Pilgrim Mother
Pilgrim Mother
With the main objective of evangelizing families and individuals, the Schoenstatt Rosary Campaign reaches out to everyone, promoting the Rosary, Christian values, and renewing the life of prayer in homes, schools, and wherever people search for God.
When the shrine-shaped image of the Mother Thrice Admirable (Pilgrim MTA) is blessed and sent out in pilgrimage from the Schoenstatt Shrine, it is similar to Mary who went to visit her cousin Elizabeth bringing the presence of Christ with her. Mary, too, carries Christ into our homes, serves our spiritual needs, and works miracles by interceding for us before the throne of God.
In addition to encouraging the Rosary prayer, the apostolate of the Pilgrim Mother promotes our consecration to Mary. In Schoenstatt we do this through a covenant of love with Mary. If we open our doors to her and to her graces, our homes and hearts will become places of grace, places where God’s presence can be found.
Thousands of people on all continents have already welcomed the Pilgrim Mother. Now the Blessed Mother wants to come to your area, to your parish, into your home. Are you ready to offer her shelter on her journey? Are you willing to be her instrument in bringing Christ’s blessings into our world?
History of this apostolate
In the Holy Year 1950, when Pope Pius XII called all Catholics to come on pilgrimage to Rome, John L. Pozzobon, a member of the Schoenstatt Movement in Santa Maria, Brazil, received an image of the Mother Thrice Admirable of Schoenstatt to be circulated in pilgrimage among families and homes in the area.
He accepted this task as a mission and took the image of the MTA (Mother Thrice Admirable) on pilgrimage for 35 years. Having walked more than 85,000 miles he brought the image of Christ and Mary to families, homes, parishes, schools, and prisons. He took to heart the words and the message of Father Joseph Kentenich, founder of Schoenstatt (1885-1968).
How can you be part of this?
– Contact information for the Pilgrim Mother coordinator on the website or at the Schoenstatt Center nearest you.
– Contact the International coordination by email to the address: coordination@schoenstatt.com if you would like to receive the image of the Pilgrim Mother.
– If you are interested in becoming a missionary, i.e., one who organizes the circulation of an image for at least one year, gather 6 – 10 families or persons who will receive the image once a month.
For those who receive the image
– They should give her a place of honor in their homes or workplace, entrust to her their worries and anxieties, trust in her intercessory power, and keep a prayerful atmosphere near the image.
– They are encouraged to pray the Rosary and reflect on how the story of Christ and Mary touches their personal and family lives.
– At the end, thank her for the blessings received, contact the missionary who coordinates the visits, and pass the image on to the next person.
– You may choose the outreach ministry you would like: schools, nursing homes, homebound, and so on.
– Become acquainted with the Schoenstatt Shrine, its graces, and its history. That will help you share the image and its message of evangelization more effectively.
– Settle on a date and time when you will receive the image and begin rotating it among your group.
– Talk to your parish priest about this