The Mission does not end here - Italy waits

Never seen before: six Romans on a Schoenstatt Mission in Spain

Insieme alla Madonna Pellegrina Juntos con la Virgen Peregrina Together with the Pilgrim MTA Zusammen mit der Pilgernden Gottesmutter
Un po’ di musica Un poco de música A bit of music Etwas Musik
Lasciare il segno Huellas… Footsteps Spuren
Cantare insieme Cantare juntos Singing together Miteinander singen
Fabrizio e Cristiana in partenza Fabrizio y Cristina saliendo Fabrizio and Cristina leaving Fabrizio und Cristina beim Aufbruch Fotos: Usai © 2006

ITALY/SPAIN, Fabrizio Usai. Six Romans who live in the city of faith par excellence, go on mission to Spain, this does not happen everyday. This also happens in Schoenstatt. The idea of mission in Spain was the affirmative response of the Italian youth to an invitation from Pablo and Nacho, two boys from the Boys’ Youth from Madrid, who were on mission in Rome for a year, to found the Boys’ Movement. The challenge was great and furthermore because in Spain, it was even greater, it meant taking Christ to a faraway land and in a foreign language.

The mission lasted ten days and it developed in different parishes of the region of Asturias, in northern Spain, where the Spanish youth of the Schoenstatt Movement have been carrying out the project of re-evangelization of the area through missions, for some time. The Italian youth were divided in four parishes, their activity consisted in door to door visits, in the morning, two by two; adoration during the day, always by two and at the time of adoration with the community in the morning and at night. The first days were the most difficult, because they had to adjust to another culture, to begin to meet the different people, and to try to give "credible" witness of that faith, that was the springboard to "take-off".

UNITED IN THE MISSION

It is easy to understand, that it was a very intense and committed experience, but the boys affirm: It was worth it! The fruits of the mission were seen immediately and on two levels: in the participants and in the people of the area where the boys went.

The Italian and the Spanish boys quickly felt a strong sense of mutual belonging because notwithstanding, that they did not know each other, they shared something greater that transcended the language barrier: the Faith in Christ. The times of prayer in the Chapel, before the MTA and perpetual Adoration, contributed along with the times of dissemination, to create a spirit of Family that distinguishes the Movement.

The door to door experience was a great gift, some people converted and returned to Holy Mass. Generally the people were welcoming and often the boys received salami and ham as gifts for the all the group. The opportunity to meet so many people directly in their own homes enabled the boys to feel the universality of the Church and of the good fortune of having the Pope, so close. The Spaniards immediately changed their expression when they discovered that they had an Italian from Rome before them, and they would begin to tell of their trips to Rome and the Vatican.

The mission turned out perfectly. The group in which three Italians, Cristiano, Stefy and Giorgio, participated had an incredible experience. They met some boys between 12 and 15 years old in a park, in front of the parish and they asked themselves how they could approach them. The idea was to have a soccer match; if the "missionaries" won then the boys had to go to Mass, if they lost, the boys would receive a coca-cola…The missionaries lost the game but they did not give up and they renewed the invitation, spending some time talking with them to find out their reasons for not going to church…The miracle: a good number of those boys returned to church and during the time of the mission they went to Mass.

They were a little homesick, but thanks to the words of the Gospel which says: "you will be scattered everywhere, but you will never be alone!" and through the prayers of the Blessed Mother that made the profound meaning of these words very clear, they overcame their homesickness. Obviously the affection of the people did the rest and they were welcomed with deference by everyone.

HOW DO YOU DO IT WHEN YOU DO NOT SPEAK SPANISH

Before all, trust in Mary: Nothing without you, Nothing without us! Then you use ingenuity and the results are perfect. For example one boy relates: They had given me the assignment to encourage a group of adults…and although I had the concepts, I had trouble expressing them. But then I had an idea…I used a paper and pencil and I literally drew, the way of faith that the figure of Christ illustrates, that of Christianity and of Mary! I had great results, they all understood it!

The mission ended with the celebration of Holy Mass in Madrid, in which the Roman youth were blessed in a special way because the mission has not ended, it continues in Italy.

This is precisely the spirit that encouraged the boys during those days, the experience does not remain simply as a beautiful memory to recall in the future; rather, it is an enrichment which recurs with enthusiasm to play the game with more determination, to go on mission everyday, throughout the day in the reality of daily life in Rome.

The greatest grace that the MTA gave the boys during these days was to make them understand that the work of building the Church is just the beginning and with the maternal help of the Blessed Mother the entire world can truly change, and that, is not a dream.

Translation: Celina M Garza, Harlingen, TX, USA