“Feel loved and forgiven”—with these moving words, the Bishop of Querétaro, Monsignor Fidencio López Plaza, greeted the Schoenstatt Family gathered on the morning of Saturday, May 30, to attend the blessing of the “Mary, Refuge of Peace” Shrine.
Early that day, young people, families, and women lined up to enter and arrive before the ceremony began. They didn’t want to miss a single moment of this celebration they had longed for.
A place won over with the heart
Nestled on a small hill in a residential area of Querétaro, Mexico, this new Shrine was, for seven years, a wayside shrine through which a family was forged—a fruitful and vibrant community that grew not only in numbers but also in spiritual life.
The history of this place began about ten years ago. Father Darío Balbontín, then moderator of the Boys’ Youth (Juma), began working with the boys and the family branch to secure the land that they hoped would one day become the home of Juma. Father Darío left, and Father Horacio López continued the work, who in turn passed it to Father José Tomás Pérez. Father Pedro Pablo Celis arrived in Querétaro as moderator of the Boys’ Youth and took on the task of continuing the mission. Thus, on December 14, 2019, he finally blessed the Schoenstatt Wayside Shrine, accompanied by the Juma and the Schoenstatt Family who had conquered the place with their hearts.
The seed bears fruit, and the longing grows stronger
From that point on, growth was remarkable. From the very beginning, the Blessed Mother drew hearts to her, and even during the pandemic, the family grew not only in number but also in spirituality. The conquest did not cease because the longing to grow remained. Thus, on April 21, 2023, the priests’ house, the new facilities, and, finally, the Boys’ Youth house were blessed.
The family that blossomed there and grew ever larger joined the Schoenstatt Fathers in their quest for a Shrine and prepared the place for the Queen from the heart. This family awaited this moment with particular excitement, and on that Saturday, from very early on, they gathered with joy to witness this milestone in Schoenstatt’s history in Mexico: the blessing of the “Mary, Refuge of Peace” Shrine, the seventh Schoenstatt Shrine on Mexican soil.
A dream fulfilled
With about 1,500 people in attendance, the event began at 9 am. With the help of several screens, everyone was led on a “journey through time” to recall the path traveled. Prayers were offered, and the choirs accompanied the moment with their music. At 10 am, Monsignor Fidencio López, Bishop of the Diocese of Querétaro, was welcomed with applause and shouts of joy. The ceremony began with joyful singing. The flags of the different branches and apostolates of the Family Work were paraded to the altar, and in the presence of more than 15 priests—including Schoenstatt and diocesan priests—Father Diogo Barata, Provincial Superior of the Schoenstatt Fathers, read the Gospel. At the conclusion, Bishop Fidencio López addressed the gathered family with moving words.
“On the eve of the Feast of the Visitation, we contemplate Jesus telling us, ‘Behold your mother’… Here, at every Mass, we will rediscover that we must give ourselves and make sacrifices for others in the manner of Jesus.” Throughout his moving homily, Monsignor invited the family to continue serving others, to become aware that all of creation is our “sacred little home,” and that Mary, that compassionate and merciful mother, walks with us. In explaining the signs of the blessing of the altar, Monsignor led the attendees to reflect on how, as Christians, we are called to be with Jesus and to go out and evangelize.
“We are all anointed; we have been clothed in Christ; we have received the light of faith, and we are all called to be both lambs and shepherds in the manner of Jesus Christ our Lord. Dedicating a church and consecrating an altar also means dedicating and consecrating the mystical body of Christ, which is the Church.”
At the end of his homily, the Bishop affectionately blessed the assembly: “May God bless you, protect you, and give you peace.”
“My spirit rejoices”
With participation from various couples and members of the Schoenstatt Family, the Bishop anointed the Shrine’s walls and altar. One of the most moving moments came when the image of the Blessed Mother was carried on a platform by young men representing the Boys’ Youth. Amid cheers, applause, tears, and waving white flags, she reached the altar, where Daniel Valdéz and Isabel Gonzáles, leaders of the Boys’ and Girls’ Youth, presented her to the Bishop for his blessing. Immediately afterward, Armando Espinoza and Georgina Plaza, the couple who coordinate the pastoral team, accompanied by Father Pedro Pablo Celis, Rector of the Shrine, placed her on the altarpiece.
Joy filled the entire place. At the end of the ceremony, the pastoral coordination couple read a heartfelt message of thanks, and Father Pedro Pablo thanked the Bishop for his presence and affection for the family, as well as everyone present. He gave special thanks to the Schoenstatt Fathers’ community, whom he affectionately called “his family.” At the end of the ceremony, those in attendance joined the choir in joyfully singing “My soul sings, sings of the Lord’s greatness, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior…” The joy was great and the emotion overflowing, but above all, there was infinite gratitude to our good Father God for this great gift and to our beloved Blessed Mother for accepting the invitation to come to this shrine and remain with us.
The name “Mary, Refuge of Peace,” that the Schoenstatt family discovered for this Shrine, speaks for itself of what this place has meant to so many since the beginning as a wayside shrine and from which the Blessed Mother will continue to pour out graces upon all who enter the Queen’s house.
Translation: Sr. M. Lourdes Macías
