Rome Is Truly an Open Shrine

Third Anniversary of "The Shrine for All of Us" in Belmonte, Rome

La casa, casi lista... The house, almost ready Das Haus, eigentlich fertig...
Vista del Santuario desde la casa View of the Shrine from the house Blick aufs Heiligtum vom Haus aus Fotos: Nuño © 2007
Interior del Santuario In the Shrine Im Heiligtum Foto: POS Fischer © 2007

ITALY, Sr. M. Fernanda Balán. The third anniversary of the blessing of the Matri Ecclesiae Shrine at the International Schoenstatt Center in Rome: September 8^th, feast day of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, was the third anniversary of the blessing of the Shrine by Cardinal Ruini. Many bishops, priests and members of the international Schoenstatt Family were present. This Shrine is located in the – barrio Casalotti – which is an area that was visited by Father Kentenich in 1965. For many years, this was a place of dreams, prayers and hopes that some day the promise of the entire Family would be fulfilled: to build a Shrine in Rome, the Shrine of love for the Church.

The day of blessing will forever be remembered by the unending procession of jars offered by almost all of the Shrines in the world. Within three years of this event, the MTA has fulfilled, with great interest, the petitions made at that time: a Schoenstatt Family has been born in Italy and grows without stopping….. A fourth national conference took place in Belmonte on September 9^th.

Sister M. Fernanda Balán, a Brazilian, has been working in Belmonte for one year now. She and Fr. Ludovico Tedeschi were speakers at the conference. She shared with Schoenstatt.de the experience of her first months living in Belmonte.

Time belongs to God

Everyone wishes that the construction projects in Belmonte would be completed more quickly, but everything progresses very slowly….. The Shrine has been in existence for three years, and although the Casa d’Alleanza (house of the Covenant) – in the rough –will house the caretaker family, a Sister of Mary, and some other people, has been completed for two years now, the permission to inhabit the house has not been granted. The grounds around the Shrine and a large part of the area are very beautiful; however, still needed is place for people to gather since the sacristy is very small and the building in the lower area is being used as a warehouse and has bathrooms.

For three years now, the families from the Schoenstatt Family Institute have alternated in taking care of the Shrine and its surroundings. They have done this with a great deal of love, a spirit of sacrifice and with efficiency. Deserving a special "thank you" are Nivaldo and Teresinha Abram. They began "from nothing" with no house or car while everything was just in the beginning stages. They left a beautiful beginning with special contacts, especially with the parish and with the beginning of the Schoenstatt Rosary Campaign of the Pilgrim Mother Thrice Admirable, Queen and Victress of Schoenstatt.

Francisco and Anneliese Nuño and I try to continue what was begun, speeding up the arrangements and advancing a bit more each day out of love for the mission of our dear Mother and Victress. With enthusiasm, we try to spread the message of Schoenstatt. In gratitude we can say that Blessed Mother attracts her children and brings her instruments together. Many groups of visitors from various parts of the world come on pilgrimage to the Shrine. They bring with them priests and Sisters of Mary, missionaries (coordinators) from the Campaign of the Pilgrim Mother and members of the Movement belonging to the great Schoenstatt Family. The number of missionaries (coordinators) of the Campaign increases, not only in the local parishes, but also in the neighboring districts of Rome like Riano, Monte Rotondo….. They also grow in depth because we have monthly meetings of formation in Belmonte. The number of Italian visitors also increases (especially Romans). Also increasing is the number of persons who participate in Holy Mass, the Rosary, novenas and other initiatives whether they are promoted by the parish or directly by the Shrine.

Life around the Shrine

Regularly, there is a weekly Holy Mass in the Shrine and almost weekly it is concelebrated by two or three Schoenstatt priests or fathers or other priests who are sympathizers of Schoenstatt. Some are studying in Rome, for example, Fr. Alberto (Colombian), Fr. Felipe (Mexican), Fr. Anthony (Nigerian). The three of them belong to the Institute of Schoenstatt Priests. Fr. Ludovico (Schoenstatt Father from Argentina) works hard for the foundation of the Movement in all of Italy and, of course, also in Belmonte. With four community brothers, they form an affiliation in Rome and recently received a parish in the Trastévere area which neighbors the Cor Ecclesiae Shrine. This is at the house of the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary. There is also Fr. Rafael from the Federation of Schoenstatt Priests. In addition to them, there are other priests who stop by wanting to celebrate Holy Mass in the Shrine. Every Thursday we have two hours of adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. The Rosary and the renewal of the little consecration to Mary are prayed daily with a varied number of people. Life awakens more life!

