A Schoenstatt that sings of love

Meetings around the Original Shrine

Una guitarra compartida… A “shared guitar” Die Gitarre wird zwischen Argentinien und Spanien geschwisterlich geteilt
Família Ortiz, de Ciudad del Este The Ortiz`, from Ciudad del Este Familia Ortiz aus Ciudad del Este
Gonzalo Crespo, Fabrizio y Cristiana Usai en la Oficina de Prensa Gonzalo Crespo, Fabrizio and Cristiana Usai at the Press Office Gonzalo Crespo, Fabrizio und Cristiana Usai bei der Arbeit im PressOffice
Integrantes de la Juventud Femenina de Córdoba, Argentina, de visita en Schoenstatt Members of the Schoenstatt Girls’ Youth of Córdoba, Argentina, visiting Schoenstatt Schönstatt-Mädchenjugend aus Córdoba, Argentinien, in Schönstatt Fotos: POS Fischer © 2008

SCHOENSTATT, MKF. "A Schoenstatt that doesn’t have the enthusiasm and commitment that is typical of youth is not Schoenstatt. A vibrant Schoenstatt, that sings of love…" The person that made this comment is not young; rather it is an older person, eighty-five years of age. On Saturday, August 9^th, that "Schoenstatt that sings of love" could be experienced and heard again as youth from Argentina, Italy, and Spain united their songs and prayers in the international Rosary prayed and offered for the intentions of all Schoenstatt, the Church, and the world.

"We prayed for an eight year old little girl, Juliana Vásquez, who is in intensive care at Mar del Plata as a result of an accident. Her condition is very precarious…"writes Gonzalo Crespo, in one of the petitions that arrived at the Press Office. Between songs of love, the self-giving, and the Hail Marys that were ardently prayed, the Rosary is prayed; the bell of the Original Shrine tolls the Angelus, the youth continue praying and singing…And13,000 kms. away in Mar del Plata, the little Juliana opens her eyes and awakened from a coma. Alicia Bellone, from La Plata, Argentina, who received the petition and who sent it to Schoenstatt received the news one day later: "On Friday I asked for prayers for the desperate condition of Juliana, after the accident at Las Armas. On Saturday she came out of the coma and they removed the artificial respirator. Today she is in a room; she speaks and does not seem to have signs of cerebral edema. We thank the Blessed Mother and Father Kentenich who surely worked to save her. Thank you for your intercession and to those who offered their prayers…" Relatives and friends found out about the prayers from the audio on the Internet. After the song, the petition appears in Germany, for July, on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. (in Argentina). "It is touching…" a person writes.

The entire rosary, which was prayed in an atmosphere of internationality and "as a family" was touching and that was probably a tremendous joy for the MTA in the Original Shrine (Video)

The Pilgrim MTA takes the graces from the Shrine to the confines of the world!

The rosary in the Original Shrine was the highlight of a week of "mission vacations and retreats in Schoenstatt" for Fabrizio Usai, from Italy, his sister Cristiana, and Gonzalo Crespo, from Argentina, a member of the Mission Rome. Fabrizio and Gonzalo have worked throughout the week with much enthusiasm and commitment on a more accessible system (cms) and a new design for schoenstatt.de! One of the ideas that they have for the web page is that of showing the mission and the fruitfulness of Schoenstatt throughout the world. It will have a gallery of photos with the Pilgrim MTA in symbolic places (the China Wall, for example, the Vatican, at Tierra del Fuego or the Eiffel Tower), also some meaningful and touching places such as: jails, intensive care units, weddings, places of embarkment…The twenty-five best photos will appear in the gallery, so we invite everyone to send their photos to PressOffice@schoenstatt.de. The message is clear: the Pilgrim MTA takes the graces of the Shrine to the confines of the world!

On Saturday morning, Gonzalo, Cristiana, and Fabrizio made a pilgrimage in the footsteps of Father Kentenich in the Diocese of Cologne, at the Benedictine monastery, Michaelsberg, in Siegburg, where Father Kentenich presented a spiritual retreat, Children before God, to the Benedictine Community during the 1930’s. Father also visited a diocesan priest who began to spread Schoenstatt in the city. Thanks to a story from Sister Annette Nailis, the youth learned that Father Kentenich always had time for everyone, and that his first questions were not about tasks that were accomplished or things that were learned; rather, his paternal questions were: "How are you? Are you hungry? Are you thirsty?"

Days of multiple visits

Youth and professionals from Spain spent a few days of vacation and retreat at Schoenstatt, while at the Father Joseph Kentenich Farm the families from Austria and Portugal took turns.

There was a surprise on Wednesday, August 13^th: the Ortiz couple of the Family Federation from Ciudad del Este, Paraguay along with their son, who is participating in a scholastic exchange in Germany, arrived at Schoenstatt. Lena Barros de Ortiz translates Reflections of Father Nicolas into Portuguese – thanks to her, and the commitment of Javier Cabral. These reflections reach many people in Brazil and Portugal; as well as the rest of the world of Spanish, German, and English speakers.

This weekend the week of preparation for the Night at the Shrine began; this event will take place from August 22^nd to 24^th. About thirty youth are presently in Schoenstatt preparing the program, the atmosphere, and all the other details!

• Video/Audio of the Rosaro

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