Opening ourselves to the surprises of God

Pilgrimage to the Shrine of Cologne celebrates the 40^th Anniversary of the Proclamation of the Covenant with God the Father

Dos simbolos del Padre de Mendoza: el grande que fue regalado hace 25 años, el chico regalado durante la JMJ Two Father Symbols from Mendoza: the big one given 25 years ago, the small one given during WYD Zwei Vatersymbole aus Mendoza: das große, das vor 25 Jahren geschenkt wurde, und das kleine vom WJT
Despues de la Misa en el Santuario de Colonia: matrimonios del Instituto de Familias de Schoenstatt de Chile, Puerto Rico, Argentina After the Mass in the Shrine in Cologne: copules of the Institute of Schoenstatt Families from Chile, Puerto Rico, and Argentina Nach der Messe im Heiligtum in Köln: Ehepaare des Instituts der Schönstatt-Familien aus Chile, Puerto Rico und Argentinien
Oración en silencio Silent prayer Stilles Gebet
Joaquin y Martha Lavini, superiores regionales de Argentina Joaquin and Martha Lavini, regional superiors of Argentina Joaquin und Martha Lavini, Regionalobernfamilie von Argentinien
Placa recordatoria  en el Santuario de Colonia Commemorative plaque at the Shrine in Cologne Gedenkplakette am Heiligtum in Köln Fotos: Lavini © 2006 Album de fotos – photo album – Fotoalbum

INTERNATIONAL, mkf. July 30, 2006: Three months before the 40^th Anniversary of the Proclamation of the Covenant with God the Father in the Shrine of Cologne, there was a free Sunday in the schedule of the General Chapter of the Institute of Families. Thus, twelve "apostles" from Argentina, Chile and Puerto Rico took advantage of this time and went on pilgrimage to the Shrine of Cologne to celebrate the upcoming anniversary of the Covenant with God the Father. This in itself is already a beautiful story that is worthy to be told. But what gave this pilgrimage a "touch from heaven" was the beautiful, wood-carved Father eye symbol they carried with them. The Father eye symbol was given 25 years ago for the door of the Original Shrine, and its story is so incredible that only Divine Providence could have written the script.

Liliana Michelini de Ovejero was born on October 30, 1966—the same day on which Father Kentenich proclaimed the Covenant with God the Father in the Shrine of Cologne. "In Mendoza, we have the talk given by Father Kentenich on that day translated into Spanish," she said. "We feel very much attached to this Shrine and its mission because of the Father stream, but I am especially attached," she related.

Fifteen years ago, Liliana and her husband José Luis founded the "Educational Center God the Father" school in Mendoza, Argentina. One of the teachers currently at the school was a member of the Girls’ Youth in Mendoza during her youth. Twenty-five years ago, she brought a Father eye symbol carved of wood to Schoenstatt during the golden jubilee of the Girls’ Youth—it was given as a gift and was intended for the door of the Original Shrine, Divine Providence willing. The Family from Mendoza that carves these symbols has made it their special responsibility to give this symbol to all the Shrines of Argentina that have been founded. Recently, when thinking about the centenary of Schoenstatt that will happen in 2014, this teacher remembered the Father symbol. She had completely lost track of it and did not know where it was or what had happened to it. This news story was published on July 4^th on schoenstatt.de.

At the end of the July posting, the teacher wrote that nothing is impossible for God, and almost nothing is impossible for a family in solidarity in the covenant and its unbelievable, sometimes seemingly "crazy" faith. Thus, she requested the youth both from that time so many years ago, as well as from the present day, to look for the Father symbol. "Wouldn’t it be a providential sign that this long-lost gift would re-appear in the year of the 40^th Anniversary of the Covenant with God the Father that Father Kentenich proclaimed on October 30, 1966?"

A symbol was made, sign of the Father

On Friday night, July 21^st, Liliana and José Luis Ovejero, participants of the General Chapter of the Institute of Families, stopped by to visit the Original Shrine. There, they saw a Father symbol carved from wood in front of the altar. "It was just like the ones made in Mendoza for the doors of the Shrine." They took photos and were very excited, thinking about the search for the Father symbol given 25 years ago…What they did not know was that this was precisely the symbol they were looking for, and that it had just arrived in Schoenstatt the day before. Dr. Amy Peebles had brought it from Austin, where it had been in the care of the Sisters there for approximately six years.

"It is simply an incredible story," said José Luis, when on the night of July 24^th, they met with Amy to share about Schoenstatt schools and Father Kentenich’s pedagogy. "We thought we were going to meet with a future director of a Schoenstatt school, and she surprised us by giving us the Father eye symbol so that it can return to Mendoza," said Liliana. "It was clear to both of us that we would take it to the Chapter, and that we would also take it on a pilgrimage to the Shrine of Cologne." And as described above, this pilgrimage took place on July 30^th, along with all the delegation from Argentina and other couples from Chile and from Puerto Rico.

