On Saturday, July 16, sixteen novices received the Tunic of Sion, a formal ceremony in which those who want to be formed to become Schoenstatt Fathers are welcomed. The novices who have been in Tuparendá, Paraguay for a couple of months arrived from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, the United States and Poland.
Father Juan Pablo Catoggio presided the ceremony.
The celebration began with the presentation of the novices recounting some of the highlights of their lives. Later the novices, accompanied by the flags of their countries and the 36 Schoenstatt Fathers who were present at St. Mary of the Trinity Church, arrived in procession to participate in the Mass which was presided by the Superior of the Schoenstatt Fathers, Juan Pablo Catoggio.
The readings were in Polish, English, and Spanish. Then, the novice master, Father Manuel López Naón, named each of the sixteen, to which they responded in their own language, “Here I am”. When the moment arrived, the white tunics and cincture were blessed and each of the vestments was handed out. The participants left for a moment and returned dressed in the Tunic of Sion, the liturgical vestment of the Schoenstatt Fathers’ community that represents the Blessed Mother and her purity, simplicity, and the striving for poverty, as well as the cincture that represents obedience.
They come from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, United States and Poland.
Moments of joy, songs and excitement were experienced when the novices re-entered the Church. Those in Paraguay ready to begin their formation are: Agustín Ezequiel Eichenberger (Rosario, Argentina), Alexander James Chunda (Austin, USA), Daniel Alejandro Rangel Jiménez (San Luis Potosí, Mexico), Davi Vilarinho de Oliveira (Sao Paulo, Brazil), Filip Kobiec (Miastko, Poland), Fernando Henrique Rodrigues Santos (Ibiporá, Brazil), Francisco Javier Gigoux Silva (Santiago, Chile), Francisco José Ferreccio (Buenos Aires, Argentina), Jerónimo Adriel Juarez (Tucumán, Argentina), Joaquín Ignacio Peña Ross (Concepción, Chile), Juan Felipe Suárez (Austin, USA), Juan Ramón Santoyo Reyes (Querétaro, Mexico), Julian August Salas (San Antonio, USA), Luis Raymundo Cervantes Flores (Querétaro, Mexico), Nicolás Cristián Iturriaga Donoso (Los Angeles, Chile) and Ricardo Ilhe Petrassi Silva (Londrina, Brazil).
The celebration continued with an emotional song composed by the novices from the new course that states “”Towards Christ we walk, with Mary we always go. Sion sunny meadow, land that wants to be cultivated, Mother receive our nothingness, clothe us of Christ in our abode”.
As of today, let us pray for each one of them, those who dress themselves with Christ for others and know that they can count on us, their Schoenstatt Family.
