Didn’t our hearts burn while he spoke to us…?

Easter Encounters in Schoenstatt

Horacio y Maria Rosa, misioneros de la Campaña de Rafaela, provincia de Santa Fe, Argentina Horacio and Maria Rosa, missionaries of the Campaign, from Rafaela, Province of Santa Fe, Argentina Horacio und Maria Rosa, Missionare der Kampagne aus Rafaela, Provinz Santa Fe, Argentinien
Mercedes Luque Colombres con su hijo Santiago (de la “Expedición Aconcagua”) Mercedes Luque Colombres with her son Santiago (of the Aconcagua Expedition) Mercedes Luque Colombres mit ihrem Sohn Santiago (von der Aconcagua-Besteigung)
„Expedición“ con el Padre Angel Strada “Expedtion” with Father Angel Strada Jetzt unterwegs mit Pater Angel Strada
Gloria Silvia, de México, entregando cientos de cartas a la MTA Gloria Silvia, from Mexico, offering hundreds of letters to the MTA Gloria Silvia aus Mexiko übergibt Hunderte von Briefen an die MTA
En la pila bautismal de Gymnich At the font in Gymnich Am Taufstein in Gymnich
La rifa, tambien un momento de encuentro The lottery also makes for encounters Auch der Losverkauf bringt Begegnungen mit sich Fotos: POS Fischer © 2007

SCHOENSTATT, MKF. Didn’t our hearts burn while he spoke to us…? It was an Easter moment, like the one that the disciples experienced on the road to Emmaus: two Argentinean couples who had never been here, were seated at a table in Schoenstatt, sharing chocolates, grape juice and experiences about their respective apostolate, about the Covenant of Love, about their personal vocation in Schoenstatt in the world of faith…and suddenly one could feel the presence of the Father, the presence of the Blessed Mother. "What spectacular work the Wittich’s carry out in Tucumán, they have given so much inspiration and strength", commented Roberto Liñares the next day. "What a moving testimony that of the Liñares’, said Rainer Wittich. "It almost causes envy to see how they were called to the faith…" It was good not only to have the time to visit places and to pray in Schoenstatt, but also to bond with others and to mutually communicate…Didn’t our heart burn"

Behind each person there is a hidden personal story with God. Just like the practice of the Personal Ideal, that is so important in Schoenstatt, the reality of believing in a unique and precious story of each person with God, a story with hundreds of chapters that have the potential of making the heart burn within us and to feel that we are on the Easter road with Jesus…These days of Holy Week and Easter were filled with Easter encounters, of wonderful stories that were shared.

In Sonnenau, Belén McPherson, a lady from Ecuador, who presently lives in Belgium, shares with John and Jan Beebe – English, Methodist couple who recently converted to Catholicism- about her life experiences around the faith surrounded by people who were going in other directions…but who were seeking God, without knowing it or sometimes without wanting to. Meanwhile, Belén’s two daughters left a beautiful written testimony in Sister Lisann’s condolence book. In spite of being so young they remembered how she gave them sweets on their first visit to Schoenstatt and they also remembered her great patience and friendliness.

So many letters, so much trust, so much love…

María Rosa and Horacio Alemandi, form Rafaela, province of Santa Fe, Argentina, were radiant with joy to finally be in the Original Shrine and at Father’s tomb; they arrived in Schoenstatt after many accidents they had on the way – like the bump that María Rosa had when ran into a glass door at the train station of Mannheim – they were happy even though they could only stay for 26 hours! María Rosa, is a missionary of the Schoenstatt Rosary Campaign in Rafaela, and she brought many petitions, intentions, and joys from the missionaries of the people of her city. In Sonnenau they met Teresa Blumers, of the Institute of Families, who along with her husband, spread the Campaign in Venezuela and began the "One million Rosaries prayed by the children" on October 18^th of every year. Needless to say that María Rosa committed to introduce the children’s rosary in Rafaela! She had heard about this initiative, as well as everything that happens in Schoenstatt in the different countries of the world: "I enter schoenstatt.de every day, I read everything, everything; nothing escapes me, but I never thought that some day I would appear on the web page!"

