A very special Covenant Day

The anniversary of that July 18, 1914…experienced in Schoenstatt

Misa de Alianza; celebrante principal: P. Egon Zillekens Covenant Mass; main celebrant was Fr. Egon Zillekens Bündnismesse; Hauptzelebrant war Rektor Egon Zillekens
Procesión al Santuario Original Procession to the Original Shrine Prozession zum Urheiligtum
Seminaristas de Nigeria Seminarians from Nigeria Studenten aus Nigeria
Jóvenes de México con el P. Juan Ignacio, y la Hna. M. Lourdes Youth from Mexico , with Fr. Juan Ignacio, and Sister Lourdes Jugendliche aus Mexiko mit P. Juan Ignacio und Schwester Lourdes
Jóvenes de México, Brasil, y Chile con el P. Pablo Pol y el P. Juan Ignacio Youth from Mexico , Brazil , and Chile , with Fr. Pablo Pol, and Fr,. Juan Ignacio Jugendliche aus Mexiko, Brasilien und Chile mit P. Pablo Pol und P. Juan Ignacio Fotos: POS Fischer © 2008 Álbum de fotos – photo album – Fotoalbum

SCHOENSTATT, MKF/Xenia Schmidlin. Recently it was announced that on October 19, 2008, the Holy Father, Benedict XVI, would go on pilgrimage to the Shrine of the Queen of the Rosary in the Pompeii Valley, near Naples in southern Italy. It was ninety-four years ago on July 18, 1914, when Father Joseph Kentenich read a newspaper article about the same Marian pilgrimage place in Italy that was born rooted in the trust, giving of self, the prayer and commitment of lawyer, Bartolo Longo, and his followers. A restlessness emerged in him: Could this be possible…? Three months later, the "old Saint Michael Chapel" in the Schoenstatt Valley was transformed into the Shrine of Our Mother Thrice Admirable of Schoenstatt, or the Original Shrine, that today is surrounded by almost 200 daughter Shrines, and thousands of Wayside Shrines and Home Shrines on almost all continents. July 18, ninety-four years later, began with Holy Mass celebrated in the Original Shrine by Father Theo Breitinger with special texts dedicated for contemplation on the Covenant of Love as a renewal of the Covenant of God with his people.

Before the blessing, he prayed for abundant graces for everyone, who will renew their Covenant of Love on this day in a Shrine or Wayside Shrine, and by so doing will join this large spiritual pilgrimage of people to the source of graces, the Original Shrine.

During the Covenant Mass, which was celebrated as always at 7:30 p.m., the main celebrant, Father Egon Zillekens, greeted a large community from many of the communities and many countries and nations in three different languages. A group from the Family Federation provided songs and music. The Australian flag reminded everyone of World Youth Day in Sydney, Australia, just a few hours from its climax, the vigil and Holy Mass with the Holy Father. Father Egon Zillekens invited everyone to unite spiritually with the youth in Australia on their journey, which will probably contribute more to world peace than many meetings at the United Nations…

Every 18^th at Schoenstatt is a small World Youth Day

The procession to the Original Shrine, demonstrated that every 18^th at Schoenstatt is like a small "World Youth Day" –which is not composed of youth but rather of "youthful hearts." There were not only pilgrims from Germany; there were also pilgrims from Mexico, Italy, Argentina, Chile, Nigeria, Burundi, South Africa, Kenya, Switzerland, Poland, Brazil, India, the Philippines, Slovakia, Spain, … In the Original Shrine, we heard part of the Founding Document of October 18^th and then, united to all of you who are gathered around the different Shrines and Wayside Shrines around the world, we renewed the Covenant of Love, each one in his own language. A point to be meditated on in depth is that every day thousands of people of every culture and language unite in this prayer…and in a special way on every 18^th.

While some remained in a long line to enter the Original Shrine, others went to the bonfire, where the Capital of Grace in the jars from all the Schoenstatt Shrines was burned. The Schoenstatt Fathers’ Nigerian seminarians transported us to Africa with their songs and dances filled with love and enthusiasm in faith…We extend a cordial and energetic invitation to accompany them during their time of formation at Schoenstatt; their milestone will be the diaconate ordination on August 31^st in the Adoration Church, to which everyone is invited!

The usual greetings and exchanges began with the sound of the songs and dances. What a joy it was for the youth from Mexico, who are here in Schoenstatt as volunteers, to meet not only "their" Sister Lourdes; but also, "their" Father Juan Ignacio (who were both participating in their terciate in Schoenstatt)!

Ice Cream for the 18^th

It is interesting how people meet in Schoenstatt who have never seen each other in their own country. That is what happened to Xenia Schmidlin this July 18^th, when she recently arrived at Schoenstatt to participate in a practicum of five weeks at the Press Office and she met the Ruggli family, who like her, are also Swiss. Close to the lighted pyre, Father Zillekens – the Rector of House Marienau – met them, and Maria (the Ruggli’s daughter) said there should be ice cream. Ice cream? Well, some thought maybe there is no ice cream at House Marienau (where the family is spending their vacation), when in fact there was ice cream but for a totally different reason: previously Father Zillekens and Maria had made a bet, in which ice cream was the reward…He had said that his homily would last ten minutes or less, and Maria of course, bet the contrary. Both were convinced of winning, they paid attention during the homily; Father Zillekens controlled himself, and Maria followed the homily, watch in hand. The result: the homily was extended by four and one half minutes more than the ten minutes promised, so Maria had won the bet. After a detailed explanation by Father Zillekens about his preference for Magnum ice cream, Johanna, who works at House Sonnenau during here vacation time, told him that they had that brand of ice cream at Sonnenau. Very naturally Father Zillekens invited the whole family along with Johanna and Xenia to Sonnenau, if and when, Johanna could find the Magnum ice cream. And as a reward just for being present at the right time and place, a Sister of Mary could also share in this delicacy at the end of Covenant Day.

 Gratitude

In light of the Covenant and during this busy month of July, we contemplated with much gratitude … the reception of the tunic by twenty-seven seminarians of the Schoenstatt Fathers in Tuparenda, Paraguay, on July 12^th, the large pilgrimage from Burundi to Rwanda with the Third International Auxiliary MTA and the beginning of the Rosary Campaign, the World Youth Day with the blessed encounter with the Holy Father for thousands of youth, and on July 9^th a group of Sisters from Argentina began Adoration in the Original Shrine (three Sisters from Brazil had done this for three years). The enormous gratitude experienced in Argentina as stated by a missionary from there:

"We experienced 120 terrible days in my country and there was much suffering!!! Last night this Revolution, which divided the laborers from their government, was discussed in the Senate, and finally the country’s Vice President had to break the tie, and the resolution was rejected." Evidently the prayers of many, many people from the length and breadth of the country and beyond were heard on this day by the MTA, whose presence was felt in the midst of the tents that were set up on the square in front of Congress and who in a prominent showed up (in two pictures!) at the only tent set up by the farmers.

All of this and everything else that was experienced and offered during this month in the Shrines and Wayside Shrines of the world was taken tonight to the Original Shrine, the source of grace par excellence as a sign of gratitude, uniting all the family in the Covenant of Love!

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