He Motivated Many People to Do the Things in Life They Never Dreamed of Doing

Tenth anniversary of the death of Father Esteban Uriburu. He took the Schoenstatt Rosary Campaign to international dimensions. He died on October 12, 1998

Tumba del Padre Esteban Uriburu Fr. Esteban Uriburu’s tomb Grab von P. Esteban Uriburu
En Santa Maria, en una de las primeras peregrinaciones In Santa Maria , during one of the first pilgrimages In Santa Maria, bei einer der ersten Wallfahrten dorthin
Padres de Schoenstatt en Santa Maria; el P. Esteban Uriburu tocando la guitarra Schoenstatt Fathers in Santa Maria ; Fr. Esteban Uriburu playing the guitar Schönstatt-Patres in Santa Maria; P. Esteban Uriburu mit Gitarre
En el Santuario Tabor At the Tabor Shrine Am Tabor-Heiligtum
En la Casa de Joao Pozzobon In John Pozzobon’s house Im Haus von Joao Pozzobon Fotos: Crivelli © 2008
Autor de varios libros... Author of various books Autor vieler Bücher Foto: K. Fischer © 2008

ARGENTINA, mkf. "In hard times, there is a key question. Spoken in sportsmanship terms: if I were the coach of a team, what would worry me the most would not be the rival I am facing, regardless of how difficult it would be, it would be the training, the grit, the fighting spirit of my own team." These words are quoted in the context of the preparations for 2014, and the immediate response is: "Good! Are they Fr. Esteban’s words?" Yes. "I thought so." October 12^th will be the 10^th anniversary of the death of Father Esteban Uriburu. His spirit of being an adventurer for the MTA, his spirit for conquering new lands for her kingdom, his spirit of enthusiasm and his spirit for motivating others continues alive in those who knew him (and in those who did not…..), motivating them, as before, to do things in life they never dreamed of doing.

Broader, more daring, more international. Five days after the death of Fr. Esteban Uriburu, October 17, 1998, there appeared on the Internet site www.schoenstatt.de the first article with news from outside original Schoenstatt, or better said, several articles on 18^th of October celebrations in India, Paraguay, Argentina, the Philippines…..There were no photos and still only in German (the first articles in English and Spanish were printed in May of 1999, and only since 2001 did it reach the possibility of printing articles in several languages), but it was the beginning for internationalizing Schoenstatt and for creating a space where the life currents and grace could enrich the entire Family and be a fruitful mutual exchange. It is not a dogma, but there are many who believe that when Fr. Esteban reached Heaven, he could not resist continuing forward with his mission….. although it seemed crazy to use such a new means for spreading Schoenstatt. "I accept that the majority of my projects seem crazy, but let us agree that God surrounded me with crazy people in order to fulfill them," he would respond with his usual charm. Father Alberto Eronti narrates this in the biography of Father Esteban: Esteban, This Is How We Remember You. The biography was written by his course brothers.

His life’s mission: the Schoenstatt Rosary Campaign

Speaking about the Rosary Campaign, Father Esteban often affirmed that his encounter with it had changed the course of his life. Using images, as he often did, he would say: "until now I was sailing on a small river, and suddenly I found myself on an immense river which took me to the open sea." By means of his books, his trips, his interviews, his meetings, his words, he not only motivated many people to do things in life they never would have done, but he also taught them what was most profound and sacred about the Campaign.

Sr. Marian Dunn from South Africa and one of the first Campaign collaborators there, says: when Father Esteban brought the Auxiliary Image from Argentina to Johannesburg, upon arriving at the airport, he did not place her on a luggage cart….. He asked me to bring the car nearer – parking according to "regulation" like everyone else – to the VIP room as corresponded to a Queen. I told him it was impossible, but he convinced those in charge that it had to do with a Queen….. Without thinking, when I arrived with the car, I opened the trunk. "Sister, if you wish, you can ride in the trunk, but not the Queen." Until today, comments Sr. Marian, when I am carrying a Pilgrim MTA and I think of putting her in a suitcase, I see the image of Father Esteban "inviting me" to ride in the trunk….. I never place a Pilgrim MTA in the car trunk or in a suitcase. I know it is a person and not simply an image."

One of Father Esteban’s favorite phrases – or at least one of the most "popular" – was: through the Campaign, Schoenstatt must radiate like lightening throughout the entire world. Expansion, acceleration, apostolic ardor, radiating, like the speed of lightening, enkindling, conquering, spreading – all of these words were heard a thousand times from Father Esteban. His whole person would light up, transmit strength, courage, audacity, fearlessness. He would "take possession" of whoever heard him. He was so contagious that one would feel capable of climbing the highest peaks, capable of attacking all obstacles, and all for the sake of the mission.

Like the dawn, Blessed Mother wants to radiate through us to the whole world

Neither was anyone immune from his "holy antics," accompanying him to the end: the success of the fulfilled objective. The Schoenstatt Rosary Campaign, Mary’s Volunteers, Confidentia, the San Isidro Shrine, the Father Kentenich House of the Child, Sión del Padre, the Marian Center in the Nueve de Julio Diocese, Belén de Escobar…..these are only some of his completed projects in Argentina.

"As we all know, the tournament of life is not easy, but I believe in the words I heard from Pope John XXIII: life is always beautiful when you live in the grace of God. To live in the grace of God is to live in communion, in harmony of hearts, as a team, as a family" (Father Esteban Uriburu on celebrating his 25^th year of priesthood).

At the Press Office, as in all of Schoenstatt on the way to 2014, many are concerned by the lack of collaborators, by the lack of financial means, by the difficulties in their places of origin and in many more things. Facing this, Fr. Esteban asks us: "Where are we now: are we facing the twilight or the dawn? I would like to recall here an episode in the life of Father Kentenich. FatherKentenich, who had been liberated from the Dachau Concentration Camp on April 6^th, finds himself in Ennabeuren, a small town in the south of Germany. On April 20, 1945, in a talk to the parishioners there – as he did daily for a month while he was there – says: We had marvelous dawns in Dachau. Here he refers to the Blessed Virgin: the Blessed Virgin, the great and marvelous dawn of the world, has wanted to announce through our Family, a new era in the world. Like the dawn, she wants to radiate through us to the whole world. Conclusion: many of our countrymen see the future with fear, with their head down, without hope….. May God give us the grace to see that Mary is the sign of a marvelous and extraordinary dawn."

Translation: Carlos Cantú Schoenstatt Family Federation La Feria, TX USA 100808