It stands to reason, they thought, between the World Cup soccer games, the heat, the lack of advertising…But they started the Rosary…all for the MTA, and two minutes later, the church was filled with 50 people who gathered to pray the Illuminated Rosary.

Not a single poster in all of Schoenstatt – someone completely forgot to put them up, the world soccer games, the heat, the announcement that magically disappeared from the calendar in Schoenstatt.de, and to top it off, the most important local newspaper in the region did not publish the announcement this time. The conditions before the first Illuminated Rosary offered in the Adoration Church after more than six months were calamitous. At the last moment, Gabriele Sudermann and Hildegard Fischer distributed some framed posters –used in the Journey of Catholics in Saarbruecken – at strategic places of Schoenstatt, and they hurried to place the roses and the candles in the Adoration Church. It was truly a test of faith when at 4:00 p.m. no one had appeared…Yet, when the first beat of "The Affection is so Great" resounded, suddenly some 50 pilgrims from southern Germany arrived, the majority of them of the Mothers’ Branch, who remained until the end of the rosary.

"They prayed intensely with us", Gabriele Sudermann commented later. "Although none of them came forward to pray a Hail Mary and to make a personal petition. However, in this manner, we had the chance of asking for all our intentions, which does not always happen, and which is also a wonderful experience!"

Entrusting everything and everyone to the MTA

Verena Henkel, with a conquering smile, asked for Germany to win the game against Sweden (as you already know, they won). They also prayed for: Jorgelina, a young mother, who, with much affection, supports the children of a very poor neighborhood in Paraguay; for the person who stole the Pilgrim MTA for the Holy Father in Rome – so that she would be converted; for employment for a teacher in Santa Elena, Entre Rios, Argentina; and for the missionaries in Goya who entrust their prayers in Schoenstatt with so much faith – and not only for themselves, but also for their friends, relatives, and neighbors.

Some ladies who have belonged to Schoenstatt for decades, who arrived during the Illuminated Rosary, remained silently at the back of the Church. "I cannot offer personal prayers," one of them said. "I never learned how to do it". "The Illuminated Rosary is precisely an invitation to ask aloud for a personal intention. It not only serves to place the people from the outside in personal contact with God, rather, also many people from the Movement", commented Hildegard Fischer. Although very few people approached the microphone to pray aloud, finally almost everyone accepted the invitation to take a rose from the Illuminated Rosary to their home. In this way, they were also part of this stream of life and of grace.

Yet again, there was surprise and joy at the end of the Rosary, when – as is customary – they invited everyone to "thank Argentina, for this way of praying the rosary" through a donation for the House of the Child in Villa Ballester. Around 100 Euros were collected for this House of the Child, where a dental clinic was recently inaugurated. In total, there are about 100 children in the House from extremely needy families, who receive nourishment, medical attention, help with schooling, and above all, much affection.

Stream of MTA fans

As it is known, Germany won…but next Friday, for the match against Argentina, there will be no Illuminated Rosary! Whether their teams won or returned to their countries of origin after being eliminated, the "stream" of fans who want to the visit the Blessed Mother in the Original Shrine does not cease: from Ecuador, Paraguay, Australia, Brazil. Even the coach from the team of Paraguay, anonymously, came on pilgrimage to the Original Shrine.

Translation: Celina M Garza, Harlingen, USA / Vanya Gobbi, Canada