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El grupo 11 de la Obra Familiar de Costa Rica en la ermita, construida en el lugar del futuro Santuario Group 11 of the Schoenstatt Family Movement of Costa Rica at the wayside shrine, on the land of the future Shrine Gruppe 11 der Schönstatt-Familienbewegung von Costa Rica am Bildstock auf dem Gelände des zukünftigen Heiligtums |
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Momentos de oración Moments of prayer Im Gebet |
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Mater, te regalo mi flor... MTA, I give you my flower... Gottesmutter, eine Blume für dich… |
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Cumpleaños feliz – la torta de sorpresa Happy birthday – the surprise cake Herzlichen Glückwunsch – die Überraschungstorte |
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Los chapeadores de la Mater The landscpapers of the MTA Die Gärtner der MTA |
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Con flores a María... With flowers to Mary... Mit Blumen zu Maria… |
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La ermita, rodeada de velas y flores The wayside shrine, surrounded by candles and flowers Von Lichtern und Blumen umgeben Fotos: Ramirez © 2007 |
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COSTA RICA, Michelle Ramirez. The weather is changing in Costa Rica. The rainy season is changing into the dry season, the days are sunny and the greenery on the mountains is wonderful. The Couples Branch continues going on pilgrimage to the grounds of the future Shrine. They do not cease in conquering it and giving the Blessed Mother, who is already present in the Wayside Shrine, much love.
A group of men has taken it very seriously and they go twice a month to prune and cut the grass growing rapidly because of the weather. They are called "the landscapers" and they are from Couples Group 10, all of them live relatively close to the area!
Missionaries and those who receive the MTA through the Rosary Campaign also come with abundant contributions to the Capital of Grace, which they offer and burn in front of the Blessed Mother’s Wayside Shrine, and they cloak her with very beautiful flowers…
Happy birthday, Father Kentenich!
The visit of Group 11 was very special because of the double celebration on November 18th, according to Mariamalia Rodriguez, who said that they even took our Father a cake for his birthday.
"We celebrated the Covenant and Father Kentenich’s birthday in a special way and with hearts full of joy. The Blessed Mother gave us a spectacularly beautiful day, full of sunshine! All the little ones took flowers to the little Blessed Mother and you can’t imagine the depth of emotion as they went up one by one. We prayed, we sang, and we gave thanks for so many blessings! But the most beautiful gift and example was given by Group 11 of the Family Work; during our visit we saw the "Blessed Mother’s Landscapers" from Group 10 in action. They were perspiring and their hands were marked by the hard work. It was as wonderful to meet them as it was for them to welcome others and us. It’s great to meet people who give up their day off as a gift to the Blessed Mother by keeping her little house clean. There was so much positive energy that we could breathe the love of God and the Blessed Mother…"
Everything is happening with so much enthusiasm, like a little flame that does not go out; the illusion of the conquest does not diminish.
The Early Birds
There’s a new group: THE EARLY BIRDS of all ages; they come very early at 5:30 a.m, twice a month on Wednesdays to offer a rosary to the Blessed Mother on the same grounds, in front of the Wayside Shrine. Some of them bring hot chocolate and offer it to the children who also get up early to pray to Her before going to school. The current of the Dawnbreakers continues to be successful in Costa Rica with the consistent attendance of sixty to seventy men. Derek Monriol brought the inspiration to begin the Dawnbreakers from his visit to Schoenstatt at the beginning of the year 2007, when he heard a talk given by Father Claudio Martinez.
A family home
The Schoenstatt Family is also happy with the first house for Schoenstatt Headquarters. Now there are many meetings there, and the Monitor’s School is also held there. There are also meetings for the different Branches, videos about Father, testimonies full of life are contagious and are shared. The end of the school year in Costa Rica allowed many groups to have their celebration of joy at the Headquarters, including the children young adolescents, parents who decorated the house for Christmas. Everyone came with donations to give the warmth of a home to the house.
They hope to give the house more and more life. They have placed posters with photos on the walls; they have a bulletin board for news or activities. The person in charge is collecting photos of the people who have gone to a Shrine somewhere in the world, which they will be place in the shape of the Shrine. There is also a Little Schoenstatt Store, but it only has a few things because all the things that are brought are sold very fast! They will celebrate the Posadas, and they will gather around the huge Advent Wreath during the next four Sundays to pray before the birth of the Little Child Jesus.
In closing…much life is flourishing in Costa Rica, where we are anxiously hoping to invite the Blessed Mother to establish herself very soon in the first Shrine in Central America. Since so much life awaits her, could it be that She already has her bags ready to arrive?
Translation: Celina Garza, Harlingen, TX, USA /amj