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Pilgrim M ther

The

Schoenstatt Rosary Campaign ~ The Pilgrim Mother ~ Vol. 2 Num. 3 ~ www.schoenstattrosarycampaign.com ~ 262-522-4326 ~ rosary@schsrsmary.org

Summer—Fall 2015

Dear Missionaries of the Pilgrim MTA,

What a great summer this has been with richly blessed celebrations of golden anniversaries and conventions that give us lots to think about. In several states the missionaries gathered during the month of May in order to crown the MTA. In June we had the annual convention and in July, the Exile Congress, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the end of Father Kentenich’s exile, the founding of the community of the Schoenstatt Fathers and the Game of Love sermons.

Now we move ahead, but not without giving thanks and re-savoring the experiences of these encounters. Our newsletter will walk you through the SRC convention weekend, and introduce you to the beautiful plan of crowning our Pilgrim Mother next year. Yes! This year we want to prepare to crown our Pilgrim Mother. Which one? Every single one of them! - the ones we carry from home to home as well as the Auxiliaries, too.

Our crowning path consists in praying the Rosary for the Church in countries where the people face religious persecution - not the least in the USA. The crowns for our Pilgrim MTAs will be available later this fall. They are still being manufactured. Also, during these months we are also invited to join the 54 day novena for our country.

Let us follow the coronation path into 2016 and concentrate our strength in giving much life to this beautiful apostolate in our different areas. Make sure you take a look at the SRC Recipes and the reflection on Deacon Pozzobon. It will certainly inspire us to share the richness of our Campaign with many others.

Wishing you rich blessings from our Shrine,

Queridos Misioneros de la Mater

Peregrina,

¡Que verano hemos tenido! Ha sido

uno l leno de bendiciones y

celebraciones de varios aniversarios.

En varios estados la Mater fue

coronada por los misioneros en el

mes de mayo. En el mes junio

tuvimos nuestra convención anual y

en el mes de julio tuvimos el

Congreso del Exilio para celebrar 50

años de la liberación del Padre, de

los sermones del Juego del Amor, y

de la fundación de la comunidad de

los Padres de Schoenstatt.

Ahora queremos continuar, pero no

sin antes agradecer y pos-gustar las

experiencias de estos encuentros.

Nuestra carta circular le permitirá

desandar el fin de semana de la

convención de la Campaña, y le

presentará el hermoso plan futuro de

coronar a la Mater Peregrina el

próximo año. ¡Sí! Queremos

prepararnos para coronar a la Mater

Peregrina. ¿Cuál Mater Peregrina?

¡Todas las Mater Peregrinas! - las

que llevamos de hogar en hogar y las

Auxiliares también.

El camino de coronación consiste

en rezar el Rosario por la Iglesia en

pa í s e s qu e e x pe r imen t an

persecución por su religión, inclusive

EEUU. Las coronitas están siendo

fabricadas, y estarán disponibles

más tarde en el otoño.

Durante estos meses también

estamos invitados a unirnos a la

novena de Rosarios de 54 días.

Sigamos el camino de coronación

hacia el 2016 y concentrando

nuestras fuerzas en vitalizar mucho

más este hermoso apostolado de la

Mater Peregrina. Asegúrese de leer

nuestras recetas de la Campaña y

la reflexión acerca de Don Joao. Le

servirán de gran inspiración para su

apostolado.

Deseándole abundantes bendiciones

desde el Santuario,

Hna. M. Isabel

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…during his audience with the Schoenstatt Movement during the Jubilee Pilgrimage, outlining the order in which a missionary begins his work. In the Schoenstatt Rosary Campaign National Convention, this order spelled out by the Holy Father was the backbone of the weekend. Each of the speakers outlined a beautiful and clear parallel between the Holy Father’s words and our Schoenstatt world, more precisely our Pilgrim MTA Rosary Campaign and its clear answer to the Holy Father’s call for a missionary spirit. On Friday, there were afternoon workshops, which gave those attending the opportunity to learn and to exchange their own insights and exper iences wi th the Campaign. The workshop about the missionary spirit of Joao Pozzobon – that kind of spirit we should put our efforts into -- was also a way to illumine all of the missionaries, to encourage their perseverance in their own spiritual lives, and also to encourage them to always return back into the field, even if they have to start again from something very little, as Joao did with the campaign. For him it was a new start each day. On Saturday, the missionaries made a foot pilgrimage throughout Milwaukee, WI to call to mind what hands-on SRC missionary work is really like. It also provided a sort of model for a different approach to missionary work in the areas of those making the pilgrimage. After

t h i s g re a t excurs ion , t he missionaries returned to the Center where they shared their “SRC Recipes,” that is, how they further the mission of the Pilgrim MTA in their own groups and areas, learning how other missionaries are working with their Pilgrim MTA’s, trying their best to accommodate the different circumstances they encounter.

