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Domingo de Pascua en la Iglesia de Peregrinos Easter Sunday in the Pilgrims’ Church Ostersonntag in der Pilgerkirche Foto: POS Fischer © 2007 |
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Fuego Pascual en la madrugada Easter Fire at dawn Osterfeuer in der Morgenfrühe |
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Busqueda de huevos Easter Egg hunt Ostereiersuche Fotos: Sr. Anne-Meike Brück © 2007 |
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Vigilia Pascual en la Iglesia de la Adoración: Sacerdotes de cuatro paises Easter Vigil in the Adoration Church – Priests from four countries Osternachtfeier in der Anbetungskirche – Priester aus vier Nationen am Altar |
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Juventud Femenina de Suiza después de la Vigilia Pascual Girls’ Youth from Switzerland after the Easter Vigil Mädchenjugend aus der Schweiz nach der Osternachtsfeier |
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John Beebe, Inglaterra, durante las peticiones internacionales en la Misa para la Hna. Lisann John Beebe, England, during the internacional prayer of the faithful in the Holy Mass for Sr. Lisann John Beebe, England, bei den internationalen Fürbitten in der Messe für Schw. Lisann |
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Ganadores felices de la rifa pascual Lucky winners of the Easter lottery Glückliche Gewinner der Osterlotterie Fotos: POS Fischer © 2007 Fotos Semana Santa – Holy Week – Karwoche Fotos Pascua – Easter – Ostern |
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SCHOENSTATT, mkf. Many children ran and jumped over the rows of seats. Small hands taking the stones, little arms threw them out, children’s eyes that sparkled and glistened: the stone has been removed, the tomb is empty and heaven is open! Christ has risen! Flowers flourished where the children had left little candles on Good Friday. This is part of the scene at the beginning of the Holy Mass for the families on Easter Sunday, in the Pilgrims’ Church, that also captured the hearts of the adults. "Who will remove the stone at the entrance of the tomb?" This question in the gospel was already answered when the women arrived. The stone had been removed and Jesus is alive. Jesus is alive and he wants us to help remove the last stones that obstruct his work.
They mystery of the Passion and death of Jesus, the mystery of his glorious resurrection mutually correspond, they form, as Father Kentenich said, "an indestructible unity, a bi-unity"…"not only the cross, the passion of the Redeemer, but also his glorious resurrection are a model for our own life." Good Friday and Easter cannot be read as "two scenes of a report", rather they should be seen as a single process of life that awakens the vigor of impetus, the joy, the exhilaration, the elementary spirit of conquest; that "the cross, the tomb and the resurrection" are inseparable. The decorations around the altar area of the Pilgrims’ Church, which filled all the senses, showed this unity during the days of Lent and of Easter. The rocky road that Jesus followed on Palm Sunday in Jerusalem, was not removed on Easter morning, rather it was transformed into a flourishing Easter garden. A brilliant gold cloth was on the cross; the flowers bloomed on the empty tomb, the children removed the stones: all of this was an Easter sermon for the eyes and for the soul.
A community celebrating in the place of grace
As in years past, the liturgical celebrations of Holy Week in the Pilgrims’ Church were very carefully prepared. Given that one participates with so much joy in these ceremonies in the Adoration Church, one might ask why the Spanish speaking pilgrims organized their own liturgical celebration?
"Because we have to offer a communitarian celebration in Schoenstatt for the many pilgrims who come individually", said Sister Bernadette Maria. It has to be celebration where the pilgrim is not a guest in the celebration of a community, rather a community must be formed through active participation. This is always seen where the children integrate themselves while they are collaborating; this is experienced in the liturgy of Holy Thursday, when the readings are proclaimed in Spanish; this was the experience –after the Holy Thursday ceremony - in which everyone went in procession with lighted candles to the chapel of the Pilgrims’ House, and it was the same with the beautiful Easter breakfast after the Easter Vigil at dawn and during the Easter egg hunt after the Holy Mass for Children. It was even more evident in the Holy Mass on Easter Monday, celebrated in memory of Sister M. Lisann, organized by her relatives, collaborators, youth and guests of House Sonnenau; it was celebrated with all the community.
