Yonis Fernández and Yris Taveras, from the Dominican Republic, have been journeying together through life for 13 years, sharing joys, struggles, and dreams. Throughout this time, they have formed a family and raised their children with love, but they have also cultivated a solid spiritual life, finding a shared path of faith in the Schoenstatt mission and other pastoral ministries of the Church. At 60 years of age, their story is not one of a youthful beginning, but one of a mature love that has been constantly renewed under the maternal gaze of the Blessed Mother.

However, something very important was missing in the couple’s life.

The Pilgrim Mother leads them to the Sacrament of Matrimony

During the International Congress of the Pilgrim Mother Apostolate in Santa Maria, Brazil, celebrating the 75th anniversary of John Pozzobon’s pilgrimage, Yonis was deeply moved. As he listened to the homilies and participated in the workshops, he silently asked himself a question: “Mother, why have you brought us here?” The answer grew in his heart like a divine whisper, a certainty that could only come from her: they should not continue to participate so actively in the life of the Church, guiding other couples, without having fully received the grace of the Sacrament of Marriage.

That inner voice became an act of faith and love on Monday, September 15. Upon arriving at the Schoenstatt Shrine in Porto Alegre after the closing of the Congress, Yonis took Yris by the hand and, with tears in his eyes, asked her to marry him before the Church. This happened during Holy Mass, right after the homily. It was not just a marriage proposal, it was a renewed yes, a total surrender into the hands of God and Mary, in the place where so many graces have sprung forth for the world. In that moment, the human and the divine came together: their love, which had matured over 13 years of shared life, became a living testimony of Our Lady’s miracles.

“When we arrived, I asked my partner what had brought us here on this pilgrimage. Listening to the homilies and workshops, I continued to pray and wait for our Mother’s answer. Today, upon arriving at the Schoenstatt Shrine in Porto Alegre, Mother told me that I could no longer continue participating in all of our activities in our parish, leading a group of couples without being able to receive Communion.”

She said “yes”

What happened there was not a matter of chance, but of Providence. In the midst of a historic jubilee for the Schoenstatt Movement, as delegations from 25 countries joined in prayer, the Blessed Mother worked a silent but powerful miracle: she inspired one of her sons to seal his love with sacramental grace and one of her daughters to respond with the same “yes” as Mary. That marriage proposal was not only a personal decision, but a sign of hope for all couples, an invitation to trust that love, when placed in God’s hands, always finds new paths.

Today, Yonis and Yris not only celebrate a promise, but also become living witnesses of how the Pilgrim Mother continues to act, uniting hearts and renewing faith. Their story is a message for everyone: open yourselves to Mary’s love, let yourselves be guided by her tenderness, and trust that, even after many years together, God always has a new beginning planned for you.

Without a doubt, the venerable deacon John Pozzobon, who brought the sacrament of marriage to so many families, is rejoicing to see that the Blessed Mother continues to work miracles.

Translation: Maribel Acaron