This convention provided a good opportunity to develop a connection to Deacon Joao, to learn of his humbleness, of his complete surrender to the Blessed Mother, and his entire dedication to serve as instrument for her mission of taking Jesus to the most needed. Through Deacon Joao, we come again to the Blessed Mother, letting her bring us to Jesus, with whom we go lovingly to the

Father.

Estas palabras de “¡oración,

misión, salir!” de nuestro Santo

Padre fueron la gran inspiración

de nuestra convención en junio.

Cada una de las presentaciones

trazó el paralelo entre estas

palabras y nuestro mundo de

Schoenstatt - en concreto, con

nuestro apostolado de la Mater

Peregrina. Esto se reforzó con los

talleres del viernes en la tarde y

la caminata de evangelización el

sábado en la mañana. En la

tarde del sábado compartimos

nuestras “recetas,” es decir,

cómo cada uno desarrolla su

apostolado y misión de la Mater

Peregrina en sus distintas áreas.

La convención fue una gran

oportunidad para crecer en el

espíritu de compromiso y de

humildad y de entrega de Don

Joao Pozzobon.

“Prayer, Mission, Go Out!” These words were spoken by our Holy Father , Pope Franc is . . Mary Grace Sánchez, SRC Of f ice

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There are many characteristics of John Pozzobon that can serve as an inspiration for our work in the Rosary Campaign, but three are overarching in all his work: John’s connection to the Church, his connection to the shrine, and finally, his complete embrace of the mission.

First of all, we see in the life of John a great love and connection to the Church. John’s life revolves around the Church. John is not a mere “Sunday Catholic.” No, his whole life is bound up with the church and the mission. How do we see this? We see this in the care he takes to remain connected to his Bishop and the apostolic work he is undertaking. We know that each year on December 8, the feast day of the Immaculate Conception, John would send a report to the Bishop outlining his activities with the Pilgrim Mother. This report also went to Fr. Kentenich. We know that John carried in his pocket a letter/card of the Bishop’s blessing on his work. Besides his clear respect for the authority of his bishops, we see his

desire to study for the diaconate and serve the Church and the people through ordination. We know of a story about John, when he went to the Bishop and asked to be ordained a priest. Why? Because the people were confessing their sins to him and he wanted to help them. Because this was not possible he studied for the diaconate. When he was ordained a deacon his mission changed considerably. Now that he was able to bless the people, to baptize the people, he took on a new identity. We see John’s commitment to daily Mass, to the mission of the parish (parish retreat, offering up spiritual bouquets, bui lding project , ordinations, mission to the poor).

It should also be noted that John’s connection to the Church was also a source of pain and mis-understanding for him. There were priests who challenged John in his mission and on numerous occasions he had to defend Schoenstatt. Was it the radical apostolic witness of John that created the tension? Many times John faced questions from the people, the Sisters, Priests and

even the Bishop. We see in John a simple childlike honesty about his mission. He didn’t offer lofty theological discussions but simply said that he had a mission to pray the Rosary with the people and he consecrated himself to the Mother of God, in her Shrine.

When critiqued, John responded with a simple clear description of his mission. When a priest questioned his allegiance to the Schoenstatt image of Mary, he simply responded that this was the one he liked, “…As the mother of God has many titles…I revere all these titles…(p. 90) but I have surrendered my heart to this title…Mother Thrice Admirable and Queen” (A Hero Today Not

Tomorrow, 1991 ed.).

We also see in the life of John a great love and connection to the Shrine. John’s heart lived always in the Schoenstatt Shrine. How do we see this?

In his sending this report to Fr. Kentenich we see how he remains in contact with Fr. Kentenich despite the fact that this was a difficult time to do so.

Deacon John Pozzobon

Our Inspiration Curtis Kneblik, Dayton, OH

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“Whenever there was an important decision to be made about his Campaign, he consulted someone he knew who was able to grasp Father Kentenich’s way of thinking and acting…in all things, he wanted to be the little disciple of Father Kentenich and not make important decisions without consulting him” (p. 26, A Hero Today

Not Tomorrow, 1991 ed.). John says very early on that his mission is tied to the Original source, the Schoenstatt Shrine in Germany the Schoenstatt heroes of the founding generation. He found his inspiration in Joseph Engling and wanted to be a Joseph Engling for Brazil. Of course, being from Brazil, John’s mission came from the shrine in Santa Maria, Brazil. A Schoenstatt Sister sent John out with the pilgrim mother to pray the rosary with the families. John continued this connection throughout his life, beginning most of his days with Holy Mass in the Santa Maria Shrine and then going forth in mission.

