A group of young women from the Schoenstatt Girls’ Youth in Chile got a surprise on Easter Sunday, April 20. While celebrating the Resurrection of the Lord in the Vatican, Pope Francis came out to greet everyone present in St. Peter’s Square.
The Lady of Schoenstatt María Luz Saldaña, who accompanied the group, recalls: “The encounter with the Pope was very moving. We knew he was in poor health, and we weren’t certain we would be able to see him. Then he came out to give his blessing and even got into the popemobile to greet the people. It was a very touching gesture from a Pope who wanted to spend his last moments among his people.”
The Pilgrim Mother – A gift for the Pope
In this group of girls, along with Mrs. María Luz, were three members of the Girls’ Youth from Quillota: Paz González, Pola Cifuentes, and Trinidad Dinamarca. There was also a young woman from the Campanario Shrine, Ignacia Manterola, who is currently studying in Spain.
Trinidad Dinamarca took the initiative to push through the security barriers to give the Holy Father a special gift: the image of the Pilgrim Mother of Schoenstatt.
She recounts: “I felt very fortunate and the excitement was overwhelming. The truth is that at that moment I didn’t really think much, I just jumped, the guards held me back, but I managed to escape and then slow down the vehicle. They told me not to touch him, and the Pope accepted the image of the Blessed Mother. The person next to him took it.”
Mrs. María Luz reflects on the moment they experienced: “For us, Schoenstatt is a gift for the Church, which is why we took the Pilgrim Mother through Rome and tried to have her seen by the Pope. Trinidad offered her in that spirit: as a sign of Schoenstatt’s love and of our Blessed Mother’s love for the Holy Father. Apparently, it was one of the last gifts the Pope received. Perhaps the last. He died less than 24 hours later. I believe that what happened is a symbol of the importance of Schoenstatt’s mission within the Church. We have so much to give, all of Father’s spirituality and that of our Mother centered on the Shrine. The future of the Church depends on our commitment to the mission entrusted to us in Schoenstatt.”
A symbolic gesture – the Blessed Mother accompanied him until the end!
It is important to mention that the Pope died in his room at Casa Santa Marta, next to the image of the Pilgrim Mother that he always kept by his bedside.
Fr. Alexandre Awi, president of the International Schoenstatt Presidium, spoke of the gift that the girls had given in their video message: “In his last journey through St. Peter’s Square, the Pilgrim Mother wanted to be with him during his last moments with the People of God, just as we know that she remained with him for so many years in Casa Santa Marta, in his own room. The Blessed Mother was always with him, and he always directed us to her. And that is why we also want to make the most of these days to remember everything he gave us and to embrace his legacy, to carry it forward in the Church.”
See the interview with the girls on Instagram here
