We were very tired as we walked with the Pilgrim MTA in our arms, and our minds were on Jesus and his Passion

Ninth Crusade of the New Man

Jueves Santo Holy Thursday Gründonnerstag
Via Crucis Stations of the Cross Kreuzweg
Rezando, cantando, meditando… Praying, singing, meditating... Betend, singend und meditierend unterwegs...
Llegando al Santuario Arriving at the Shrine Ankunft im Heiligtum
Un regalo de amor a Jesús A gift of love for Jesus Eine Liebesgabe an Jesus Fotos:  Lucas Di Osti Romagnolli © 2007

BRAZIL, Lucas Di Osti Romagnolli. On April 4^th – 7^th, 2007, about 150 members of the Schoenstatt Boys’ Youth from Paraná traveled 80 km. on pilgrimage from the city of Londrina to the city of Cornelio Procopio. The Youth from Paraná was represented by boys from the cities of Londrina, Ibiporá, Cornelio Procopio, Maringá, Bandeirantes, Itambaracá, Curitiba, along with a youth from Rio de Janeiro and the advisors, Luis Carlos Mocato, Father Alexandre Awi and Father Vandemir Meister. This pilgrimage is already a tradition for the Boys’ Youth from Paraná. This is the ninth edition and each year the number of participants and its spirituality increases.

They youth met on the night of the 4^th in the Schoenstatt Shrine of Londrina for the opening Holy Mass, they were introduced to the theme of Holy Week for this retreat in the form of a pilgrimage.

The following day, Holy Thursday, they departed very early from the Shrine of the Mother and Queen. After walking some 27 km. they made the first stop in the city of Jataizinho. During the way there were several presentations about the life of Jesus, in which the youth made a parallel between the life of Christ and of their own lives. That night they celebrated the Holy Mass of the Institution of the Eucharist with the washing of feet, in a place that had the atmosphere of that time.

The victory of Jesus: The most valuable gift that God gave to humanity

On Good Friday they departed even earlier from Jtaizinho toward the city of Urai, the second stop on the pilgrimage, a distance of about 32 km. This day of mourning because of the death of Jesus was the most strenuous, because of the distance and the ups and downs of the ground, which demanded a greater sacrifice. Along the way they prayed the Stations of the Cross, Jesus’ road to Calvary. At night they celebrated the Adoration of the Cross and the Passion.

On Holy Saturday, the eve of the Resurrection of the Lord, they departed towards their destination, the Schoenstatt Shrine of Cornelio Procopio. They walked close to 20 km. meditating on their lives, singing and praying. When they saw the Shrine they ran towards it, in this way ending the Crusade of the new man once more, offering this sacrifice to Jesus, who loves us so much… He gave himself for us, dying on the cross. That night in the Shrine, they celebrated the Easter Vigil, the blessing of the new fire, the victory of Jesus, the most valuable gift that God gave humanity.

Each year the Crusade of the new man attracts more youths who are "mad" for Mary

Guilherm Luis Dias gives his testimony about the crusade: "It was the first time that I participated and it is probably the first of many other times! To experience Holy Week by walking for three days was something that was very gratifying and that gave me an incredible peace. It was something intense and soft at the same time, because although we were tired as we walked carrying the Pilgrim MTA in our arms, thinking about Jesus and his Passion, made it possible to break barriers and overcome much in a surprising way, as if Jesus was helping to train us for a new work. It was simply wonderful…"

Each year the Crusade for new men attracts more youth who "mad" for Mary, mad for Christ, who want to offer this small sacrifice to Jesus as a gift of love and of gratitude for the giftt hat God gave us at Easter.

Translation: Celina Garza, Harlingen, TX, USA