“From the moment I heard about it, I always remained united to the original source, never forgetting those heroes and their Founder, I felt like a little disciple, following Father Kentenich the Founder and those gathered around him…This was in spite of the fact that I knew neither the place nor the Original Shrine…”

Once someone asked John if he speaks much with our Lady. “Yes, all the time. I come into the Shrine and say…John’s here. I always say this, always the same thing.”

Flowing from Pozzobon’s deep connection to the Pilgrim Mother, we see in his life a radical, bold, courageous, apostolic spirit. His whole life is bound up with the Church and the mission. Fr. Joseph Kentenich said to another man once “be inspired by John but don’t imitate him.” Did Father recognize the uniqueness of John’s call? Did he recognize him as a living witness of the apostolic

nature of Schoenstatt? John’s whole life is bound up with a passionate compulsion to mission. John was radical in his apostolic spirit!

John commits himself to an apostolic program and then carries it out despite often great opposition and trials. John said, “Heroism consists in going a little further than is our duty.” In speaking of his missionary work he said, “We visited 150 homes and they were all blessed, both rich and poor as well as people of other creeds…I (poor John) arrived at the door and held out a program. Some people said, ‘We are not Catholic’ I replied that it made no difference and asked if they believed in Christ. If they said they did I replied: ‘Then we are brothers, let’s pray together.’ It is in this way that we bring about Christian unity; by praying, blessing homes, giving talks and being friendly” (p.107, A Hero Today Not

Tomorrow, 2012 ed.).

To conclude, John Pozzobon was a man with a deep love and respect for the church, with his heart constantly a shrine, and finally, a man with the courage to totally embrace his mission. As he says, “On the boundaries of parishes and chapels, in places that the parish priest cannot attend to himself, I am doing something new….. it’s a simple thing but it is attractive. Even a person who does not like it will go and look at it and then our Lady takes care of the rest” (Ibid).

Son muchas las características de Don Joao Pozzobon que nos pueden inspirar en nuestro trabajo con la Campaña del Rosario, pero tres son las principales: su conexión con la Iglesia, su conexión con el Santuario, y la forma en que él se entregó a su misión.

En primer lugar, con la Iglesia vemos la manera en que no solamente cumplió con su deber del domingo, pero toda su vida vivió una gran entrega a la Iglesia y su misión. Vemos esto en la forma en que mantuvo el contacto con su Obispo y con las personas involucradas en su apostolado. Todos los años, el 8 de diciembre, solía enviar un informe a su Obispo delineando las actividades de la Mater Peregrina en ese año. Sabemos que en su bolsillo siempre llevaba la bendición de su Obispo por escrito. Además de su gran respeto por la autoridad de la Iglesia, más tarde vemos a Don Joao estudiando para diaconado. Vemos su compromiso con la Santa Misa diaria y el esfuerzo cotidiano con la misión de su parroquia y de la Iglesia en su país.

En varias ocasiones su conexión con la Iglesia causó malestar entre otras personas y malentendidos con otros laicos. Hasta miembros del clero llegaron a desafiar a Don Joao por esta razón. El tuvo que defender a Schoenstatt. En los momentos en que fue enfrentado con preguntas y tensiones por parte de religiosas o sacerdotes, Don Joao supo valerse de su entrega y transparencia sencilla y filial que le permitió superar todo con honestidad. No mantuvo un diálogo de Teología complicada, sino más bien expresó su confianza en el rezo del Rosario y en el poder de la Santísima Virgen, desde el Santuario de Schoenstatt.

Las veces que fue duramente criticado

supo responder describiendo de manera

sencilla su misión y su vínculo indisoluble

con la Mater. “Como la Madre de Dios

tiene muchos títulos… yo la venero bajo

este título…, pero es a ella que me he

entregado… a la Madre Tres Veces Admi-

rable”. (Héroe Hoy No Mañana, P. E. Uriburu)

En la vida de Don Joao también vemos su profunda vinculación o conexión con el Santuario. Su corazón siempre estaba en el

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Santuario. Esto lo vemos en la manera en que se comunicaba con el Padre José Kentenich, aun cuando era algo difícil para él, debido a la distancia.

Siempre que tenía que tomar alguna decisión importante, solía consultar a alguna persona que tuviese el sentir del Padre Kentenich, su forma de pensar y de actuar, nos dice el Padre Uriburu en su libro, Héroe Hoy No Mañana.