A foretaste of the anniversary celebration

The pilgrims arrived at the Shrine of Cologne punctually at 11:00 a.m. for the Sunday Mass and placed the Father symbol on the communion rail. During the Mass, more than one German Schoenstatter—some who were present at the founding hour—were trying to figure out what the Latin American entourage and this symbol was all about. The mystery was revealed at the end of the Mass, when the Ovejero couple briefly told the incredible story of the gift, the loss, the search via Internet for the symbol, and how all of this had become connected with the 40^th Anniversary of the Covenant with God the Father and with the Shrine in Cologne. The eyes of some of the older ladies were filled with tears, especially when at the end of the brief presentation, the couples knelt down and renewed their Covenant with God the Father. The Movement of the Diocese of Cologne will officially celebrate the 40^th Anniversary of the Covenant with God the Father, but this pilgrimage was a foretaste of it. At the same time, to the surprise of the Cologne family itself, the pilgrimage made it clear that what Father Kentenich did on that October 30^th has not remained an inheritance in the hands of the Movement of Cologne alone; rather, it has spread and been shared with many other people as well.

Father’s poem

Another great surprise and joy happened during lunch, when Sister Manuele Kaum, Superior, brought out a small Father symbol that one of the young people from Mendoza had given to the Shrine last year. "They are our students!" José Luis Ovejero happily exclaimed. Then, in the "Elendskirche" (the Church close to the Shrine whose original name means "Church of the foreigners"), the pilgrims learned the history of the first throne of grace of the Blessed Mother, located in the side chapel of the church and dedicated on October 14, 1934. Father Kentenich traveled to Cologne to bless the MTA picture there, and in his talk, he was already prophetically anticipating the future daughter shrines: "The Blessed Mother is going to work if she wants and if we want it. I have no doubts that it is the will of the Blessed Mother to work, because it is her task. But she cannot fulfill the assumed task if it cannot be effective in other places the way it is in Schoenstatt. Meanwhile, we also want to found a capital of grace here and to make her descend on this little place. I offer my life and all my will of sacrifice so that a second Schoenstatt can be born from here."

Interestingly, there is a very close attachment between this "Shrine" in Cologne and the first filial Shrine in Nueva Helvecia. In July 1943, the MTA picture and the side chapel were destroyed during the bombings of World War II. The poem sent by Father Kentenich from the concentration camp of Dachau to the Schoenstatt Family from Cologne is a teaching on how to deal with great and incomprehensible losses. The five steps that Father Kentenich points out in this text can also be applied to every painful and challenging situation in the Apostolic sphere: 1) Asking "Why?" Doubting God and rebelliousness; 2) Doubting one’s self and feelings of guilt; 3) Going to Mary as the Mother of Jesus, the one who accompanied Him in His time of "weakness";

4) Understanding what has happened as a test of faith and renewing oneself in the confidence that the Blessed Mother gives us; 5) Giving oneself anew as an instrument with a commitment that is stronger still.

Marian flexibility: leave what is planned aside, don’t get lost in the organization

"We leave much behind in the church when we go on pilgrimage to the Shrine," commented José Kostner some days later. He said this after the official announcement that he and Patricia had been elected to the General Council of the Institute of Schoenstatt Families. Perhaps it is a special grace of the Shrine of Cologne: the grace of "Marian flexibility" that allows us to leave behind what is planned and organized and to open ourselves to the surprises of God, just as Mary did.

This flexibility was the message that the families took with them from what they learned about the "context" of the Covenant with God the Father in Cologne that day. On that original Covenant Day, due to a lack of time, or more precisely, so that everything would be "perfectly organized," each branch leader prepared five-minute talks to give to Father. Those in charge were very strict about keeping to the time limit and fulfilling each of the planned details. When the leader of the Girls’ Youth came before Father, she presented him with a bundle of letters of thanksgiving, or "litanies of mercy," that the girls had written in preparation for the covenant and installing the Father symbol on that day of October 30, 1966. In spite of the fact that Father Kentenich asked several times that she read some to him, the leader did not listen and did not read any at all; rather, she continued with her prepared speech. But hasn’t it happened to all of us that because we want to have everything planned and prepared, we do not listen to the voice of the Father, what he is asking of us, and what he wants to stress to us as important?

In addition, the leaders responsible for organizing the ceremony had practiced for hours on how to "unveil" the Father symbol, trying to perfectly coordinate it to come off at a precise moment during Father’s talk. In the end, those responsible were so concerned with this moment of unveiling (which did not come off after all, because the veil fell off at the wrong time), that many of them missed Father’s talk completely. Everyone had prepared for the placing of the Father symbol and organized a perfect liturgy for the occasion; it was all going to be wonderful. Yet in the midst of all this preparation, many did not even realize that Father did something far greater, for then and there he proclaimed and made the Covenant with God the Father. Thus, while on pilgrimage from the church of foreigners to the Shrine, everyone realized that even on this day, Father was also encouraging them to set aside that which is planned and previously organized, so that they could open themselves to the surprises that God the Father offers us all.

A spontaneous litany of mercy

In the Shrine, Martha and Joaquin Lavini summarized what was experienced that day in a spontaneous prayer, inviting everyone to add their petitions and gratitude in a "litany of mercy." Thankfully, this time Father did not have to ask in vain to hear what they wanted to express! Before returning to Schoenstatt, the pilgrims also took the Father symbol to the Cathedral in Cologne, and at the same time, made a strong commitment to their respective countries to work so that the Covenant with God the Father will come to life in each of those places.

Translation: Celina M Garza, Harlingen, TX, USA / Amy Peebles, Austin, TX, USA