You guys must be totally happy…

Reception of the Sion tunic in Tuparenda, Paraguay

Gran expectación... Moments of expectation Gespannte Erwartung
Aquí estoy... Here I am, Lord... Ich bin bereit!
La túnica de Sión es la vestimenta litúrgica de la Comunidad de los Padres de Schoenstatt. The Sion tunic is the liturgical cloth of the Schoenstatt Fathers Das Sionsgewand ist das liturgische Gewand der Schönstatt-Patres, Ausdruck ihrer Berufung
Hinchada de España Fans from Spain Die spanische Fankurve
Momentos de emoción Emotional moments Gratulation
Hinchada de Brasil Fans from Brazil Brasilien vor! Fotos: Javier Cabral © 2008 Álbum de fotos – photo album – Fotoalbum

PARAGUAY, Javier Cabral. "You guys must be totally happy…" This was part of the homily given by Father Juan Pablo Catoggio, Regional Superior of the Schoenstatt Fathers in Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay, during the ceremony of reception of the tunic of the Iberian-American course of the novitiate of the Schoenstatt Fathers. Twenty-seven novices from nine countries received the Sion tunic on July 12, 2008. The celebration was attended by twenty-four Schoenstatt Fathers accompanied by more than 400 foreign guests from Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Chile, Ecuador, Spain, the United States, and Mexico, to accompany the twenty-seven novices on this very important day in their lives.

Many families from Paraguay were also present, working hard so that everyone would feel welcome. This day, so long dreamed of by these twenty-seven young men on their way to the priesthood, dawned bright and sunny.

Stolen tunics…

Father Cattogio told a story about a king who was very sad and who wanted to be happy. One of his counselors told him that if he wore the shirt of a happy man he would be happy. So he sent his counselors throughout the kingdom to find a happy man, but they returned empty-handed and discouraged. As they were returning along the edge of the road they suddenly heard, "I’m so happy…!" They quickly found the person who uttered this astounding claim. He explained to them that he always happy...but he did not have a shirt. Fr. Catoggio stressed that happiness is an interior attitude that can’t be worn. He went on to add that if the king’s counselors passed through Tuparenda at this moment, they would surely steal twenty- seven tunics. Later in his homily, he pointed out that God was not stealing their sons. There were some tears seen among the groups of relatives sitting in the front pews.

Is this the Euro Cup? Are Brazil… Argentina…Chile playing?

When I arrived, I a saw a group of people waving the Spanish flag. Thinking I had made a mistake and instead of attending the reception of the tunic, I had stumbled across a Euro Cup game. Walking a little further on, I saw about fifty people with Brazilian flags tied around their necks or wrapped around their heads. "Brazil must be playing a soccer game," I thought. Still further up, I met a group of people with Argentinean flags on their backs. "I suppose Brazil and Argentina are playing," I thought to myself. But then, I saw a Chilean flag next to a poster announcing: Reception of the Tunic 2008.

With all the soccer fans in sight, I said to myself, "Even though it doesn’t look like it, this must be the right place."

Presentation of the tunic

After the homily, the novices, appropriately attired, sat in one of the front pews. Going forward one by one as they were called, they each responded loudly and clearly, "Here I am," and they approached the steps of the Tuparenda Shrine, where by groups, they received the recently blessed tunics.

Taking their time in the Father Corner

The novices walked toward our Founder and Father’s corner, a special niche dedicated to

Father Kentenich to the right side of the Shrine, where some of the Schoenstatt Fathers and members of the Boys’ Youth, wearing dark suits, waited to assist them. It was an emotionally protracted time as the novices removed their coats and ties and put on the alb. In fact it was such a long time that the Novice Master, Father Francisco Pistilli, finally had to go call them, telling them that just a few feet away, the celebrants and all those in attendance waited and waited….

A warm applause broke out as the novices returned wearing their white tunics and lined up in front of the altar. Then they sat in the seats prepared for them so the pews where they had been sitting were now empty…but not for long. Soon other young men will say, "yes," to Mary and form new courses.

May it be God’s will

Holy Mass continued, and people were getting impatient to embrace the novices in their tunics. Father Francisco announced that they would spend some time inside the Shrine to greet and to read a letter to the Blessed Mother. And then, if God wills, relatives and friends may then greet their novices and go celebrate. Everyone cheered loudly at this. After the Mass several groups of artist offered the people a beautiful program that concluded with a delicious barbeque.

A "Brazilian" reception of the tunic

During a previous reception of tunics, the Argentineans won the trophy for being the best fans. They were well organized, some had fireworks, flags, songs, etc., which overwhelmed the others. But this time, it seems that they sat on their laurels.

According to earlier surveys, the indication was that the Chileans fans were going to be overwhelming because of Father Miguel Kast’s arrival with a bus full of youth. They sat to the right, dominating the stage. To make themselves more noticeable they began with a moderate "Chi, chi, chi, le, le, le, le —viva Chile…" and as if by magic, many Brazilian flags emerged, and there were adhesive banners for the Brazilian novices. Members of the Brazilian Boys Youth wore t-shirts and copied the Chilean rhyme with loud a "Brazil, Brazil!…" From then on, it was the Brazilian fans - with more than one hundred members from Sao Paulo, Londrina, Cornelio Procopio, Sao Bernardo, and Porto Alegre – who notoriously dominated! This course has six Brazilian novices, an all-time record, which is why they had so many fans.

The Argentinean fans tried some little songs, but they didn’t quite manage to take the stage, maybe next time. The other countries – Spain, Uruguay, Mexico, Paraguay, Ecuador, USA… each made noise, but nothing compared to that of Brazil. So the other countries need to get better-organized next time. With this vocation boom, they will surely have other opportunities.

During the ceremony for the receiving of the tunic and in addition to the many friends and relatives, around 500 youth participated from different countries, all encouraged their friends who made the decision to follow and to give themselves totally to God… this gives hope. Those who say that the youth are lost…surely weren’t at the ceremony for the receiving of the tunic of the Schoenstatt novices.

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