All things are possible if we take her hand
The First Anniversary of St. Benjamin’s School’s Wayside Shrine in La Plata
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Primer aniversario de la ermita de la Escuela San Benjamín de La Plata First anniversary of the wayside shrine of the St. Benjamim School in La Plata Jahrestag der Weihe des Bildstocks in der St. Benjamin-Grundschule in La Plata Foto: Silvia Gaias © 2008 |
ARGENTINA, Silvia Gaias. April 18th the Wayside Shrine of St. Benjamin’s School in La Plata completed its first year. That day the primary level children met around the wayside shrine of the Virgin Mary and consecrated themselves to her, along with their teachers, professors, and directors as her little instruments.
The Wayside Shrine was a way of bringing the Shrine closer to the children, families, and the neighborhood who were all familiar with the visits of the Mother Thrice Admirable through the Pilgrim MTAs that pass through the homes, neighborhoods; there are many children at the school who as little missionaries bring the Pilgrim MTA to other children. The initiative for the Wayside Shrine’s construction began in March 2007 when the parish temple was renovated, and the education community was put under the Blessed Mother’s protection.
Where every day they can play and pray with the Mother of Heaven
The Wayside Shrine is located within the Catholic school of St. Benjamin’s Educational and Parochial community, in the Los Hornos’ neighborhood of La Plata, right in the heart of the parish, also called St Benjamin’s.
Primary school children in the third year receive Confirmation and in the foruth year, First Communion. Baptism and Confirmation are seen as the sacraments of initiation, and the Eucharist as the sacrament of full participation and of the great encounter with Jesus. The children have their first Confession or sacrament of Reconciliation during Lent at the beginning of classes in the third year; so during their second year they are prepared for this through working on related tasks with their relatives and teachers.
Together with their families, parents, and grandparents they have worked to prepare a garden for the Blessed Mother during beautiful sun-filled evenings.
They carried out a campaign so that children from other courses bring little plants, and by so doing, beautify the place where every day they will play and pray with the Mother of Heaven.
In 2009 the Primary School will celebrate fifty years, and on this occasion they want to
crown the Blessed Mother as Queen of the School and Home, to build a family Homeland, preparing this crowing giving the simple things from their daily work, the happy times, their efforts: All things are possible if we take her hand!