Sunflower seeds in the shadow of the Shrine

Holy Week at the Matri Ecclesia Shrine, Rome

Procesion de palmas en Belmonte Palm procession from the Shrine to the parish church Palmprozession vom Heiligtum zur Pfarrkirche
Jovenes universitarios italianos plantan semillas de girasol en Belmonte Students from Rome planting sunflower seeds Römische Studenten pflanzen Sonnenblumensamen
Joven universitaria después de recibir la primera comunión en Belmonte Student after receiving first holy communion in Belmonte Studentin nach dem Empfang der Erstkommunion in Belmonte Fotos: Francisco Nuño © 2008

ROME, Francisco Nuño. Holy Week at the Matri Ecclesia Shrine in Rome began with a retreat for Italian university students who spent three days at Belmonte and who had been stayed at Covenant House near the Shrine. Their retreat culminated with planting sunflower seeds in the shadow of theShrine. The Palm Sunday procession from the Shrine to the nearby parish of St. Rufina and Segunda also called St. Gemma’s Church was made with great joy and abundant faithfulness.

A group of university students had their three-day retreat with Father Ludovico at Covenant House near the Shrine. Their final activity for their retreat involved plantingsunflower seeds in the shadow of the Shrine.

On Sunday evening in the Shrine, the day the feast of Saint Joseph liturgy was celebrated this year, one of the students made her First Communion, a step prior to her Confirmation, which will happen soon in her parish.

The parish of St. Gemma initiated the Holy week celebration at the Shrine with the blessing and procession of the palms and olives. Meanwhile in St. Peter’s Square with thousands of pilgrims, the Holy Father celebrated the Palm Sunday liturgy, and at Belmonte the parish priest celebrated along with numerous parishioners and friends.After the blessing of the palms at the Shrine, the procession headed for the parish church.

Families from Austria in Rome

Also in Rome, there was a Schoenstatt group of married couples from Austria. The Family Academy of Austria, made up of approximately forty people, had wanted to have a few days for reflection and study in Rome and especially at Belmonte. They came to the Shrine on Tuesday, the 18^th, to join the Italian Schoenstatt family celebrate Covenant Day and to have a few meetings at Covenant House.

Easter Sunday early in the morning brought ten seminarians of the Schoenstatt Fathers who hours earlier had been the choir for the Easter Vigil in Schoenstatt. They will be in Rome this week prior to returning to Latin America.

Translation: amj, USA