The preparation for 2014 has begun, we are moving forward

The 18^th at Schoenstatt in the light of Conference 2014: the pilgrimage of the Father Symbol has begun

El símbolo del Padre en la Conferencia 2014 The Father Symbol in the Conference 2014 Das Vatersymbol in der Konferenz 2014
En la Misa de Alianza In the Covenant Mass Im Altarraum bei der Bündnismesse
P. Alejandro Martínez Fr. Alejandro Martínez P. Alejandro Martínez
El P. Ángel Strada entrega el símbolo Fr. Ángel Strada offers the symbol P. Ángel Strada überreicht das Symbol
Irmgard Claßen con el simbolo, durante la renovación de la Alianza de Amor Irmgard Claßen with the Father symbol, during the Covenant Renewal Irmgard Claßen mit dem Vatersymbol, bei der Bündniserneuerung
Después de la celebración After the celebration Nach der Feier Fotos: K. Fischer © 2009

SCHOENSTATT.mkf. Around the Original Shrine the atmosphere of Conference 2014 and its two strong moments that the delegates, helpers and those in charge, experienced are still in the air  around this source of grace of all the Schoenstatt Family:  the "current of return" visible on February 2nd,  when the symbols of the Covenant of Love from 33 countries were brought to the altar of the Original Shrine,  and the sending forth on February 7th, when each delegation received a little piece of the Original Shrine  (a shingle of the roof) for its National Shrine. On February 18^th, one of the proposals of Conference 2014 became a reality: the new pilgrimage of the Father Symbol began.

"Finally, we suggest that the Father Symbol, given to us by our founder, begins a world-wide pilgrimage in the near future. Centered around our father, we hope that our family can be purified, that it grows in unity and, in this way, is strengthened in its mission of service to our Church and society."  The message of Conference 2014 closes with this paragraph.  This pilgrimage has already begun!  It was a very simple moment and probably the calmest for the Father Symbol for the next five years, when after the Covenant Mass, Father Angel Strada,, Vice-president of the General Presidium of Schoenstatt,, presented this symbol to Mrs. Irmgard Claßen, General Superior of the Institute of Our Lady of Schoenstatt.

Pilgrimage of the Father Symbol

The symbol will first go on pilgrimage to the  Shrines in Schoenstatt, and then it will go to visit each one of the 200 Daughter Shrines throughout the world, including those that will be built and  blessed by 2014!  Everyone was standing when Father Angel solemnly manifested:  "The preparation for 2014 has begun, we are moving forward".

After the pilgrimage to the shrines and communities in Schoenstatt, the symbol will depart for its pilgrimage throughout the world, this will probably be in July…and it will return on October 18, 2014 with thousands and thousands of pilgrims! "I get goose bumps just thinking about this, commented Sarah Leah Pimental", from South Africa.

Just imagine how it will be welcomed in the Shrines where it has already visited during the first world trip in 1969, after the Founder’s death; and also imagine how it will be welcomed in the Shrines and countries it has never visited. Just think that its trip can also be followed through the Internet.

Week of the Cenacle

Before the homily, Father Alejandro Martinez, General Director of the Institute of Our Lady of Schoenstatt, transported all of us to the atmosphere of Conference 20114, speaking about this week of Cenacle that we experienced in Schoenstatt, where  representatives from 33 countries gathered to see what is alive and what is growing in our Schoenstatt Family, to discern, departing from the life that is manifested, what God and the Blessed Mother want from their family for the centennial of its founding.  He stressed the joy of everyone when they discovered, in this process, that the creative nucleus of everything  - everywhere and in all spheres where we live-is the Covenant of Love: "It is with great joy and gratitude that we renew our covenant of love with the Blessed Mother, fully aware that this is the essence of our family. This quiet act of faith of Fr. Kentenich with a small group of sodalists is still alive within us, just as fresh as it ever was during the founding moment in the original shrine on 18 October 1914. We were surprised to discover that our deep faith in the reality of the covenant of love with the Blessed Mother is what moves and inspires us globally. This is the source of our fruitfulness and the concrete way in which we live and follow Christ. This is exactly what we want to celebrate throughout our jubilee in 2014."(Message 2014)

To become Father’s Family

He stressed that to discover that in the midst of all the variety of our experiences, there are strong currents that flow in all the family:  the missionary current -manifested in the first place in the Campaign, as well as in the missions and many other missionaries activities - and the current of communion-which makes us want more and more to be a family, Father's family, a family of brothers.  He spoke about the moments in which they were able to "touch" what we could call the "grace of 2014", and he invited all of us to allow ourselves to be infected by the fire of this Conference. 

It is important to mention that those present today who participated in the Conference stood out because of the gleam in their eyes. Praying and in silence, we went on pilgrimage to the Original Shrine, accompanied by the Father Symbol to that place to which Father gave it.  This February 18th was a sunny day although it was very cold, and at the time of the pilgrimage, the cold was truly strongly felt.  But everyone continue to surround the Original Shrine; Mrs. Claßen took the Symbol inside the Shrine, while all of us renewed the Covenant of Love.

Fruits of the Conference transmitted by the Rosary

On Saturday February 21st, we will pray the Rosary in the Original Shrine, along with the youth who worked as helpers in the Conference,  and who are still in Schoenstatt; we will pray that the fruits of this Conference will be felt in each one of the shrines, in each wayside shrine, in every place where the Pilgrim MTA works as the Great Missionary, and that the travels of the Father Symbol throughout the world will unite us more as a family of the Father, to be  missionaries of the Original Shrine.  This International Rosary will be transmitted live via:  www.schoenstatt-tv.de

The many testimonies that we have published are also worthwhile!

• Conference 2014: More

Translation: Celina Garza, San Antonio, TX, USA