The largest pilgrimage place in the world

Pilgrimage to Mexico: a trip with very special experiences

Patrimonio cultural de la humanidad: Piramide de Teotihuacan World Cultural Heritage: pyramid of Teotihuacan Weltkulturerbe Sonnenpyramide in Theotihuacan Foto: Brähler © 2007
Basilica Nueva, Guadalupe New Basilica, Guadalupe Neue Basilika, Guadalupe
La Virgen de Guadalupe Our Lady of Guadalupe Gnadenbild der Jungfrau von Guadalupe
Peregrinos en el Santuario de Querétaro Pilgrims in front of the Shrine in Querétaro Pilger vor dem Heiligtum in Querétaro
Peregrinos alemanes en Querétaro German Pilgrims in Querétaro Deutsche Pilger in Querétaro Foto: Caspari © 2007

SCHOENSTATT/MEXICO, Rebecca Klein. Father Franz Widmaier, who made a pilgrimage to Mexico in March of this year, tells about some of the things he experienced while he was there during his sixteen day trip. Why Mexico? "There were some people who were interested in taking a trip there, to visit the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, but also to visit the Schoenstatt Shrines in Mexico. During the last years there have been many young, Mexican volunteers in Schoenstatt, and they have kept in touch".

Apart from this, it is interesting to note, that he has been in Mexico many times and that is why he has a special relationship with this country.

The wonder of the largest pilgrimage place in the world!

Guadalupe, the site that the group visited at the beginning of their trip, is the largest pilgrimage place in the world. There the Blessed Mother appeared for the first time on December 9, 1531, to a native youth, Juan Diego, (who has been canonized) and she asked him to tell the bishop that he should build a temple at that place. But at first the bishop did not believe. When Juan Diego, returned to visit him, in spite of his disbelief, the bishop demanded a miracle from the Blessed Mother as proof. On the last day of the apparitions this sign took place. At the beginning of the encounter with the Blessed Mother suddenly some beautiful rose bloomed on the hill, in spite that it winter. She told Juan Diego to gather them, to take them to the bishop and to tell him everything that he had experienced. When he did this, the picture of the Blessed Mother appeared on his tilma (mantle) where he had carried the roses, just as he had seen her, with native traits. All those present believed and they fell on their knees. The bishop had the chapel built. that the virgin had requested. Some decades ago an ophthalmologist studied the eyes of the picture that was mysteriously impressed on the tilma with a magnifying glass – it is not painted – he discovered the scene of the bishop and the other people kneeling: it was the scene that the Blessed Mother "saw" when the picture appeared on the tilma.

"And this miracle was something sensational, because the Blessed Mother did not appear to one of the conquerors, or to a Spaniard; rather to a simple native of a town that had been conquered. This impressed the natives very much; therefore those people became Christians without any problem".

Walls that are meters long covered with flowers…

The Basilica of Guadalupe is always full of people. A Holy Mass is celebrated on the hour from morning to night. There you will find people from all the countries of the world. They bring flowers that are placed on a wall that is several meters long at the right and left of the picture of Mary. There are so many flowers that at night they have to be removed so there will be room for more on the next day. Many people go through the church on their knees.

"In some cases it is noticeable that they cannot walk well because their knees hurt. This impressed our group very much. This is the piety of the people from that place. We would never see this in Germany".

There was also something of the ancient religions

Father Widmaier’s group also visited some historic places, especially the pyramids of the sun and the moon in Teotihuacan that are part of the universal cultural heritage. They also visited the Museum of Anthropology of the City of Mexico, that is one of the most famous in the world.

Thousands of kilometers to say thank you!

The Schoenstatt Shrine of Querétaro – where the group stayed for four days and where they participated in the usual activities – celebrated its Silver Anniversary two years ago. "Every Sunday many pilgrims come. Two Holy Masses are celebrated. More than a thousand people participate in each of them."

"In Mexico they have an old novena to the Blessed Mother that was translated from German. It has been reprinted in thirty print shops – and it has been distributed throughout the country - without worrying about getting permission as it is customary to do. This novena was written in German about fifty years ago by Sister M. Gunthildia, one of the Adoration Sisters of Mary. When the people have a need, they pray the novena and it may happen that a person regains their health, or they receive the help they requested and then they organize a pilgrimage to the Shrine of Querétaro, even if they live a thousand or three thousand kilometers away. Then suddenly some people from some region of Mexico arrive to express gratitude to the Blessed Mother because She had interceded for a miracle. This is something quite fantastic".

Some differences…

After Father Widmaier saw two Shrines in Mexico, he could surely compare the differences that they have with the Original Shrine: "…they have a green roof, and the Shrine of San Luis Potosi, has an orange, shingle roof. I always jokingly tell them that it is not an authentic Shrine". It is really something to make this kind of jokes with such hospitable people! But there were also some other thing that attracted our attention: "The Shrine of Querétaro, for example, is in the midst of a beautiful and wonderful cactus garden. This is something quite different from other places. But I can affirm something much more important: The people pray with much more fervor than here. We believe that the Blessed Mother can help us, but the Mexicans are convinced that this is true!"

The Franciscan Missions

At the end of the trip they visited some of the Franciscan Missions, that are about four hours away from Querétaro. "The Franciscans have done much for the evangelization of this country". They protected the natives, even when some Spanish conquerors tired to trick them into giving them objects made of gold. They built churches in theses missions most of them were of a beautiful American baroque style. These Franciscans eventually arrived in California – which was Mexican territory at that time – and they also built this type of missions. "And they went by foot! Thousands of kilometers from this region."

With native eyes…

"Since we were accompanied by two old volunteers, we had the opportunity of coming into contact with the people of the place, not only as a group of foreigners who were traveling through the country; rather, we could meet the native people. In this way we could see the country through their eyes", said Father Widmaier with much enthusiasm. He would make another pilgrimage if there were people who would be interested in it. When asked if he would do it another way, he responded: "I would travel through the same places, since everything went well and the people are very satisfied".

A truly good community!

The majority of the travelers were Schoenstatters from Vallendar and the surrounding area. But there were also people who did not know about Schoenstatt or they only knew about it "from afar".

"I received the best response from them. They were very impressed and touched…" Something else that was very good about our group: although many did not know anyone, everyone approached each other. It was truly a good community!"

Translation: Celina Garza, Harlingen, TX, USA