John Pozzobon, disciple and missionary of Jesus Christ

Visit of Father Argemiro Ferraccioli, Postulator of the Cause of Canonization of John Pozzobn, to several places of Argentina

Joao Pozzobon John Pozzobon Joao Pozzobon
La corona de la Peregrina Original The crown of the Original Pilgrim MTA Die Krone der Original-Peregrina Fotos: Arendes/Santa Maria © 2006
Misioneras con el P Argemiro Missionaries with Father Argemiro Missionarinnen umringen Pater Argemiro
Jornada en Paso Mayor Retreat in Paso Mayor Treffen in Paso Mayor Fotos: Zunini © 2006

ARGENTINA, Diana Zunini/mkf/mca. He awakens enthusiasm and commitment. "Father Argemiro is a worthy son of John Pozzobon and he conquered everyone’s hearts", they commented in Bahía Blanca. After visiting in Chile, the postulator of the Cause of Canonization of John Pozzobon, went on pilgrimage through Argentina during the first days of November, to show John Pozzobon as a disciple and missionary of Christ, of Mary, of the Church and of Father Kentenich, and the "vigorous Rosary Campaign" as Schoenstatt’s contribution on the eve of the Fifth General Assembly of CELAM.

Since last year the Church in Latin America has initiated a road of renewal, beginning with a broad consultation with all communities. The process will end during the 5^th General Conference of the Episcopate that will take place in May of 2007, in Aparecida, close to Sao Paulo, with the presence of Pope Benedict XVI, with the motto: Disciples and Missionaries of Christ, so that our people will have life in Him. This Tuesday, Novemeber 14^th, the President of CELAM, Cardinal Francisco Javier Errázuriz, made a visit to the Marian Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida, the place chosen by Pope Benedict XVI for the work of the Fifth General Conference of the Latin American and Caribbean Episcopate that will take place in May 2007. The framework of this visit was to have a meeting on November 13^th with the presidency of CELAM and with the local commissions that are preparing the logistic and organizational aspects of the Fifth Conference in Aparecida. It is important to stress that this is the first time that Cardinal Errázuriz has visited the large Marian Shrine of Brazil. It was precisely during those days that Father Argemiro Ferracioli’s talks inflamed the missionaries of the Rosary Campaign and many more people with this contribution to the process of the missionary renewal of the church of his continent.

A Pozzobon encounter

When Father Argemiro arrived from Buenos Aires, on Saturday, the 11^th at 10:30 a.m. for his visit to the Archdiocese of Bahia Blanca, he met with the Schoenstatt Federation of Fathers of the diocese, Fathers Daniel Jany, JuanD’Amico, Rogelio del Peiro and Adrián Martinez.

Father Argemiro was happy and he expressed his gratitude because he said it was a "Pozzobon Encounter". He was surprised by the enthusiasm of the Fathers to work for the Cause of Canonization, and how they committed themselves and were interested in everything that he proposed to them, in order to accompany and orient the work of the laity.

Encounter with Pilgrims and missionaries in the Don Bosco School, Bahía Blanc

On the afternoon of Saturday, the 11^th, there was an encounter in the Don Bosco School in the center of the city of Bahía Blanca. Everything began with a prayer, with everyone preparing the "Shrine of the Journey". The different communities came bringing the Auxiliary, the Unity Cross, a picture of the Founding Father, a picture of John Pozzobon, and with candlelight and flowers.

In his conference, Father Argemiro referred to the motto of the Fifth Latin American Conference that will take place in the Shrine of Aparecida, Brazil, next year: Disciples and Missionaries of Christ, so that our people may have life in Him.

He showed how John Pozzobon was a disciple and missionary of Christ and how each one of the missionaries and pilgrims can learn from his example to be disciples and missionaries of Christ. Each one is chosen through Baptism as a disciple and missionary of Christ and is called to assume that call. John Pozzobon was a pilgrim, Father Argemiro stressed, and he walked 140,000 kilometers with the Blessed Mother on his shoulder, he was passionate for the Blessed Mother. He intensely lived his Baptism, the Schoenstatt spirituality, as well as being the father of 7 children and living his marriage with enormous depth.

He was a disciple: disciple means that the person is a student, that he follows the professor; John Pozzobon followed the school of Jesus. Father Argemiro encouraged the participants to reflect: Am I a true disciple? Do I continue being a Christian? Do I need the sacraments? As a disciple I need to be open and to learn new things. John Pozzobon was always open to new orientations, the orientations of the Blessed Mother.

He was a missionary. To be a missionary is to be active, to act, to learn and to put into action what has been learned. John Pozzobon said that a missionary was he who had faith. He said: I do 1% and the Blessed Mother does 99%.

He learned to recognize the greatness of God in his own action. He knew that if he was with Mary and Jesus he was with God the Father. He discovered the 99% that the Blessed Mother did for the families. He began with the rosary, as a great treasure, but he went much further, he carried out an impressive evangelization in the families that received the Pilgrim MTA. The true missionary does not only pray, he begins with prayer and he ends with action.

"A great love attracts hearts"

John Pozzobon Pozzobon, Father Argemiro continued, was convinced that "a large fire is necessary to burn green wood". Much fire, much love is needed, and the fire is the unselfish dedication, that does not seek honor nor recognition. It is missionary heroism, and that is what attracts hearts. Father Argemiro asked the missionaries: And what is heroism for a missionary? Let us look John Pozzobon’s response: He said: "many times I got wet, I got muddy, I got tired…" He was convinced of the Blessed Mother’s action in his life, that she was the one who acted; that She and her son, Jesus, needed him, with his difficulties and limitations.

