The Chariot of Triumph arrives from Costa Rica

Conference 2014: Interview with Manuel Emilio and Marianella Coto de Montero, representatives from Costa Rica

Renovación de la  Alianza Matrimonial.  Renewal of the Marriage Covenant Erneuerung des Eheversprechens Fotos: Montero © 2009

SCHOENSTATT, mkf. "It is also an opportunity for them to know that in Costa Rica the Blessed Mother has bestowed many blessing and graces on us…" On January 8^th, Manuel Emilio and Marianella Coto de Montero and along with them many from the Schoenstatt Family of Costa Rica realized that the family knew them, that they knew that there were Covenant brothers and sisters in Costa Rica. When the 6.2 earthquake shook this country on January 8^th they received many prayers from Schoenstatt and several parts of the world.

"Fortunately everyone we know is well, but it was strong and some places suffered a lot", wrote Alejandro Quiroz, who has been working as a translator for schoenstatt.de since a couple of weeks. Gonzalo Vega relates: "Thanks to God we are all very well…In San José, the capital city where we live, the quake was strongly felt; in our house some things occurred, such as the refrigerator was moved 1.5 m from where it was, some frames fell from pictures, bottles and small things were damaged, but other than that nothing else happened."

Feeling the Family

"The problem was that the earthquake began 10 Km below the surface and this is a small distance and its consequence was strong…at the place of the epicenter entire mountains were displaced like turning pages of a book, highways, houses, buses etc. disappeared in an area of 14 kms…it was terrible and up to now there have been 47 deaths and many people are missing…Thanks to God we are alive, thanks a thousand thanks…and blessings…"At times such as these it feels so good to experience family…this was a subject that Manuel Emilio and Nella also reflected upon when speaking about the Conference 2014, in which they will participate as delegates from Costa Rica.

How are you preparing for the conference?

For our family in Costa Rica it was a great event that we were invited to this conference, after it was known that last October 113 Covenants of Love were sealed with our Blessed Mother. From that moment, the internal family has sought to set criteria that we want to work towards, not only how we will celebrate 2014, rather we want to begin to conquer that date beginning now.

In that sense we believe it is important to favor and to promote the growth of each branch even more, intensifying the attachment to our beloved Founding Father and taking into account all the strength of the family. Outwardly, we have thought about the importance of projecting our beloved Movement to the rest of Central America, especially to the couples and the families and with the Pilgrim MTA; always seeking to maintain our mission consciousness and relying on the grace of apostolic zeal.

It is the first time that there is such an international conference, with representative from 37 countries in Schoenstatt. What does it mean to you to be able to participate in this conference?

For our small, but intense movement it will be an extraordinary experience to be present at this conference, taking into account that we will be with countries that have had many years of fruitfulness and with whom we will be able to share this transcendental date. It is also an opportunity for them to know that in Costa Rica, the Blessed Mother has bestowed many blessing and graces on us and that the MTA has a small corner in Central America, which will serve to unite all the lower continent under her protection, and we want to share our desires with them: to conquer from our own Shrine and to have the first Federation.

The Father Symbol for the Original Shrine and the International Auxiliary will preside at our Conference. What hopes and desires do you attach to their presence?

Our most important desires are to have a greater and more profound attachment with our beloved Founding Father, and with the conquering of our daughter Shrine, probably the first one in Central America.

Our hope is that at the Conference, presided by the Father Symbol and the International Auxiliary, through the many contributions to the Capital of Grace and the joint prayer, we can clarify the road to conquer the Shrine and to be able to accomplish the founding of the "first course of Family Federation", deepening our attachment with our Founding Father.

The image of the "International Auxiliary" reminds us of the importance to continue working to conquer the Schoenstatt Rosary Campaign, through which She will reach all the homes: rich and poor, to strengthen the attachments and the spirituality of the family. It reminds us of the effort and the love with which John Pozzobon carried the image to reach and touch the greatest number of hearts possible.

We will begin the conference in the Original Shrine: each country will bring a symbol to the Original Shrine – as an expression of wanting "to enrich the origin" (as John Pozzobon said when he brought the Original Pilgrim MTA to the Original Shrine). It is an expression of the return current. What do you expect of this?

Our symbol will be represented by the "typical carriage" a form of transportation in the early days and the middle of the last century in our country, and which we have baptized with the name of "The Blessed Mother’s Chariot of Triumph" as our Founding Father mentioned at one time. The unique thing about this symbol is that as a method of transportation, it was slow but sure, and goals and conquests that were set were accomplished.

Pulled by a yoke of oxen, that works together, side by side, in their task, just as we do with our beloved MTA through the Covenant of Love with Her and that both are joined by a "yoke" that is like the Cross on which our Lord Jesus Christ was crucified.

Slow but sure, that is how our current of return to the source of the Original Shrine should be.

First of all, we want to strengthen our organism of attachments with all the representatives of the families from the different countries, with the Schoenstatt Fathers, with the Sisters of Mary, with all the organizational commission of the Schoenstatt Conference 2014, enriching ourselves with everyone and with each one of them. We want them to know us, for them to know that in Costa Rica the Blessed Mother has extended her work, conquering many youthful hearts that want to serve Her as instruments. To return to Costa Rica with a firm purpose of sharing our experiences with the leaders of all the branches and along with our advisers, to move forward by placing a plan in the "Blessed Mother’s Chariot of Triumph" that will conclude in 2014 with the centennial celebration of the Covenant of Love with the Blessed Mother.

Translation: Celina Garza, San Antonio, Texas, USA