Nachrichten - News - Noticias
 published: 2006-11-21

Shrine, your jubilee calls us to flourish

Golden Anniversary of the Shrine of Oberá, Misiones, Argentina

 

Santuario de Oberá, Provincia de Misiones, Argentina

Shrine in Oberá, Misiones, Argentina

Heiligtum in Oberá, Provinz Misiones, Argentinien

 

Fue bendecido el 21 de noviembre de 1956

It was blessed November 21, 1956

Eingeweiht am 21. November 1956

 
 

Vista desde la calle

View from the street

Blick von der Straße

Fotos: Santuarios de Schoenstatt en la Argentina © 2006

 

 

 

ARGENTINA, nlg. The Shrine of Oberá celebrated its Golden Anniversary on November 21st with the active participation of all the Schoenstatt Family and many pilgrims. The anniversary will be celebrated all week with the motto "Shrine, your jubilee calls us to flourish", and it will culminate on November 25th with the main commemoration. Monsignor Juan Rubén Martínez, Diocesan Bishop of Posadas, will preside at the jubilee Holy Mass.

The city of Oberá ("the one that shines" in Guarani) is second in importance in the Province of Misiones, which is located in the extreme northeast of Argentina. Oberá is at the center of the Province, in the Sierra of Misiones, a place of great beauty.

All of the Province of Misiones (called "the beautiful one") is characterized by its exuberant nature: jungles with an enormous variety of trees, ferns, orchids, epihytes, liana (vines), rivers, and abundant arroyos, many waterfalls, that include the famous waterfall of Iguazú – a world tourist attraction- and a varied autochthonic fauna.

Several settlements of the first inhabitants of this place are still preserved:, of the ethnicities Guarani, Tupí, Mocoví, and Toba .

The Jesuit Missions

Misiones should be the name of the Jesuit Missions that extended throughout its territory, southern Brazil, and a large part of Paraguay, in the XVII Century. The majority of them were founded by Saint Roque González de Santacruz, a Jesuit priest and martyr. They were models of the Christian social order and of the enculturation of Catholicism. Unfortunately, as a result of the expulsion of the Jesuits decreed by the Spanish crown, presently there are only ruins of the wonderful buildings that were made by the indigenous people under the direction of the skillful Jesuits architects and artists. The ruins of San Ignacio Miní are relatively close to Oberá; they are partly restored and open to the public. Father Kentenich was interested in these settlements –he called them "from Paraguay" – during the years of 1915 and 1916, according to the testimony of Father Menningen on his visit to Oberá in 1966.

Oberá, a cosmopolitan and ecumenical city

Oberá is a city of great beauty, in which the inhabitants from at least thirty three European nationalities came together, as well as some from the Middle East and Asia. People who profess at least sixteen religions live in complete harmony. Crops of tea, the mate herb, pine trees (destined for the paper industry), and all kinds of ornamental plants grow on its fertile soil (of a bright red color).

The Sisters of Mary established themselves in this real crucible of races in 1949, they were sent by Father Kentenich to extend the Schoenstatt Work in this land, 1,100 Kms. from Buenos Aires. He visited them in September of the same year, and when he saw the beauty of the place he told them that "Misiones, with its thriving nature, should be transformed into a flourishing Paradise of Mary", and upon personally seeing the great sacrifices that they had to make to live through the founding era with much poverty and material difficulties, he told them that they should be "The Guarantee of the spirit of January 20th". Remember that it had not been long since he had been freed from the concentration camp of Dachau, where he went voluntarily through his decision of January 20, 1942, when he offered his freedom and his life so that all the Schoenstatt Family could conquer true inner freedom as children of God.

The Sisters dedicated themselves to education, and slowly the "Marian School" emerged, in the center of the city, in front of the main Catholic parish.

A Shrine that was built with faith in Divine Providence

In 1956, when Father Kentenich was already in exile and his Work was being permanently examined by the Holy Office, it was feared that in a short time it would be prohibited to build new Shrines.

The Sisters had planned to build a Shrine in the future, probably in Posadas, the capital of the province of Misiones, but with this new situation, they quickly decided to build it on the broad patio of the school. It was finished in only three months, and it was blessed on November 21st of that same year, 1956, on the Feast of the Presentation of Mary.

Later Divine Providence showed what a good decision this was: the Shrine located at a place where the Schoenstatt pedagogy was being taught has shown the efficacy of grace that is indispensable in every process of transformation. From 1949 to the present, for sure, more than two thousand students from the school have sealed their Covenant of Love in the Shrine. Many of them have returned afterwards to give testimony of the efficacy of this Covenant in their lives as adults.

The Shrine has also been the cradle for the Movement with its diverse branches and apostolic actions: couples, mothers, youth, children, the Schoenstatt Rosary Campaign, and it has been a source of grace for priestly and consecrated vocations.

A large, crowned picture of the Mother Thrice Admirable and Queen of Schoenstatt made of majolica ware is placed in front and it can be seen from afar upon arrival at the school.

The Shrine can be seen from the street through an artistic wrought iron gate. Its exterior walls have the reddish color characterized by the soil of this place. It is surrounded by a hedge of flowers and a low fence indicates the walkway from the patio to the "holy place". On the exterior of the door, just as in the other Shrines of Argentina, there is Father symbol with the phrase: "Father, thy kingdom come", indicating the main mission of the Schoenstatt Family of Argentina: lead all the children to the Father through Mary, and in this way build his Kingdom in all the nation, with a reign of love, of justice, and truth. A family kingdom whose center is the father.

The altar is very beautiful: it was made by the Brothers of Mary from Brazil, exactly like the original model. The Blessed Mother’s crown is a replica of the one in the Original Shrine. The Father Symbol is also an original creation of the Brothers of Mary –the same as the one destined for the Original Shrine and that was placed where Father’s tomb is.

Father Kentenich blesses the pilgrims from the glass in the window close to the altar, and there is constant stream of people going to the Shrine. All day children and adults go to

present their joys, anxieties, worries, gratitude, and praise to the Blessed Mother. The apostolic activity is very large and diversified, but another article would have to be written about that, we do not want to tire the enthusiastic readers of Schoenstatt.de!

Schedule for the celebration

The celebration began with an exposition of the "50 years of the Schoenstatt Shrine in Oberá that was installed in the House of Culture, from November 13th – 19th. There were vigils on the 18th and 19th, a Holy Mass of Thanksgiving was held at the Shrine at 7:00 p.m. on November 21st, the anniversary of the blessing. On Friday, November 24th the opening of the jubilee began at 7:00 p.m. with a Holy Mass in front of the Shrine. The main celebration of the jubilee began at 6:00 a.m. with a Rosary at dawn. During the morning there were workshops and a conference: "Shrine, a place of communion for the diocese" presented by Father Javier Arteaga, National Director of the Movement in Argentina. The Bishop of Posadas – the diocese to which Oberá belongs – Monsignor Juan Rubén Martinez will preside the Holy Mass and he will impart the apostolic blessing with a plenary indulgence. The day will conclude with a festive dinner at the Brazilian House of Collections in the Park of Nations.

Translation: Celina Garza, Harlingen, TX, USA


Zurück/Back: [Seitenanfang / Top] [letzte Seite / last page] [Homepage]

Last Update: 23.11.2006 Mail: Editor /Webmaster
© 2006 Schönstatt-Bewegung in Deutschland, PressOffice Schönstatt, hbre, All rights reserved, Impressum