The Shrine is already finished

The beauty of being a Schoenstatter…in Tuparenda – Echoes of August 20^th

Predica: P. Antonio Cosp Sermon: Father Antonio Cosp Predigt: Pater Antonio Cosp
La generación más joven de Schoenstatt en Paraguay The youngest Schoenstatt generation in Paraguay Die jüngste Schönstatt-Generation ist schon bereit
Procesión con los Actas de Fundación Procession with the Founding Documents Prozession mit den Gründungsurkunden
El Santuario ya está completo The Shrine is complete again... Das Heiligtum ist wieder ganz...
La corona The crown Die Krone Fotos: Pardo © 2006 Album de fotos – photo album – Fotoalbum

PARAGUAY, Clara Benítez de Pardo/ mkf. "You wanted to choose us once again as living stones to build the Nation of God that Father desired so much…" The words of the coronation prayer of August 20^th continue to resound in the hearts of the 4,000 people who had the privilege of not only being witnesses; rather, they were protagonists of the celebration of August 20^th, the day that the Schoenstatt Family from Paraguay experienced, in a very real manner, the beauty of being a Schoenstatter in Tuparenda.

The Shrine is already finished: The Family from Paraguay again presented the Queen of the Nation of God with the crown that had been stolen about two years ago. " Mother, receive this crown", they prayed. ""We have placed our life, our history and our dream: to transform our country into the Nation of God where truth, justice and love will reign".

The symbols of the crown

"Our culture is marked and wounded by authoritarianism, corruption and the absence of the father in the home. Our children need a true father, our country needs paternal authorities, who forgetting themselves, lead their people with wisdom and a spirit of service…"

Just like the words of the prayer, the symbols of the crown also speak of commitment and affection. They say:

"The three red stones symbolize the pillars of the Nation of God: truth, justice and love.

The stones at the base: represent our living stones which in the strength of the Covenant of Love gave their lives for the Nation of God.

The pierced heart: represents Saint Roque González de Santa Cruz, our first canonized saint from Paraguay. With the cross and the Conqueror (the name by which he called the picture of the Blessed Mother) he consecrated himself for the evangelization of our land.

August poty: (August flowers) are the small flowers of the crown. The infusion of these flowers renews the blood. Through the crowning we want to revitalize our covenant life and give ourselves with new impetus for the mission that Mary has given us in Tuparenda. We want to remember the crowning date, of August 22^nd.

The cross was at the center of the settlements of Indians converted to Christianity (Jeusit pueblos that are famous in Paraguay). In the Nation of God, God should be the center of our lives. To live holiness without excuses means to take the cross of Christ to become like Him."

Tears of joy for being privileged, for being Schoenstatters

Fredy Aguero took the best photos of the crown…and he placed his identification badge in the hole that was beneath the corner stone…Relates:

He began his compilation about the day he experienced by saying: "Today, August 20^th, was a day with a perfect blue sky, with an extraordinary climate = a union of heaven and earth" You can feel the presence of the Founder and Father with the first generation and also now and more than ever we feel his presence with the second generation, that is all of us. He saw us gather without distinction of class. Here in Tuparenda we are all children of the Blessed Mother. We are all alike.

It was day of much, much emotion, there were tears everywhere. Tears of joy and of pride of being here, at this precise moment; tears of joy for being privileged, for being Schoenstatters. The Girls’ Youth were in charge of the beautiful decorations. The tri-colored balloons (red, white and blue), the colors of our flag, were used throughout the jubilee. The pyre was also inaugurated where all our capital of grace will be burned. We saw missionaries making their acts as re-founders everywhere. During the Mass, it was very touching to see the missionaries with the Pilgrim MTA’s that were brought from every point of the country.

We must also stress the long and orderly line on the red carpet that reached the foot of the altar where we placed our prayers, petitions .Acts. Among all the things that were deposited in the hole that was beneath the corner stone, I wanted to give the Blessed Mother something special, and that is why I left my identification badge, with this my "Little Mother" I give you all that I am, all my being, all my identity! I also deposited the photo of my mother who is surely in heaven with you."

Now the Queen of the Nation of God, crowned with the love of her Schoenstatt Family, waits for the 100,000 pilgrims who will visit on October 18^th, the 25^th Anniversary of the Shrine of Tuparenda.

Translation: Celina Garza, Harlingen, TX, USA