After a brief interval, accompanied by guitars, they sang a song to the Blessed Mother and to John Pozzobon, that was written some time ago by a missionary from Bahía.

During the second part of the talk, Father Argemiro referred to how to work for the Canonization of John Pozzobon Pozzobon. He reiterated that prayers and answered prayers are important, and the key is that John Pozzobon’s reputation of sanctity had to grow, that is to say, that many people believe that he is saint, that he lived a life of holiness.

The encounter concluded with the Celebration of the Holy Mass. Father Argemiro called them to take on the attitude of John Pozzobon when he participated in Mass: lightening would have struck if John Pozzobon did not participate in Mass, he commented.

Sunday, the 12th, Shrine of Paso Mayor

At 10:30 a.m., when the auto in which Father Argemiro was traveling entered the grounds of the Shrine of Paso Mayor, several pilgrims walked the last 1200 meters to the Shrine and they greeted him on their way. The sun was brilliant; the wind was blowing very strongly, as it often happens in the pampa. They commented, "We asked the Blessed Mother that it would not rain today, but we forgot about the wind". Father Argemiro responded: It doesn’t matter, it is the Spirit that is blowing strongly and it truly blew. There was much joy and excitement in the encounter of more than 300 pilgrims who came to encounter Father Argemiro, with his message, with John Pozzobon.

During the first talk he told them about some of John Pozzobon’s secrets of holiness:

Fundamentally it was the Shrine, the encounter with the Blessed Mother in the Shrine. He could not live without going to the Shrine. He always said: "at nightfall I am with the families and I awaken in the Shrine". And his death, on the way to the Shrine, and his daily Mass, tells us a lot.

John Pozzobon deposited his work of the previous day in the Shrine everyday, the conquests, his effort, everything was given into the hands of the Blessed Mother in the Shrine, and then he asked for strength for the day’s work that was about to begin: offer to receive. When he was not in Santa Maria he made a spiritually pilgrimage to the Shrine. Father Argemiro said: we, like John Pozzobon, have to make a spiritual pilgrimage to the Shrine everyday.

Another one of John Pozzobon’s secret: Consecration to the Blessed Mother. He consecrated himself to her, he gave himself to the Blessed Mother and he said: I do not belong to anyone else; I am the exclusive property of the Blessed Mother. And he added: if I belong to the Blessed Mother, then I cannot do what the Blessed Mother does not like.

Another great secret of John Pozzobon was to be a disciple and missionary of Father Kentenich. Since John Pozzobon met Father, he fell in love with Father’s mission, his charisma, and he adopted some of the Founder’s vital phrases: take the Mother of God and give Her a place of honor in your homes". And he always remained loyal, attached to the origin.

The missionaries reflected on Father Argemiro’s words: It important for the Campaign in Paso Mayor to discover how John Pozzobon was a "little disciple" of the Father, as he liked to say, (to be loyal) like he was loyal to the origin. Father left us a mission in Paso Mayor when he crowned the Blessed Mother "Mother and Queen of the People". And the Campaign reaffirms this mission when it crowns the Pilgrim MTA’s with little wooden crowns made from the old floor of the Shrine that the Founder walked on and later they returned to the Shrine with the Capital of Grace of so many pilgrims". One of these little crowns was given to Father Argemiro during the Mass inviting him to crown the Pilgrim MTA that accompanies him.

During the Mass at 12:00 p.m. three new missionaries were commissioned, and then they shared a barbeque.

The Original Pilgrim MTA

The last talk before the farewell was about the picture of the Original Pilgrim MTA

Father Argemiro related how John Pozzobon kept adding symbols to the picture that he received on September 10, 1950. The first thing he added was the little doors. He added the doors because he felt protected by the Blessed Mother and he wanted to protect Her. John Pozzobon felt the first grace of the Shrine that the Blessed Mother sheltered him, took him by the hand.

The three wooden steps (before it only had one) symbolized the steps that are in front of e Tabor Shrine, in Santa Maria. The Pilgrim MTA carries the three graces of the Shrine, sheltering, transformation, and apostolic zeal.

The crown: John Pozzobon followed the school of Father Kentenich, he crowned the Blessed Mother and each year he placed stones on the crown, but they were valuable, precious stones.

The cross of the campaign:. He made it of silver. It was a donation from a military man who received an answered prayer and he wanted to place a picture of the Sacred Heart in the While Chapel. John Pozzobon persuaded him and the military man donated the silver cross. John Pozzobon had the power of persuasion.

It was very touching to hear the voice of John Pozzobon, on a cassette that Father Argemiro brought. John Pozzobon was relatively young, so his voice was clear and firm. Then it was time for the farewell, where hands greeted him with joy. One missionary said: when the auto moved away I felt nostalgia, like a great emptiness, like when someone has abandoned us. As he departed Father Argemiro reminded them of John Pozzobon’s words: "I am with you".

To be a missionary

To be a missionary means "to take the good news to each person: God is love", stressed Benedict XVI on October 29^th. The mission, he added, "is always born of a heart that is transformed through the love of God, as testified by innumerable stories about the saints and the martyrs, who in different ways have given their life at the service of the Gospel"

Just as this pilgrim and missionary of Mary, John Pozzobon did, and how - in his footsteps –thousands and thousands of missionaries continue doing it, taking the Great Missionary to the homes, to the hospitals, the jails, the offices, businesses and corporations of the world, so that She can again take everyone to Christ.

Translation: Celina Garza, Harlingen, TX, USA