By your hand, Mother, toward the setting of the sun

About 10 thousand people participated in the 25^th Pilgrimage of the villages, from the wayside shrine of Hasenkampt to the Shrine of La Loma

Un grupo de Madres sella la Alianza el 15 de septiembre A groups of young mothers sealing the Covenant of September 15 Eine Gruppe junger Mütter schließt das Liebesbündnis am 15. September
Aliadas felices The new allies Sie strahlen um die Wette
Encuentro con el Padre Kentenich Encounter with Father Kentenich Begegnung mit Pater Kentenich
Alianza de Amor Covenant of Love Liebesbündnisfeier
Se prepara la 25° edición de la Peregrinación de los pueblos The 25th edition of the “Pilgrimage of the towns” is being prepared Die 25. Wallfahrt der Städte und Dörfer wird vorbereitet Fotos: Tita Ríos © 2007

ARGENTINA, Tita Ríos/mkf. An unending row of pilgrims with prayers and songs walked ninety kilometers, led by the Auxiliary MTA placed high upon a car with loudspeakers; it was decorated with flowers, ribbons, and cloths: The 25^th Pilgrimage of the People took place on October 19^th and 20^th, on the eve of Mother’s Day, with the motto: By your hand, Mother to where the sun sets…

On the eve of Mother’s Day the great gift that the Hasenkamp brothers gave the Blessed Mother was undoubtedly the 25^th Pilgrimage of the People that departed on Friday, October 19^th, from the Hansenkamp access road. Throughout the walk, which was almost postponed because of the rain – as is customary, the neighbors provided the people with bottles of water encouraging them to continue walking. At the moment of departure as well as when they arrived at Paraná, twenty-five canons were fired off as a tribute to the 25^th edition of this faith expression of this pilgrimage which is the longest one in South America.

This time, just like last year, the weather didn’t cooperate, but the showers that fell on Saturday morning didn’t stop the walkers, who hastened their steps. During the day there were great clouds in the sky threatening rain.

The media asked if the pilgrimage would be cancelled so they could inform the relatives. But the pilgrims continued to walk...About half of the pilgrims who had participated during the last two years, 2004-2006, when the rain caused the cancellation of the pilgrimage, participated this year. "There are many youth. This is an example for a society that does not value the youth," said Pablo enthusiastically. He’s a member of a group of the Saint Rafaela Mary Parish from the Lomas del Mirador II neighborhood.

We have arrived: thank you, Mother !

At the La Loma Shrine, everyone cooperated with the preparations to welcome so many pilgrims and on that afternoon they said that the prayers intensified and you could hear: "Manifest yourself, Queen, I can’t pray any more." Little girls prayed to Mary for the pilgrims and they were aware of the conditions: "Look Mother, the rain stopped, the sun is coming out." In Hasenkamp they prepared everything so the pilgrimage would go well, while the Schoenstatt Family at La Loma was in charge of welcoming the pilgrims – and accompanying them with prayers in the Shrine during their walk.

The first pilgrims arrived on the grounds about 6:00 p.m. after walking twenty-six hours. They slowly filled the Shrine; the encouragement and the songs helped to prepare the atmosphere to celebrate the Eucharist as the end of such a great event of faith. "Greetings and welcomes, sirens, applause, tears, embraces: we have arrived, She gave us the strength", thank you, Mother!" Many of those who walked in the pilgrimage had lumps in their throats. In the afternoon, the Archbishop of Paraná, Mario Maulión, presided at the closing Mass. The flags from Argentina and Uruguay were presented during the offertory as a sign of brotherhood and their presence in this pilgrimage. A jar with petitions and two vessels with dirt from Hasenkamp and the Shrine were carried by a couple who has participated since the pilgrimage originated and by a youth from the Eastern Republic of Uruguay, the places where they had united through Mary for twenty-five years.

Pocha Pasutti, the oldest member of the work team in Hasenkamp, commented: "I do not work like before, now it is only a grain of sand." But everyone considers her the soul and support in the many preparations that this large pilgrimage entails.

The Pilgrimage of the People began in 1983 through the initiative of Jorge Quiroz and Amelio Rodríguez, two young men from Hasenkamp, who belonged to the Movement, and over time thousands of pilgrims from the neighboring villages as well as people from the interior of the province of Paraná and neighboring provinces joined the pilgrimage.

With the collaboration of AICA, Catholic News Agency of Argentina

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