From February 24 to 26, 2026, the Theological-Pastoral Congress on the Guadalupan Event was held in Mexico City, convened by the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, the Mexican Episcopal Conference, and the Pontifical International Marian Academy, as part of the preparation for the Guadalupan Jubilee in 2031.
The congress brought together bishops, theologians, consecrated persons, and pastoral agents from across the continent to deepen their understanding of the significance of the Guadalupan Event as a paradigm of inculturated evangelization and as a light for the current challenges facing the Church in America.
Schoenstatt’s participation
The Schoenstatt Apostolic Movement was represented by Sr. M. Kathia Martínez, Continental Coordinator, who actively participated in the pastoral reflection spaces, and by Fr. Alexandre Awi Melo, current Superior General of the Institute of Schoenstatt Fathers and President of the International Schoenstatt Presidium, who gave a presentation during the congress. This presentation was a firm confirmation that, from the spirituality of the Covenant of Love, we can contribute a deeply Marian, pedagogical, and missionary perspective, in full harmony with the heart of the Guadalupe event.
Schoenstatt’s presence was a concrete expression of our ecclesial responsibility and our commitment to the continental mission.
Theological and pastoral keys of the Congress
Among the themes that marked the reflections, we highlight:
1. Guadalupe as a model of inculturation
The Guadalupe event was explored in depth as a paradigm of inculturated evangelization: Mary enters the cultural world of the people, assumes their language and symbols, and from there proclaims Christ. This pedagogy remains decisive to the mission today.
2. A Church with a maternal face
The figure of Blessed Mary of Guadalupe was presented as an expression of the maternal face of the Church: closeness, tenderness, dignity for the little ones, and the ability to reconcile in contexts marked by polarization, migration, and violence.
3. Looking ahead to the Jubilee in 2031
The congress was not intended to be merely an academic reflection, but rather a pastoral impulse in preparation for the 500th anniversary of the apparitions. It was emphasized that the Jubilee should be a spiritual and missionary process that renews the continent’s evangelization.
Resonances we find in the Schoenstatt charism
For Schoenstatt, the Guadalupe Event finds a deep resonance with the charism received by Father Joseph Kentenich:
- The pedagogy of personal relationships.
- Cultural transformation from the heart.
- The centrality of Mary as educator and formator of missionary disciples.
- The conviction that God acts in the concrete history of peoples.
Just as in Guadalupe, Mary manifests herself as a close Mother who generates a historical process of faith and dignity, so too, in the Schoenstatt Shrine, she continues to form the new person in the new community. Both experiences converge in the same dynamic: Mary as the protagonist of spiritual and cultural renewal.
Fr. Alexandre Awi Melo’s presentation emphasized precisely this missionary dimension: the need for a Church that accompanies processes, forms hearts, and lives synodality from a deep Marian identity.
A renewed sending forth
Participation in this congress has confirmed for Schoenstatt the call to serve the Church in America actively. In communion with the journey towards the Guadalupe Jubilee 2031, we renew our commitment to collaborate, drawing on our Covenant spirituality, our pedagogy, and our pastoral experience, in the service of the continental and international mission.
Guadalupe is not only a memory; it is a task. And as International Schoenstatt Family, we want to continue saying “Yes” to the mission that Mary entrusts to the Church today.
