Man who participated in making 500 Pilgrim MTA’s that were blessed by Holy Father John Paul II present

Anniversary of the Wayside Shrine "Fountain of Grace" in Pigué, Argentina

Ermita de Pigüé Wayside shrine in Pigüé Bildstock in Pigüé
Durante la celebración During the celebration Bei der Feier
Durante la Misa During the Holy Mass Festliche Messe zum Dank
Misioneros y misioneras Missionaries from Pigüé Missionare aus Pigüé Fotos: Dora Coronel de Schwindt © 2007

ARGENTINA, Dora Coronel de Schwindt. The 14^th Anniversary of the "Fountain of Grace" Wayside Shrine was celebrated on May 1, 2007, in Pigué, Archdiocese of Bahía Blanca. It was especially touching to have present one of the men who was an instrument in making the first 500 Pilgrim MTA’s. Before the visit of Holy Father John Paul II in 1987, the Pilgrim MTA’s were made by inmates of the jail of Bahía Blanca.

The Celebration began with a procession from the Parish to the Wayside Shrine. On April 26^th, the Pérez Family brought one of the three new Auxiliary Pilgrim MTA’s from Carhué. The Auxiliaries came from Santa Maria, Brazil. The picture was brought in Mrs. Marta de Trech’s truck that she and Sara had decorated in a way worthy of the passenger, our Mother and Queen.

The songs and prayers of many devotees of the Blessed Mother reaffirmed their hope in Her. They arrived at the Wayside Shrine accompanied by Father Daniel Jany, the Fourneau’s, Miss Olavarría, from Coronel Dorrego, and four ladies from Carhué. Upon arriving at the Wayside Shrine, Father Daniel presided over the ceremony that began with the Covenant of Love, the renewal of the Covenant of Love, the crowning of the Pilgrim MTA’s, the consecration of a new missionary, and finally the renewal of commitment by the missionaries.

Father Daniel spoke about the importance of the Capital of Grace that is offered every year for Paso Mayor with awarding certificates in exchange for one peso and one Hail Mary. The offerings to the Capital of Grace were burned, and then the procession continued to Nazareth Chapel where Father Daniel celebrated the Eucharist. In the homily, he spoke about the "new man" which the Church needs for the difficult times in which we live where revolutions should not be with arms but with ideas.

The "new man" needed by the world of today

After the celebration everyone went to the hall in the Chapel to listen to a talk ‘JOAO PAOZZOBON, Disciple and Missionary of Jesus Christ." The presentation by Father Daniel and Mrs. Eda Fourneau was very interesting. Mrs. Fourneau told about Father Argemiro Ferracciolli’s visit to Argentina in November 2006, and the conferences he presented in the Don Bosco School in Bahía Blanca and in Paso Mayor. Between sips of herbal tea, Mrs. Fourneau talked about Father’s Argemiro’s first impression of Joao’s talks which he found boring, but when he was named postulator of the cause for canonization of Joao and he began to read everything Joao had done, his opinion of him changed; now he speaks about him with such great admiration that it enthuses everyone who hears him. Mrs. Fourneau defined and explained how to help the cause for canonization.

Among those present was Mr. Francisco Mayer, who helped in making the 500 Pilgrim MTA’s while he served a jail sentence in Bahía Blanca. The Holy Father John Paul II blessed the first of the Pilgrim MTA’s during his visit to Bahía Blanca in 1987. The Pilgrim MTA’s also represented the 500 years of evangelization in America and the task of accepting the challenge of the New Evangelization.

Mrs. Morón, from Carhué, shared the conclusions of a work carried out at the invitation of the Movement in Florencio Varela on behalf of the Latin American Conference of Bishops that took place in Brazil with the visit of Holy Father, Benedict XVI. Her contribution focused on the apostolate of the missionary towards the "new man." The first thing that we should change is our own attitude, without waiting for the others to change.

On the other hand, the invitation was extended to celebrate the 50^th Anniversary of the death of Father Maibach which will be held on November 19^th: "He was a man who passed silently among us, however through him we got to know Father Kentenich, Founder of the Movement. "

The event ended with a picnic where Father Daniel announced that he would be departing for Germany on July 4^th to work there. Good luck, and come home soon!

Translation: Celina Garza, Harlingen, TX, USA /amj