With some uncertainty about the unknown and an immense longing in our hearts, we set out on our journey to Schoenstatt. We arrived in Vallendar without knowing exactly what awaited us or what tasks we would perform each day; however, from the very first moment, the Blessed Mother made it clear to us that this was her plan, not ours. For six weeks, two married couples from Monterrey, Mexico, were blessed to volunteer in direct service to the Original Shrine.

As often happens when one gives oneself to service, we ended up receiving infinitely more than we could give.

“Praying with Our Hands”: The Gospel as a Daily Task

Arriving at the Original Shrine feels like stepping into the living history of our family. Each day began with greeting the Blessed Mother, followed by breaks throughout the day to be with the Blessed Sacrament and to join in the daily Holy Mass. We soon discovered a tangible dimension of our Covenant of Love: if on the Camino de Santiago one prays with one’s feet, in Schoenstatt we learned to pray with our hands.

Our volunteer work took place at a pivotal moment in the renewal and upkeep of the holy site. We had the opportunity to assist with a wide range of tasks:

• Care and maintenance of the Shrine: We helped move and protect all the elements of the Shrine in preparation for interior painting, carefully cleaning them and returning each piece to its place alongside volunteers from Germany and the Czech Republic.
• Moving and Preparing the New Sacristy: We helped move materials, furniture, and all items belonging to the sacristy to the storage containers, where they will be temporarily stored.
• The Heroes’ graves: With gratitude toward those who began the mission, we landscaped and improved the garden surrounding the graves of the first members of the congregation and maintained it by polishing and painting its traditional black crosses.
• Sacristy and Welcome Service: We took turns serving as sacristans in the candle chapel and attending to whatever needs arose.

In each of these tasks, no matter how small or burdensome they might seem, we felt that the work was transformed into a living offering to the Capital of Grace.

Bonds That Build the International Family

One of the greatest gifts of these weeks was the human and supernatural encounter with the community that sustains daily life near the Shrine.

Sharing our days, laughter, and fatigue with local volunteers and those from other countries allowed us to experience the beauty of being one international family. But above all, we were deeply moved by the faces of so many pilgrims arriving for the first time or returning home: seeing their emotion before the Blessed Mother renewed our sense of wonder and devotion.

A Renewed Mission

As we came to know and care for the Original Shrine in its daily routine, we couldn’t help but love it more deeply and truly feel it as our own. Our Lady, unmatched in her generosity, showed us in a thousand ways that we were there for her and because of her.

We returned to Monterrey with our hearts full and the certainty that this experience does not end here. We desire to help launch a program so that more married couples can experience this same adventure in self-giving.

Serving in the Original Shrine is a transformative gift. Like every gift from God, it sends us back to our daily lives to continue building Schoenstatt with renewed joy and willingness.