The Easter fire, a symbol of the resurrection
Easter is a time for vacations and journeys. Some of the groups represented include: the Schoenstatt Boys’ Youth from Maguncia in the Youth Center, a leadership course for the leaders of the Schoenstatt Girls’ Youth, a seminar for marriage preparation for 16 couples, several groups from Spain in House Marienau, Easter encounters of the "Young Schoenstatt" in Saint Joseph House, journeys for families with Father Amberger in the House of Families, Schoenstatt girls from Switzerland in House Sonnenau, boys from the Boys Youth from Switzerland in the Youth Center, spiritual exercises with partial fasting for women, as well as individual pilgrims from all the world. There was much life during this Holy Week and it will also continue like this during the week after Easter.
The Vigil of Holy Saturday began in the Adoration Church with priests from four countries – Germany, Switzerland, Argentina and Chile – at the altar and people from at least fifteen countries. The television station from Westerwald announced its presence in the ceremony of the Easter fire. "Why do people from so many countries come to this celebration?" asked the reporter when he heard phrases in Spanish, English, Polish and Swiss German. Because Schoenstatt is something like the heart or capital of the Schoenstatt International Movement. And although when the Easter Vigil ends there are no greetings in all the languages like in Rome, it is however "a wonderful experience to be in Schoenstatt during one of the greatest celebrations and it simply takes the international Family that is present here into its heart, although the language is not understood", explains Roberto Liñares, who came from Buenos Aires with his wife. And in the midst of an incoherent transmission by the television station about the Easter egg hunt, the games with colored Easter eggs, pop and other popular Easter customs, the ceremony of the blessing of the fire in Schoenstatt appeared, with an announcement that this is a symbol of the uncontainable joy and the strength that is given to the Christians every year, each new day, the resurrection of Christ.
Because Schoenstatt is always a prize
"Every ticket has a prize, because Schoenstatt is always a prize". On Easter Sunday there was not only the traditional Easter egg hunt for the children, but there was also an Easter raffle: each ticket cost one euro, and a prize was assured. The happy and committed vendors of the raffle tickets, the rich candies donated by the Edeka Kreuzberg Company from Koblenz, and the good cause that was behind all of this ( the "Sign of Light" House), encouraged many to buy more than one ticket. They needed a box or a bag to take their delicious prize home! Since it was so beautiful, on Easter Monday more tickets were sold; at the end of the day Sister Anne Meike announced the successful result: 500 euros were donated by the Pilgrims Center. The first 500 euros for the "Sign of Light" House.!"
A universal joyful Easter
In the Shrine of Belmonte, in Rome, Father Ludovico Tedeschi celebrated the Easter Vigil with the Schoenstatt Families of Italy.
The liturgy of the Passion of the Lord was celebrated for the first time in the Shrine of La Plata. Father Eduardo Lorenzo wanted to be present to share with all the Schoenstatt Family along with the Blessed Mother during this very special time. As every year, they accompanied Jesus and his Mother at the Shrine for the Stations of the Cross on Good Friday with prayers, meditations and songs. The Easter Sunday Holy Mass was also celebrated at the Shrine for the first time.
In Cordoba, a few days before Easter, two statues of Saint Joseph arrived for the two Shrines, the one at Villa Waracalde and the other for the center in Cerro de las Rosas. In the latter center, there was a triumphant entrance with a warm applause from the parishioners, during the Holy Mass of the Easter Vigil. The statues will be presented to the Schoenstatt Family during the Initial Journey of 2007 next weekend.
"Here in the Shrine, we also participated in a retreat and in the Holy Week celebrations. The retreat was preached by Father Luis Ramirez and many people attended. The talks were about the Eucharist, Sacramentum Caritatis, the apostolic exhortation of the Pope, says Gabriela Kyling. "My husband – Alberto Ferrando, who is a permanent deacon – was invited to participate in the CELAM Conference in Aparecida, Brazil. He will represent the permanent deacons from Chile. He will travel with the Jensens and other religious authorities. The invitation arrived from the Vatican and it was sent by Cardinal Re. You don’t know how happy we are. We know that the Holy Father will attend and it will be a wonderful time to meet him".
Translation: Celina Garza, Harlingen, TX /Barbara Brennan, USA