As pilgrims, we bring our originality and put it at the service of the International Family

Interview with Manuel Huapaya, Peruvian representative for the 2014 Conference

Manuel Huapaya, con su esposa: representante de Perú en la Conferencia 2014 Manuel Huapaya, with his wife: representative of Peru in the Conference 2014 Manuel Huapaya, hier mit seiner Frau: Vertreter Perus in der Konferenz 2014
Los tres hijos de los Huapaya The three children of the Huapaya Die drei Kinder von Familie Huapaya Fotos: Huapaya © 2008

SCHOENSTATT, mkf. In little less than a month, some 75 representatives from 32 countries, together with the General Presidium of Schoenstatt and several delegates belonging to the various Institutes and Unions, will meet in Schoenstatt for the "2014 Conference" to discover what God, our MTA and Father Kentenich want for Schoenstatt’s centenary celebrations. We spoke with Manuel Huapaya, the Peruvian representative, about his expectations for the conference.

There are already various communities and groups that want to support the events and people involved in various parts of the conference with their prayers and contributions to the Capital of Grace. The Boys’ Youth (JUMAS) in Brazil is responsible for the afternoon programme on 4 February and the Joseph Kentenich College in Peru will present the afternoon programme on 2 February. It is also possible – and might be of interest to companies, publications, Internet websites – to sponsor the Conference by donating materials, for example, folders, paper, pens (of course, these things would bear the donor’s logo).

Manuel Huapaya from El Callao, Peru, married to Marieju and father to three daughters, will travel to Schoenstatt together with Fr. José Luis Correa to represent his country. We asked him about his preparation, expectations and hopes.

How are you preparing for the Conference?

Firstly, I see the opportunity to participate at this conference as a gift and undeserved grace. We are instruments in God’s hands and are available for anything He wishes to send us.

Our preparation has three main aspects: prayer, training and a review of our history that takes into consideration our projections for the future.

As Schoenstatt in Peru, we are called to offer our short life history, our riches, weaknesses and challenges and place everything in our Mother’s hands.

This is the first time that such an international conference has been held in Schoenstatt with representatives from 32 countries. What does your participation mean to you?

It means that Peru has also been called to Father’s house. As pilgrims, we bring our originality and put it at the service of the International Family and simultaneously open our hearts to receive everything it wishes to give us during the days of the conference and in the future.

The Father Symbol for the Original Shrine and the International Auxiliary will preside over the Conference. What are your hopes and desires in terms of their presence?

The presence of the Father Symbol for the Original Shrine represents the desire that many of us have of one day seeing the Original Shrine come to fullness in Schoenstatt, as our Father wanted. The International Auxiliary is part and fruit of the Covenant of Love: "She wants to contaminate the whole world! She took them by the hand and led them to the Father."

The Conference will begin in the Original Shrine. Each country will bring a symbol to the Original Shrine to express its desire to "enrich the origin" (as João Pozzobon said when he brought the original Pilgrim Mother to the Original Shrine). It expresses that the life current has returned to the origin. What are your expectations?

I see this as the parable of the talents: each place, nation and person have been given particular riches and uniqueness. Today, on the verge of our great jubilee, we come to offer the fruits of these riches and uniqueness to our Mother. I think of the original Pilgrim Mother, the Unity Cross in Chile, the Father life current in Argentina. The time has come to bring everything we have received as a fruit of the first Covenant of Love back to Original Schoenstatt.

We also know that this is not only a returning life current but also a task and a mission, since each contribution poses a question for us: Will it also be possible in our local Schoenstatt Movement?

What do you expect from Conference?

We hope that it will be a meeting place, a miniature Cenacle, in which unity in diversity and originality will be our greatest treasure. We bring a reflection of the experiences within our local Schoenstatt Movement and will open our hearts so that they will be enriched by each one of our brothers.

We want this to be a special moment where we look back on our history and receive the fruits we gained as a result, but also accept out failings and weaknesses, as did Pope John Paul II at the start of the new millennium, by making an act of reparation and atonement. May this act strengthen our unity and so that we place ourselves at the disposal of this, God’s work.

As laity, we feel that we are also called to bring our voices and our presence. "The new man in the new community" is created in the world and Fr. Kentenich invites us to daily workday sanctity. I also believe that our contributions as laity in light of this reality will be important in our considerations for the next jubilee. "How is Schoenstatt the soul of the world, the heart of the Church?

• Anybody interested in sponsoring "days" with prayer, or items, write to: pressoffice@schoenstatt.de

Translation: Sarah-Leah Pimentel, Johannesburg, South Africa