Desde muy temprano en el desarrollo de la Campaña, Don Joao, reconoció cuan arraigado debía estar apostolado en la fuente original del Santuario en Alemania, en el sacrificio de los Héroes de Schoenstatt. En José Engling encontró una gran inspiración. Quiso ser el José Engling de Brasil.

Desde el Santuario de Santa María sale Don Joao a cumplir su misión día tras día. Esto lo hacía específicamente al salir de la Santa Misa cada mañana con su cuadro de la Mater para continuar su campaña.

En una ocasión alguien le preguntó si hablaba mucho con la Virgen. Respondió que sí, “todo el tiempo. Llego al Santuario y le digo… Joao está aquí. Siempre le digo esto, siempre lo mismo”.

Como fruto de esa conexión tan profunda con el Santuario surge en su vida este espíritu radical, atrevido, valiente y apostólico que permeaba su persona. Toda su persona estuvo acaparada por su misión. Don Joao tenía una vision radical de su llamado, fue radical en la forma en que cumplió con su apostolado.

Una vez se comprometió con tal programa apostólico invirtió todas sus fuerzas en el mismo, a pesar de las dificultades. Solía decir que, “heroismo consiste en ir un poco más allá de lo que nos pide el deber”.

Don Joao era un hombre de un amor profundo y un gran respeto por los demás y por la Iglesia.

Su vida nos inspira.

La convención fue una

maravillosa experiencia.

Esta era mi primera visita al Santuario

en Waukesha. El haber podido

experimentar el Santuario y toda la

espiritualidad en torno al Centro ha

quedado en mi para siempre. Estoy

muy agradecido de haber podido llegar

hasta allí para aprender más acerca

de la Campaña del Rosario.

Lo de haber compartido nuestras

“recetas,” fue una gran ayuda, al ver

cómo cada uno desarrol la su

apostolado en su estado. También fue

una gran bendición haber aprendido

más acerca del Padre Kentenich y

sobre todo haber podido visitar los

lugares donde vivió por tantos años.

Todo lo que aprendí acerca de Don

Joao y la Campaña me ayuda ahora

para ser un mejor misionero.

Todas las personas que conocí son

amigos que conservaré para siempre.

Me animó mucho todo el entusiasmo

de todos ellos. Los sacerdotes y las

hermanas fueron muy acogedores. Fue

una linda experiencia celebrar el 50

aniversario con los Padres.

Le agradezco mucho a la Familia de

Schoenstatt por haber hecho de esta

convenc i ón tanto un evento

educacional como espiritual. Todo el

entusiasmo de los que organizaron

todo nos ha encendido para llevar la

Campaña con vigor renovado a

nuestros pueblos.

De manera especial expreso mi

agradecimiento a aquellos que

pusieron tanto empeño en hacer de

este encuentro un evento memorable.

The conference was a wonderful experience. This was my first visit to the Waukesha Shrine. Having experienced the spirituality of Schoenstatt at the Shrine first hand was an experience that will stay with me forever. I am grateful to have been able to learn more about the Rosary Campaign, and to visit the Center. It was very helpful to trade "recipes" with the other groups and missionaries. We could see how they do things back home, in different states. Also, to learn more about our founder Fr. Joseph Kentenich, and to see where he lived for so many years, was a great blessing. To learn more about John Pozzobon really helped me to better understand the roots of the Campaign. The many people I met during the conference, I'm sure will be friends for life.

Inspired

by Pozzobon Michael Grady, Loganville, GA

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I am thankful to all our Schoenstatt Family for making this both, an educational experience as well as a spiritual one. The enthusiasm of everyone involved makes me eager to promote the Rosary Campaign more vigorously in my hometown, and to bring the graces of the Shrine to everyone.

I am specially thankful to all those who put their work into making the conference so memorable, and helpful for everyone.

For Family and Marriage, including for Peace, Sanctity of Human Life & Religious Freedom

A Message of Hope in response to the spiritual crisis in our culture and nation and to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops call to prayer. Join people across the USA in praying the rosary for 54 straight days for the Novena Intentions: 27 days in petition from August 15—September 10, 2015 27 days in thanksgiving from September 11—October 7, 2015, at home individually or with families, or in a parish community or other groups.

One Last

Surprise SRC Office

The Auxiliary Pilgrim MTA from Ohio left for Louisiana the same day we ended our convention. John and Kathy Strickland, and Gina Cevallos, take upon themselves the task to care for this image and follow where the Blessed Mother leads them, as her missionaries. Already in the month of July the Auxiliary Pilgrim MTA made some visits to some homes and families in Louisiana. We wish them the best!

