This weekend at Schoenstatt…

Blessed Mother’s Birthday, Illuminated Rosary in Schoenstatt, Rosary Workshop for children in Buenos Aires, Conference for the Italian Schoenstatt Family

El Santuario de Lourdes The Shrine in Lourdes El Santuario de Lourdes Foto: Archiv © 2008
Afiche del taller de rosario en Buenos Aires Poster for the rosary workshop in Buenos Aires Einladung zur Rosenkranz-Werkstatt in Buenos Aires Foto: Alais © 2008
El Santuario de Belmonte cumple 4 años Fourth anniversary of the Shrine in Belmonte Das Heiligtum in Belmonte wird vier Jahre alt Foto: Sr. Fernanda © 2008
Mons. Errázuriz cumple 75 años Cardinal Errázuriz celebrates his 75th birthday Kardinal Errázuriz wird 75 Foto: CELAM © 2008
Rosario Iluminado en Schoenstatt Illuminated Rosary in Schoenstatt Lichter-Rosenkranz in Schönstatt Foto: Fischer © 2008
Entierro de las niñas fallecidas en Chile Funeral of the girls who died in the bus accident in Chile Beisetzung der in Chile ums Leben gekommenen Mädchen Foto: Colegio Cumbre © 2008

SCHOENSTATT, MKF. On Saturday September 6^th at 5:30 p.m., the rosary will again be prayed in the Original Shrine in Spanish and Portuguese; again many people will unite spiritually to this prayer from their Shrines, wayside shrines and Home shrines. United in the Covenant of Love, we will pray for the intentions of everyone who sent their petitions to the Original Shrine, as well as for all the activities taking place around the Original Shrine and the other Shrines of the world.

Once more we will pray for the little girls who died in a terrible bus accident in northern Chile; what those who prayed for them last Saturday, with great emotion, did not know was that fifteen year old Bernardita was a member of the Schoenstatt Girls’ Youth, and in June, she and her parents, who also belong to the Movement, visited Schoenstatt. Her parents chose her from among all her siblings, to accompany them on their trip to Schoenstatt…

Illuminated rosary in Schoenstatt

We also pray for her, the other children, and their families during the Illuminated Rosary that will take place in the Adoration Church at 4:00 p.m. A few weeks ago, a well-known German publisher published a new book about the feasts of the Blessed Mother and the months dedicated to her, the months of May and October. The book contains texts for the Feast of the Holy Rosary and the month of October, written meditations for the Illuminated Rosary that were written by the missionaries from Germany! The Illuminated Rosary began in Argentina, in the Schoenstatt Rosary Campaign, it is becoming more and more popular in Germany beyond Schoenstatt, but this would not be possible without the commitment of the small group of the Professional Branch, who discovered it and spread it, and who offer an Illuminated Rosary at least every two months at Schoenstatt. The next rosaries will be on October 12^th and 18^th.

Rosary workshop… and "One million children"

On September 5^th at 5:00 p.m., there will be another Rosary Workshop for children at the Confidentia Shrine in Buenos Aires. Grace Alais, a missionary of the Rosary Campaign who initiated these workshops writes: "The Blessed Virgin Mary and the Child Jesus invite the children from kindergarten and elementary school to a workshop: I grow closer to Mary when I play. During the workshop, the children will learn how to pray and to meditate on the mysteries of the Holy Rosary through different activities." After the activities and games based on the Rosary, everyone will go to the Shrine where they will pray the Sorrowful Mysteries, and meditate on what Jesus tells us in each of the mysteries; they will also pray for the intentions of the children. We will sing a song chosen by the children at each one of the Mysteries. All the children who play a musical instrument will accompany the songs. At the conclusion of the Holy Rosary, we will pray one Our Father, A Hail Mary and a Glory Be, for the intentions of the Holy Father, Benedict XVI. Furthermore, the children will learn to pray for peace with and for the children of the whole world. Grace Alais invites everyone to join the initiative of "One million children praying the Rosary which will take place on October 18^th at 9:00 a.m. in Nigeria, and Guatemala, in Argentina and Venezuela, Portugal and Italy…and also thanks to the Polish children who live in Germany, in the Original Shrine!

