“We are working very hard for the crowning,” say the volunteers who are currently collaborating with the Belmonte Shrine in Rome.

On June 9, the MTA will be crowned “Queen Mother of the Church” in the Matri Eclesiae Shrine.

For this occasion, more than 700 Schoenstatt members from around the world have already confirmed their presence, and more are expected. Members of the International Schoenstatt Presidium will also be in attendance.

Father, mother, daughter, son-in-law, grandson… A whole Brazilian family

With so many tasks that need to be completed by that date, the Petrocchi Family from Bebedouro/São Paulo, Brazil, is volunteering in various activities at the Belmonte Shrine.

Luzia Petrocchi, a member of the Schoenstatt Mothers’ League and an artist, is in charge of decorating the “Hall of Crowns.” The crowns offered to the Blessed Mother in Belmonte over many years will be displayed there. Her husband, Francisco Petrocchi, accompanies Luzia, helping as a doorman and performing general duties around the Shrine.

The young couple Maria Eduarda Petrocchi and Fábio Teixeira Ribeiro have taken on various responsibilities, such as welcoming pilgrims, logistics, and security for the event. With them is little Pedro, just five months old, who has become the youngest Schoenstatt member to participate in the preparations.

Maria Eduarda says: “It has been a unique experience to be at the Shrine on this special occasion of the crowning more so in this jubilee year, and to be able to contribute to welcoming the pilgrims and preparing for the day of the crowning. Belmonte is part of our lives in a very special way. Since we had the opportunity to visit the Shrine in 2018, we have felt at home here. My husband and I were still dating at the time. Then we had the idea of getting married in Rome, in a church near the Shrine, but the Blessed Mother surprised us and we were blessed to get married in the Shrine (because the church was being renovated). We already belonged to Schoenstatt, but since then our bond with the Movement has grown even stronger in our parish. Today we are coordinators of the Pilgrim Mother Apostolate.”

Poles at the service of Belmonte

Margarete and Heinrich Gwozdz, from Poland, have lived in Essen (North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany) for more than 40 years.

The couple, who have been part of the Schoenstatt Movement since 2010 and currently belong to the Family League, say: “We got to know Belmonte 10 years ago during a pilgrimage to Rome. When we found out that there was the possibility of working as volunteers, we were interested, applied, and were accepted. We committed ourselves for two months.”

The Gwozdz couple describe their experience as volunteers: “We have been very well received and will miss being so close to the Shrine and the Blessed Mother. We have already met so many nice people and, despite the language barrier, we feel at home in this international Schoenstatt family.”

The Poles have helped by welcoming pilgrims, cleaning and maintaining the Shrine and its surroundings, keeping watch, opening and closing the doors… “In fact, we do everything we can and help wherever we can. We are enjoying wonderful moments, creating and accumulating new experiences, getting to know new people, places, and tourist attractions here in Belmonte and also in Rome. We will take all of this with us, benefit from it, and pass it on to others. This is only the beginning; only two weeks have passed, but we still have a few more to go.”

Waiting for the big day

During these days of anticipation and preparation, Maria Eduarda Petrocchi says that what strikes her most is “the peace and love of God that surround the Shrine and all the people who go there.” She explains: “It’s as if a desire to serve and let oneself be loved by the Virgin Mary awakens in everyone. There are many volunteers from different cultures and languages, but when they are in the Shrine, they all understand each other with the same goal: to do for the Blessed Mother a little of what She does for each one of us.”

Regarding her expectations for June 9, she says: “I am very excited to share this unique experience with various members of the Movement from around the world. I believe that crowning the Blessed Mother as Queen of our lives will certainly give us new meaning and encouragement to return to our homes and communities with greater faith, thus becoming living witnesses of our Mother’s great love for us through the many graces we have received.”

The international Coronation will be broadcast live on Schoenstatt TV—click here. For more information and news, click on the button below:

Translation: Maribel Acaron