With your hand, Mother…to the heights

San Juan International conquering the Shrine

Subiendo... Climbing... Auf zur Höhe...
El camino en subida al anochecer It is getting dark... Es wird dunkel...
Amanecer en Sierras Azules Dawn at Sierras Azules Sonnenaufgang in den Sierras Azules
Ofreciendo las “cruces” para el Santuario Offering the “crosses” for the Shrine Die “Kreuze” des Lebens für das Heiligtum
Grupo entero del encuentro: chicos que escalaron y chicos que rezaron The entire group: youth that climbed the mountain, and youth who prayed Die komplette Gruppe: Jugendliche, die den Berg bestiegen, und die Beter im Tal
Jorgelina y Melisa Jordá junto a Tomas Peñaloza con la peregrina que subió a la cima Jorgelina and Melisa Jordá with Tomas Peñaloza and the Pilgrim MTA that was brought to the peak Jorgelina und Melisa Jordá mit Tomás Peñaloza und der Pilgernden Gottesmutter, die auf dem Gipfel war Fotos: Jorgá © 2008

ARGENTINA, Jogelina Jordá. "Modern technology is bringing people so close to each other, and the interweaving of destinies is manifested as never before in the history of the world. We are dizzily walking towards becoming a standard civilization and culture… We are moving towards an era in which the destiny of man will be closely interwoven as never before. It will be a catastrophe if we fail to lead this world anew to Christ," Father Kentenich said in 1947. It was very prophetic on the part of Father; he even taught Schoenstatters the advantage of using the media to unite the family even more and spread the Mission. If it weren’t for the Movement youth’s www.schoenstattyouth.com. website, the providential encounter of San Juan International would not have happened.

It was September when Yaitza Méndez (20) from Puerto Rico decided to go on vacation to San Juan, Argentina to visit her friends, sisters, Jorgelina Jordá (20) and Mlisa Jordá (18) she met on the web. There were also other web friends who wanted to join this visit: Federico Ferreira (27) from Uruguay and Nana Oshin (22) from Colombia. This was because they weren’t satisfied with just talking about Schoenstatt dreams and the mission spirit on MSN or the chat rooms. However, the trip that was only going to be a pleasure trip to the city of San Juan became a visit to conquer the issue of a Shrine. We have to do something for the Shrine! Because the San Juan family has all its branch groups formed, and it has been in the province for more than twenty-five years, but they still haven’t built the greatly desired Shrine.

A crazy idea

The idea was to take Mary some place where her absence was noticeable, and this was Sierras Azules (Blue Mountains), a favorite place in the diocese because every year during holy week, actually on Holy Saturday, more than 5,000 youth go up to experience the resurrection of Christ. Schoenstatters are especially sad because Mary’s presence is missing at this place. It was the right place, a gift for the Church! Stephanie Scarpinella from Italy, Pamela Ahumada, Constanza Muñoz from Chile, and seven youth from Cordoba: Lucas Montenegro, Tomás Peñaloza, Santiago Laguinge, Santiago Urrets, Dario Miller, Rosario Fierro and Gisela Freijo joined this "somewhat crazy" idea.

During this season in San Juan, many people decide to go far away on vacation, since the heat is oppressive, the weather is very dry, and the temperatures are about 43º C (109.4º F). They were warned about the geographic topography of the place and the great challenge of climbing those Blue Mountains. It wasn’t easy, and nothing changed their minds about their decision. They left their homes, their friends, and they spent their vacation joining the Mission of the Shrine.

A spiritual conquest

They arrived in San Juan on January 16th. Why did they come? Some of them weren’t quite sure, some felt the call, and others came with the aim of conquering the issue of the Shrine that hadn’t been conquered, yet others wanted to collaborate with the Schoenstatt Family. Each one had their reason for coming. But there was some unexpected news waiting for the youth; at the last moment, the police told them they didn’t have enough animals to carry all the materials for building the Wayside Shrine up there.

Therefore, there wasn’t another way since animals, people, or cable cars are the only ones who can reach that elevation. None of this discouraged them, because they had made many contributions to the Capital of Grace for this great work, and God did it His way. This group of youth saw all of this as providential, and they felt that Mary had expressed herself concretely, before the material conquest, she wanted a spiritual conquest.

The retreat was at the home of one of the girls from the Girls’ Youth, Cinti Phurdam. The home is located right at the base of the Blue Mountains so they good view of the great challenge that awaited them. The collaborator in the spiritual aspect was Alejandro Rodriguez a diocesan seminarian who gave talks about the conquest of the Shrine. He challenged them to deepen in thought about Mary needing the Capital of Grace in order to establish herself, and it was that kind of self-giving they would offer on the crusade. How did she want to educate them? Each one meditated silently about the contribution they would give Mary this year.

Something very curious happened, which the youth did not have in mind, but it was in God’s plan; this event began with Nana Oshin’s idea. She couldn’t make the trip and neither could Yaitza Mendéz or Federico from Uruguay who unfortunately because of health reasons couldn’t climb the mountains, so they united themselves to the youth by accompanying them with prayers as they were scaling the mountains.

Each one had a task

The Mission began at 8:00 p.m. nineteen youth went up along with a member of the Family Work, Juan Carlos Jordá (53),who had the great challenge of reaching the goal. Each one was chosen by the Blessed Mother to fulfill different tasks along the way. Those from Cordoba arrived quickly and they led the way with the flashlights, others served by helping those who were having trouble climbing, and others went last to ensure no one would be left behind.

The mountains aren’t easy to climb; the road is very steep, rocky, and precipitous. Some who started began to say: "I didn’t know it was like this, I don’t know if this is for me. What if I wait for you at the bottom?" And that was when the encouragement of the little angels, the youth also climbing, helped. They had drawn names, and each one was praying for the protection of one of their companions. It was not just the road, but also the weight each one was carrying along with a stone each had chosen to symbolically carry the cross of our lives for the glory of God.

The effort yielded its fruit

The first ones arrived in three hours and it took the last ones almost six hours. The effort was yielding fruit: at the top the sky full of stars awaited them, there was a breathtaking view of the city, and there was silence provided by nature. However, at four in the morning when the wind and the cold were felt among them, the Father of the Family Work, Juan Carlos, realizing how strong the wind was, decided to look for some branches for making a fire to keep them warm.

At dawn they prayed a rosary with the intention for the Blessed Mother to establish Herself in the Blue Mountains and in so doing, She would be loved as the great Mother of the Church. Then, they threw their stones, symbolizing their crosses, into the fire. At 8:00 a.m. it was time to depart. Now they were happy, they had less to carry and felt more encouraged to sing and converse with their climbing companions. At the bottom the youth who had been praying for them were waiting with a good lunch and they all had the opportunity to talk about their experiences. They ended, where the event had begun in front of the picture of the MTA, which belongs to the future San Juan Shrine in the Parish of Mercy, precisely on January 18^th.

In the end these youth were the fruit of January 20, 1942, part of that family that Father Kentenich desired based on the solidarity of destinies, strong in attachments, united to the same Mission, and aspiring for holiness. It was only three days the Blessed Mother sheltered them in her mantle, and she gave them guidelines for educating them during this new year of 2008. It was also in this way, that many said that this conquest had the graces of the Shrine, they felt that the mountains were a great "workshop of Mary." Each day Schoenstatt is surprised more and more by the family spirit, and as the youth said when they bade each other farewell at the station: the current of San Juan International is not finished, it is just beginning.

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