Where heaven opens

Spanish speaking pilgrimage to Schoenstatt

Oración en el Santuario Original Prayer in the Original Shrine Gebet im Urheiligtum
Saliendo con la Auxiliar Setting out with the Auxiliary Aufbruch mit der Auxiliar
Los niños con sus banderitas The children with their little flags Die Kinder mit ihren Fähnchen
Santa Misa Holy Mass Heilige Messe
Dos monaguillos orgullosos Two proud mass servers Zwei stolze Messdiener
Prédica: P. Ángel Strada Sermon: Fr. Ángel Strada Predigt: P. Ángel Strada Fotos: K. Fischer © 2009

SCHOENSTATT, mkf. All of us have a Marian pilgrimage place in our countries: Guadalupe, Maipú, Caácupé, Luján, Aparecida …, many times they are related to the history of our countries, Father Ángel Strada said during the closing Mass of the pilgrimage day for Spanish speaking people who live in Germany, which was held at Schoenstatt for the first time. We go on pilgrimage to each of those places to ask for a special grace of the Blessed Mothre; the grace that we ask of her here at Schoenstatt is the grace to make us like her, to live Mary’s virtues, which are the virtues of the gospel.

There were about 140 or 150 pilgrims who spent the pilgrimage day at Schoenstatt, among them were many children and youth from Spain and almost all the Latin American countries and the Carribean, the majority of them belong to a Spanish speaking Catholic community in Frankfurt, Bonn, and Cologne. It was the first visit to Schoenstatt for almost all of them, but it will probably not be the last. "It seemed that they were waiting for something spiritual like this", commented Sister Johanna Maria Helmich, National Adviser of the Schoenstatt Rosary Campaign in Germany. The Pilgrims’ Center of Germany, the International Secretariat and the advisers of the Campaign, the couples from the Schoenstatt Family Group of the Spanish speaking in Germany joined forces to offer this day of pilgrimage.

The morning began with a talk at the Father Kentenich House, followed by a procesión to the Adoration Church, where they prayed for all the countries they represented. After lunch they had time to rest, to shop (which so important to every pilgrimage) to pray or find out about the founding of Schoenstatt; everyone went to the Original Shrine, the place where heaven opens…as it opened at the hour of the Blessed Mother’s YES upon receiving the message of the angel at the Annunciation. Each person received a candle, and everyone was invited to go on pilgrimage to the Adoration Church. The children, with little flags led the pilgrimage and the midst of the excitement, the Auxiliary for Europe, carried by two of the pilgrims, had to go on pilgrimage backwards…but She was still present!

Everything was within the framework of the first encounter with Schoenstatt, with the Pilgrim MTA, with the Shrine, but it was a promising first encounter.

An open heaven

Heaven was opened to close no more, in the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus among us: that is what we recall during the time of Lent and in Easter, which we will celebrate in two weeks, said Father Ángel Strada during his homily, referring to the Sunday reading. In reality heaven was opened many years before: at the moment in which the Blessed Mother heard the angel and gave her yes, freely accepting that great mission that God entrusted to her. From her yes, Jesus lives among us…

In Schoenstatt we ask Mary for the grace of making us like her, who loved God like no other. We can come to her at all times, in any language, because she understands everyone, as a mother who always understands the language of her child. He explained that in Schoenstatt we call it "to live in the Covenant of Love with Mary", and that means that she lives united to me, and I united to her. She always makes us more and more disciples and missionaries for Jesus.

Devotion of the people…

Before the final blessing, a beautiful manifestation of devotion of the people was experienced.

As soon as they heard Father Ángel Strada’s words: "surely you have many religious objects that you bought today in your purses…" immediately the purses opened and many little paper bags appeared…even before he said: "leave them where they are the blessing will also be bestowed within the purses…" everyone formed a spontaneous pilgrimage toward the altar, where they placed their rosaries, medals, pictures…So that nothing absolutely nothing would be left without at least a drop of holy water! "We will return and bring more people": was the the promise with which the pilgrims bid farewell to Schoenstatt…

For everyone who wants to visit Schoenstatt…

• Every Sunday the Holy Mass will be celebrated in Spanish at 4:30 p.m. at the Chapel of House Sonneau.
• Every Saturday the Holy Rosary will be prayed in Spanish and Portuguese at 5:30 p.m. at the Original Shrine.
• The bookstore at the "Mission Houses" of the Sisters of Mary, on Mount Schoenstatt offers books in Spanish, and literature can also be obtained at the Press Office.
• The Sisters of the International Secretariat offer tours of Schoenstatt for Spanish speaking pilgrims. Please contact them before the trip at:Schoenstatt.international.esp@s-ms.org.
• You may comunícate in Spanish (or Portuguese) at House Sonneck –International Secretariat, the Press Office, the Pilgrims’ Center, House Sonnenau, and at several various Centers of the Schoenstatt Secular Institutes and Federations: the Schoenstatt Fathers’ House, the House of the Sisters of Mary, the House of the Institute of Our Lady of Schoenstatt, House Marienau (Federation of Priests)
• The www.schoenstatt.de web page offers news, testimonies and general information about Schoenstatt in Spanish, there is even a guide of how to get to Schoenstatt and the places to visit.

Videos of the day of pilgrimage: www.schoenstatt-tv.de