Although we do not have the official permission, we already use some of the areas of the house for small meetings and gatherings. The roads are still rustic and everything in and around the house is somewhat precarious. We are anxious to move in, to settle definitely. We need that "She who unties knots" may free us from the entanglement so that the city can permit us to inhabit the house and thus have the necessary areas for meetings, confessions, some shelter and especially some tranquility. In Rome, everything regarding building and permits is very complicated. The Nuño couple lives about three kilometers from the Shrine and I live almost ten kilometers away at the house of the Sisters at the Vía Aurelia Antica. Nevertheless, we continue hopeful: what is most important is to have people in the Shrine which is our treasure and the throne of the Queen and Victress. Blessed Mother attracts and renews hearts. She shelters them and She transforms them.

Called to found Schoenstatt in Italy

Meanwhile, we have become aware of many initiatives undertaken in Italy in relation to the Schoenstatt Work. Now the apostolic task is to get more organized systematically. With the increase and the formation of missionaries (coordinators), with the visits of the pilgrims to the Shrines and other initiatives, with the participation in Holy Mass and novenas, the first nuclei of the different branches of the Schoenstatt Movement come forth; such as the Apostolic League, male and female youth groups, groups for families (couples) and mothers. We owe a great deal to the efforts of our Brazilian Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary from Cittá della Piave…..to the priestly care of Fr. Ludovico Tedeschi who really outdoes himself tirelessly and ardently so that the Schoenstatt Family forms and increases and organizes through the growth of life in the Covenant of Love with our Mother and Queen of Schoenstatt. Fr. Ludovico is an Argentinian and the son of Italian parents; therefore, he totally identifies with the Italian style in his way of being and acting. He is a "true Italian!" For decades, his mother is a part of the mothers branch in La Plata, Argentina and is the untiring translator of the Italian edition of Schoenstatt.de

We are forming a good work team – mature, united and autonomous – with the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary (Cittá della Piave, Belmonte and also those from the Cor Ecclesiae Shrine), the Schoenstatt Fathers coordinated by Fr. Ludovico (who is the director of the Movement in Italy), and lay people from various states of life. The team also includes pilgrims and visitors to the Shrines in general. How beautiful it is to transmit and confirm that life is born and grows, that it is nourished and increases in a world with so many anxieties and discords! In general, the Italians are open, religious, affectionate and very generous. They are also very Marian. How many niches with the Madonna along the ways and byways! Rome is truly an open Shrine! I really liked this expression which I heard a few days ago. We prepared for the third anniversary of the Matri Ecclesiae Shrine in Belmonte. It was the fourth national conference of the Italian Schoenstatt Family. We expected five hundred persons, largely from the missionaries (coordinators) from the Schoenstatt Rosary Campaign of the Pilgrim MTA.

The motto for the conference was : "My heart for you, Mother and Queen of the Family." Fr. Ludovico and I gave the talks on the family and on Mary. Dozens of missionaries (coordinators) for the Pilgrim MTA sealed their Covenant of Love and the Holy Mass was celebrated by Bishop Ignacio Sanna, Archbishop of Oristano in Sardinia and a member of the Institute of Schoenstatt Diocesan Priests. There was a great tent to house everyone. On this day, also participating were the members of the general council for the Institute of Schoenstatt Diocesan Priests who are responsible for the International Schoenstatt Center in Belmonte.

Schoenstatt was born in Germany but has a large number of Italian elements: the image of our MTA (the painter was Italian); St. Vincent Pallotti was also an Italian priest; Pompei – whose shrine inspired Father Kentenich – is in Italy, etc. When the Italians who have been introduced to Schoenstatt become aware of this, they react with a great deal of joy and gratitude.

Smallness of the instruments, magnitude of the difficulties – but especially – greatness of the success

I believe that by what has been said, it is partly sensed that all that occurs in Italy, as far as Schoenstatt goes, we owe to our Mother Thrice Admirable, Queen and Victress of Schoenstatt. We are truly very small instruments, but the more empty we are of ourselves, the more God and Blessed Mother can do. Difficulties are not lacking! Therefore, with the faith and hope of our Father and Founder, we will truly be able to "move mountains" and understand in depth the hearts who are thirsty and hungry for God in this third Millennium, "…..until the world, a sea of flames, burns to the glory of the Trinity"(HEAVENWARDS, American Edition, p. 131).

Original: Portuguese

Translation: Carlos Cantú Family Federation La Feria, Texas USA 100607