Una última sorpresa del fin de semana fue cuando la Mater Peregrina Auxiliar de Ohio fue enviada a Louisiana para peregrinar durante los próximos meses. ¡Les deseamos lo mejor!

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Virginia Ingredients: Rosary every month in my home. Walk in the park. Devotion/ Faith to the Campaign. 1 Schoenstatt Pilgrim MTA Shrine.

Method: Pray the Rosary and walk 2 miles in the park. People stop me and pray with me & ask about the Campaign. I tell them about God and the Schoenstatt Pilgrim MTA mission. This is balm for sick and homeless people. I keep going with faith in our mission, and go out to the periphery. The Mother blesses us always.

The Whole World Ingredients: Union, Joy, Hope, Love, and Faith

Method: Visit 10 homes and share the love and graces of the Pilgrim Mother. Her presence fills us with hope, joy, love and keeps all united with her. Together our faith grows more each day. We will pray the Rosary and the Gospel.

Chattanooga, TN Ingredients: How can I get my people to be interested in l e a r n i n g m o r e a b o u t Schoenstatt spirituality and the Covenant of Love?

Method: In the past I have gathered all the MTAs and those who receive her for a crowning ceremony. I also like to gather everyone and the MTAs for a pilgrimage to the Shrine.

Atlanta, GA Ingredients: Love, Perseverance, Action, Meet more people and invite the young and the old. Method: Love- Show kindness, compassion, and help others more. Persevere- New ideas and more things in mind to be better: Action! Do not wait! ACT and GO. Serve more- Join and help in different groups. Meet new people, get to know them, and evangelize!

Wisconsin Method: I meet with group members to share what happens when the Blessed Mother visits their home. We begin with a novena, then we present petitions to the Pilgrim MTA. She is in a special place with flowers and a candle. I keep in constant contact with the Missionaries, responsible for their individual Pilgrims and circulation of the Shrine within their group.

Durante el fin de semana de la convención, compartimos nuestras i deas o “recetas” . Es dec i r , compartimos las formas en que cada uno cumple con su apostolado de la Mater Peregrina en medio de sus circunstancias y oportunidades. En Virginia, por ejemplo, rezan el Rosario mientras caminan en el parquet. En lo posible, cada vez que se encuentran con alguna persona le hablan acerca de la Mater. Le dicen a la gente acerca de la ayuda que Dios y María le pueden dar. Esto es un gran consuelo para los enfermos y ancianos. En Chattanooga, TN, anualmente enfatizan las ceremonias de coronación para motivar la gente a entregarle su corazón a la Mater en la alianza de amor. En Atlanta, GA, enfatizan el acercarse a otros para llevarles la imagen. Nos dicen que: “el momento es hoy”. Al demostrar compasión con aquellos a quienes le llevamos la imagen, estamos evangelizando. En Wisconsin hay un grupo que inicia sus encuentros rezando la Novena a la Mater, dejando que cada persona mencione sus peticiones. La Mater siempre preside en un lugar con flores y una vela. El contacto con estos peregrinos es muy importante.

We Shared Our SRC Recipes Rosemary Wensel, Chattanooga, TN

We shared how we have developed the apostolate of the Pilgrim MTA in our areas, through our groups and

families. Below are a number of ways that our prayer warriors have done this in the past.

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“We are coming to crown you next year!” In 2016, we will crown our Auxiliary MTA. To prepare ourselves for this event, we will spiritually travel with

Deacon John Pozzobon from the Tabor Shrine in Santa Maria, Brazil to the International Shrine in Waukesha,

Wisconsin, a distance of ca. 5,500 miles. The Rosary will be our transportation. Every 15 Rosaries prayed, moves

John and you 250 miles closer to the International Shrine.

Many people in the countries of the middle East and Africa, including Chad, Syria, Nigeria are suffering because of

war and religious persecution. We will each choose a country and pray the Rosary for the people there, and in a

very, very special way, we join in praying for the USA.

To keep track of the Rosaries prayed, mark a bead on the first Rosary. When you have marked 15 beads on the

first Rosary, you will have traveled 250 miles. Continue on praying the

Rosary and marking beads on the Rosaries on

the path. When you have traveled the complete

5,475 miles, bring your travel guide to

your 2016 crowning event. Then we will be

able to see how many total Rosaries were

prayed and how many total miles were

traveled.

Phyllis Schicker, Johnson Creek, WI

Schoenstatt Rosary Campaign

W284 N698 Cherry Lane

Waukesha WI 53188