Gloria Silvia , from Mexico, along with her daughter who is presently studying in Barcelona, arrived to Schoenstatt on Good Friday to thank the "little Blessed Mother" who helped her so much in the struggle again leukemia. Three years ago the doctors told me I had the maximum of two years of life. And here I am, cured, and full of gratitude…" I also have an immense gratitude for Nidia Valenzuela, the missionary of the Campaign, who brought her the Pilgrim MTA for the sick during that crucial time. She as well as her daughter participated in the liturgy of Good Friday, after which the long awaited moment arrived: to enter into the Original Shrine and to place the hundreds of letters from the sick people from Lar Barco Jalisco, Mexico in the jar. "It was a moment I will never forget", commented Martina Rasch, from the German Professional Branch, who was just entering the Original Shrine. "There were so many letters, so much confidence, so much love…"

Gloria Silvia did not want to leave the Shrine. "I go out and I would re- enter, I would enter and go out , she said with tears in her eyes. "It’s that I love my little Blessed Mother of Schoenstatt so much, I pray the novena everyday…"

During supper they met the Flores couple, who are also from Mexico. He is working in Switzerland for one year and his wife stayed in Mexico with the children, but at this time they are visiting him in Switzerland. "We had thought about spending some vacation days in southern Germany", they said. "But since they do not accept my driver’s license in Germany, I could not drive so we decided: let’s go to Schoenstatt and spend Easter there!" They called to Sonnenau, they reserved the rooms and they spent three days "just praying in the Original Shrine and at Father’s tomb, at the Shrine of Families, and surrounded by an infinite atmosphere of peace that reigns in the garden of Sonnenau talking as a couple…"

A new Easter

On Holy Thursday, Roberto and Mart Liñares, missionaries of the Rosary Campaign in Buenos Aires, walked in the Footsteps of Joao Pozzobon in House Marienau. "We are taking a new commitment to Argentina", commented Marta: "To tell all the missionaries who come on pilgrimage to Germany not to miss Joao Pozzobon’s Footsteps in Schoenstatt, and to see 'Father's Pilgrim MTA'! Here we understand better what he said about enriching the origin when he brought the Original Pilgrim MTA to Schoenstatt! Joao’s commitment with Father also makes us assume a new commitment". On Saturday they went on pilgrimage to Gymnich, the place of Father Kentenich’s birth. It was a very special joy to be able to pray at Father’s baptismal fount that was decorated with a garland of boxwood and flowers for the Easter Vigil, where they solemnly renewed their baptismal promises. There were roses floating in the holy water of the baptismal fount which is a traditional custom in this region of Germany. They again prayed for all the Schoenstatt Family, so that through the Covenant of Love with the Blessed Mother, which is a concrete way of living the baptismal covenant for all Schoenstatters, they can live as Easter men and women: open to the will of the Father, agile and flexible in their willingness to accomplish his desires, happy to live as children before the Father.

Before leaving to Gymnich they met with Rainer Wittich, from the Family Work of Tucumán, Argentina, who along with his wife was visiting some relatives in Germany. On Sunday night, in the encounter at the Press Office that was already mentioned, Marta shared her testimony once more: "I am of Jewish origin, but I did not belong to a practicing family, until the year 2002 when the Blessed Mother touched my heart when I faced a difficult illness, and during my convalescence (of 8 months) I prepared myself by attending retreats, conferences in the Shrine of Florencia Varela and in Belgrano, I was baptized that same year, on September 18, 2002, and I made my First Communion in the Covenant Mass in Belgrano, on that same day. Furthermore, that same year we married by the Church, after 20 years of a civil marriage". Some friends – who they later found out, were Schoenstatters –invited her to a "beautiful place" during the hardest stage of her illness: it was Nuevo Schoenstatt. Marta had barely entered the Shrine and when she saw the picture of the Blessed Mother, she felt attracted to her like she could never imagine. After crying, grief stricken, she asked for three things: faith, her healing, and a sign that her petitions had been heard. She received an answer to each of her petitions. At the same time, Roberto –"an agnostic since my adolescence" – entered the Church of God the Father. No one was there. "I do not know what happened. When I returned to our friends, I only said to them: Jesus is the King, he is my savior…"

"Undoubtedly, the Blessed Mother gave me the three graces in her Shrine", Marta continued, "and in reality she gave me many more. Presently, almost 5 years since those events, Roberto and I are missionaries of the Pilgrim MTA as a couple, and we also take the Pilgrim MTA for expectant mothers; I am an assistant leader of the Mothers’ Branch in Belgrano, and we belong as a couple to the Family Work, where we are presently leaders of the "Beacon of the New Shores" group. Roberto has acted in some of the roles in the life of the Founding Father in the theatrical work that was presented in Buenos Aires and other places, called Joseph Kentenich, a Man, a Mission. It was so important for us to know Father’s land, with whom we sealed our filial covenant as a couple in Nueva Helvecia. Furthermore, it is a very special petition that we had asked our Blessed Mother, and that unexpectedly, thanks to money for extra work, was given to us as a gift."

They shared experiences of the Family work with the Wittich, whose testimony again enkindled them with the introductory itinerary for Schoenstatt couples (the so-called Jubilee Project). "Schoenstatt is for those who want to be apostles", said Rainer Wittich. "It is for those who want to forget about themselves and who want to give themselves in daily life. Sometimes there are hard and intense discussions during the time of decision for the Covenant of Love, but it is worth it: to see how the Covenant of Love changes the life of so many couples is tremendous". Burning hearts. It is a New Easter.