For more information about the "One million children praying the rosary": www.million-kids-praying.net

Let us accompany the Pope…

On the occasion of the 150^th Anniversary of the Apparition of the Blessed Mother to St. Bernadette, the International Marian Pontifical Academy will hold the 22^nd International Congress of Mariology beginning on September 4^th at Lourdes. This will also serve as a preparation for the Pope’s Apostolic Visit to Lourdes. The Congress is framed in the atmosphere of the celebration commemorating the apparitions of the Blessed Mother to Saint Bernardette. The specific theme for the gathering of experts that will be developed until the 8^th of September is: The apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary in history, faith, and theology. The Congress will have a series of general conferences about the proposed theme, and then there will be contributions from the different Mariology societies that will present the most diverse aspects of Mariology in depth. These Congresses, celebrated in the name of the Holy Father and approved by the Holy See, represent an ecclesial event of great importance, because of its international character, for its scientific value, and because of the great number of presenters that will exceed a hundred. Schoenstatt representatives will also be among the participants. On September 13^th a Mariology Congress will begin in Schoenstatt.

This week the Holy Father will visit Paris and Lourdes. In France, 150,000 people are expected for the Papal Mass at Les Invalides Esplanade on September 12^th. The Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, will be in Lourdes from September 13^th to 15^th at the Marian Shrine, which recently celebrated its 150^th Anniversary of the Apparitions of the Blessed Mother to Bernadette Soubirous in 1858.

Mary’s Birthday – anniversary of the blessing of the Shrine at Belmonte

On September 8^th, we will celebrate the birth of Mary along with the entire Church: the celebration contains the joy of the pre-messianic announcement. The homily presented by Saint John Damasceno (675-749) on September 8^th at the Basilica of Saint Anne is famous: "May all people, men of every race and place, of every era or condition, joyfully celebrate the birth of the joy of all the Universe. We have very valid reasons to honor the birth of the Mother of God, from whom the entire human race was restored, and the sadness of the first mother, Eve, has been transformed into joy. She heard the divine sentence: in pain shall you bring forth children. (Genesis 16). Mary, on the contrary, was told: "Rejoice, full of grace! Oh, happy couple, Joachim and Anne, all creation is obliged to you! Through you, in effect, creation offered the Creator the best of all the gifts, or may that august Mother be, the only one that was worthy of the Creator…" We can paraphrase the poetry of Saint John Damasceno, by saying: Oh happy Original Shrine, the present world is obliged to you. Through you, Mary travels anew the roads of our world to prepare the way for the Lord…"

On September 8^th, we will celebrate the blessing of the Matri Ecclesiae Shrine in Belmonte, Rome with all the Schoenstatt family. The Italian Schoenstatt Family will represent all of us at its great Family Conference that will be held on September 7^th.

Cardinal Errázuriz celebrating his 75^th birthday

The Auxiliary Bishops from Santiago invite all the faithful of the Archdiocese to a Mass to celebrate the 75th Birthday of their Archbishop, Cardinal Francisco Javier Errázuriz Ossa, a member of the Institute of Schoenstatt Fathers, which he will preside at the Metropolitan Cathedral.

Religious, priests, members of ecclesial movements and the lay faithful are invited to the Eucharist which will be celebrated this Friday, September 5th at 7: 30 p.m.

On August 31st Cardinal Errázuriz visited Pope Benedict XVI to present his resignation, as stipulated by the Code of Canon Law, which requires the resignation of bishops at the age of 75. According to a press release of the Episcopal Conference in Chile, during his visit the Holy Father pointed out that "he was surprised that he was already 75 years old," and he expressed his "gratitude for the responsiblities that were entrusted to him".

From the Original Shrine, we congratulate "our Cardinal"! And we will pray for him during the rosary at 5:30 p.m.

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