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 published: 2006-12-01

From the "Homeland of the Blessed Mother" in Ciudad del Este to the "flourishing Paradise of Mary" in Oberá

The journey of some pilgrims from Paraguay to the Shrine in Oberá, celebrating ist Golden Anniversary

 

A pesar de la lluvia, se celebró con alegría el jubileo de oro del Santuario de Oberá, Argentina

Despite of the rain, the Golden Jubilee of the Shrine in Obera, Argentina,  was celebrated with much joy

Trotz des Regens wurde das Goldene Jubiläum des Heiligtums in Oberá, Argentinien, mit Freude gefeiert

 

Peregrinos en el Santuario Jubilar

Pilgrims coming to the Jubilee Shrine

Pilger strömen zum Jubiläums-Heiligtum

 

Una torta jubilar para el Santuario

A jubilee cake for the shrine

Geburtstagstorte für das Heiligtum

 

Signos de la vinculación con el Santuario

Signs of the attachment to the Shrine

Zeichen der Verbundenheit mit dem Heiligtum

 

Momentos de oración en el Santuario

Praying in the Shrine

Stilles Beten im Heiligtum

 

Presentación en la celebración central

Presentation in the central celebration

Päsentation bei der zentralen Jubiläumsfeier

 

Fotos: Ortiz/Romañach © 2006

Albúm de fotos – photo album – Fotoalbum

ARGENTINA/PARAGUAY, Carmen and Hugo Romañach. The Golden Anniversary of the Shrine of Oberá, Misiones (November 21, 1956-2006) was the main reason that summoned us to go on pilgrimage from Ciudad del Este, along with another couple from Course 12 of the Family Federation from Paraguay, Lena and Beto Ortiz and Mrs. Lela de Colmán of the Circle of League 1 from Ciudad del Este, thanks to the invitation of our friends Lily and José Fellermaier from the Family Work, whom we met in 1989, when the 40th Anniversary of Father Joseph Kentenich’s visit to Oberá was commemorated; on September 22-29, 1949, when Father contemplated the abundance and lushness of the vegetation, he prophesized: "Misiones, with its thriving nature, will be a flourishing Paradise of Mary".

Our visit was as welcoming as it was 17 years ago, because of the warmth of our hosts, Lily and Jose, and the kindness of the Sisters of Mary, who along with other Schoenstatters, worked avidly on the preparations to counteract the inclement weather.

The four hour trip was pleasant, and it only began to rain upon arrival to Oberá. When we arrived at the Shrine, and after greeting our hosts, another pleasant surprise was to also meet the beloved Sisters María Teresa and Cecilia María.

It rained from 11:00 a.m. on Friday, November 24th, with short pauses until night time and all day Saturday, but it did not spoil the celebration, since the Blessed Mother had everything planned.

The indispensable visit to the Shrine, which was beautifully decorated with the best flowers, filled us with a spirit of peace, of security, of joy and confidence for the Opening Mass of the Jubilee Celebration.

The Shrine, center or heart of all the Schoenstatt spirituality

The Holy Mass began at 7:00 p.m .in the parish church of Saint Anthony of Oberá, located in front of the Shrine, presided by the pastor, Armando R. Vera, who outstandingly stressed the title for the jubilee celebration, "Mary, cause of our joy". Then there was a theatrical work in four acts, in auditorium of the Marian School of the Sisters, with same name as the motto for the jubilee year "Shrine, your jubilee calls us to flourish" with many participants under the direction of Sister Elsa Maria. It was a very entertaining work with excellent amateur actors, who gave themselves fully to transmit, illuminate and interpret the motto, making the specific graces of the Shrine known that filled everyone with wholesome joy.

On Saturday the 25th, the Rosary at Dawn brought us to the Shrine again on a wet and cool morning. In the afternoon we were enriched with the excellent and delightful talk by Father Javier Arteaga, National Director of the Schoenstatt Movement that touched on the subject "Shrine, a place of communion for the Diocese". Before the talk he greeted the different groups of pilgrims stressing the presence of the pilgrims from the Homeland of Ciudad del Este. He presented a clear and simple, but precise and complete exposition about the Shrine as a center or heart of all the Schoenstatt spirituality, as a concrete place that through our constant attachment, the Blessed Mother gives us gifts and graces, and especially, the sheltering in the heart of God, the grace of interior transformation and apostolic zeal, mission or apostolate.

Spanish dances, gauchos from Brazil, a cake in the shape of the Shrine and prizes

At 8:00 p.m. the main celebration of the jubilee, a Holy Mass in front of the Shrine, with Monsignor Juan Rubén Martínez, Bishop of Posadas, as the main celebrant, gathered all the pilgrims, the majority of whom, came from many places of the Republic of Argentina. There were consecrations of pilgrims and the renewal of the crowning of the Blessed Mother. Monsignor Martínez stressed the fruitfulness of the Shrine and the role of Mary as mother and educator. Then he imparted the apostolic blessing with a Plenary Indulgence on everyone present.

The journey culminated with a delicious dinner at the Brazilian House of the Park of Nations that was shared by Schoenstatters and the guests. It was a very pleasant and enjoyable evening where along with the Fathers, the Sisters and the other pilgrims we also enjoyed the Spanish dances, gauchos of Rio Grande del Sur and a delicious cake in the shape of the Shrine and there were several prizes.

Called to flourish as disciples and missionaries of Christ

On Sunday we attended Mass at 9:30 a.m. in front of the Shrine where Father Javier Arteaga stressed the royalty of Jesus, his Heavenly Kingdom and the condition of Mary as a Queen as Mother of Christ the King, and because of our filiation we become children of the Queen and apostles of the Kingdom of God the Father, with the strength of the Holy Spirit sent through Jesus in Pentecost. At the end of the Mass the Missionaries of the Schoenstatt Rosary Campaign sealed their commitment.

The finishing touch was a talk by Sister María Teresa with the title of one of Father’s phrases: We want to courageously spread your name and lead all people to your shrine (Heavenwards, p.134). It was a brilliant speech about the mission of the missionary disciple of the Pilgrim MTA. Explaining their condition of having been chosen by Her as Christ chose his disciples, to visit her children, to take peace and joy and the message of building a new man so that we can build a new world. Then, her children inflamed by her love will visit Her in her Shrine and this way complete the circuit of love. She stressed in a very eloquent and simple manner the smallness of the Servant of God Joao Pozzobon and the greatness of his work.

The missionary, she said, should be like that Bedouin of a story, who considered finding an oasis in the desert as the greatest thing so that everyone could enjoy it, that is, the missionary should attract many people to the oasis of the Shrine so that, with renewed strength from there, they can then, face the deserts of the world: the deserts of hunger, thirst, loneliness, the lack of love, that is, the absence of God.

With this masterful talk by Sister María Teresa we felt that all of us are called to flourish as disciples and missionaries of Christ. That with the Blessed Mother’s help, united to our Father and Founder, we can build a national family, based on truth, justice and love.

After savoring a delicious community lunch, with an abundantly joyful heart and loaded with gifts, we bid farewell, with profound affection, to the Blessed Mother and our friends in this Shrine with the mission of "being the guarantee of the spirit of January 20th", traveling to our Schoenstatt Homeland.

Translation: Celina Garza, Harlingen, TX, USA

 

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