Be witnesses of Christ for Schoenstatt! In the midst of the world.

In the midst of the "Roman fever". A retrospective look at the Girls’ Youth pilgrimage to Rome for the World Youth Day

Santo Padre, ¡aqui estamos! Holy Father: here we are! Heiliger Vater, wir sind da!
Domingo de Ramos: 15 jovenes de Schoenstatt portaron palmas Palm Sunday: 15 members of the Schoenstatt Girls Youth carried palms Palmsonntag: 15 junge Frauen aus der Schönstatt-Mädchenjugend trugen Palmzweige
Saludando al Santo Padre Greeting the Holy Father Begrüßung des Heiligen Vaters
Tuvieron un lugar muy cerca  del Santo Padre They were very close to the Holy Father So nah ist der Heilige Vater an ihnen vorbeigefahren!
En el Santuario de las Hermanas de Maria en Roma At the Shrine of the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary in Rome Beim Heiligtum der Marienschwestern in Rom
Rezando en el Santuario Internacional en Belmonte, Roma Praying in the International Shrine in Belmonte, Rome Gebet im Internationalen Heiligtum in Belmonte, Rom Fotos: Sr. Renata Zürrlein © 2007 Albúm de fotos – photo album – Fotoalbum

ROME/GERYMANY, Eva María Baumgarten. The news about the Easter celebrations in Rome and the transmission of the Holy Father’s birthday raised the "Roman fever" and one immediately thinks that you are once more in the middle of all the experiences, in the midst of the pilgrimage to Rome that ninety girls made on Palm Sunday 2007.

"A 1,600 km, trip by bus lasting 20 hours," you have to be crazy to do something like that!" Said someone, when I told them that on March 30^th I would depart for Rome with 90 girls from all of Germany. Yes, it is madness, but in the best sense of the word. "It is a very beautiful "madness" that was manifested in the Schoenstatt Girls’ Youth from Germany, Romania and Austria to undertake this trip. On the road to Rome, on the road towards the heart of the Church, on the road to an encounter with the Holy Father, on the road to follow the footsteps of the apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul, on the road to better understand Father Kentenich’s love for the Church, and finally on the road toward an encounter with Christ the Lord.

To immerse oneself in the atmosphere of the universal Church

The radiant faces of those on pilgrimage clearly demonstrated that the effort to make the trip was worthwhile. That immersion into the center of the atmosphere of the universal Church was the feeling that was awakened when we arrived to Saint Peter’s Square. This experience of the universal Church and on top of this the joy of belonging to this Church as a Schoenstatter, and to feel at home in it, made what we were able to celebrate with the Holy Father on Palm Sunday very concrete. Fifteen girls where able to participate in the procession with palms in Saint Peter’s Square and they represented the entire group on that walk. One of the girls described this very special experience: "I carried a palm. The Palm Sunday Mass with the Pope was of course the greatest thing for me. It was a fantastic feeling that a pink card could open the way that was prohibited to any mortal. This is how we could pass by the Swiss Guard, who performed a military salute when he saw us, and upon entering the hall that I had already seen and I had wondered what was behind it. Now I know. It was something fantastic to go out to Saint Peter’s Square to "announce" the Pope…"

Besides Saint Peter’s there are of course a great number of cultural milestones and Rome is never lacking in places that one should see alt least one time: Saint Paul of the Outer Wall, the Spanish Steps, the Navarra Square, the Roman Forum, Saint John Lateran, the Coliseum, the Pantheon, the Fountain of Trevi, Saint Mary Major and the Holy Stairs. These are places that speak of the rich history of this city, but also about the very rich history of the Church and they lead to the first stages of its existence.

In the midst of the Church: Schoenstatt in Rome

In the midst of all these great experiences there were two very special places that truly invite one to come to them and that makes us aware of our mission for Schoenstatt and for the Church: The morning in the Matri Ecclesiae Shrine, in Belmonte, and the afternoon in the Cor Ecclesiae Shrine, in the heart of the city of Rome. During the visit to the grounds of Belmonte, that is still a construction site, our contribution to the Schoenstatt mission was made concrete when each one of us placed a stone with our name in the foundation of the future statue of Father Kentenich. "I think is wonderful to think that now I am a "foundation" for our Father and Founder. I felt very touched at the moment that the stone fell", said one of the girls. The visit to the Cor Ecclesiae Shrine was marked by a look at life itself and the Covenant of Love.

To seal or to renew the Covenant of Love here, in the heart of the Church, is something that touches the soul. "I am especially grateful for the time that we spent in both Shrines and especially for renewing the Covenant of Love. In the midst of all of these beautiful experiences, we were excited, but also somewhat fatigued; it was something wonderful and it was a relief to return home close to the Blessed Mother, to find peace and to tell her everything, to be able to leave everything there, to experience again that peace and strength can be found in Her. And in this atmosphere, to be able to renew my Covenant of Love in the shadow of Saint Peter’s Basilica, was a very special gift that gave me new strength for the tasks that are pending. To be in the midst of the bustle of Rome and all the life that is found there, but always in the hands of the Blessed Mother. Thank you for those four unforgettable days!"

To be part of a large family in the faith

The greatest event that touched and impressed us, just as many other experiences that were contemplated in silence and left profound marks of joy was, along with Palm Sunday, the vigil in the afternoon at the beginning, during Holy Week: Your life, Christ: humble provocative, redeeming. To look at Christ and the imminent events of Holy Week broadened the lookout of our life and invited us to encounter Him in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. "It was also very beautiful that before Easter we had the opportunity to go to confession in Rome, and many of us took advantage of this opportunity.

A very special encounter was the visit to the San Lorenzo Juvenile Center. There we found the cross that John Paul II gave to the World Youth Day. It was a moment of gratitude to see this cross which we found in so many places in Germany. Finally these encounters and World Youth Day were milestones on the way to this pilgrimage to Rome, as one pilgrim said: "It seems to me as if this were a repetition of World Youth Day. At that time I was surrounded by people from the most diverse countries, and however we formed a community that lived its faith with all its heart. We are not alone; we are a large family in the faith".

Sent forth

The news about the Easter celebration in Rome and the transmission of the Holy Father’s birthday again raised the "Roman fever" and it made me quickly think that I was once again in the midst of all those experiences. That pilgrimage to Rome that was patiently awaited for so long was a gift from heaven, what we were able to experience and to feel during those days in Rome are impressions that are very difficult to describe. Those who experienced our pilgrimage to Rome have something of this holy madness that makes one forget about our self a little more and to place God first: "The last time that we went to Saint Peter’s Square was something of a sending forth for me: ‘go throughout the world and announce the Gospel.’ Be witnesses of Christ for Schoenstatt!"

Translation: Celina Garza, Harlingen, TX, USA