“Our dream has come true today in Biguaçu,” said Maria Lessa Chiquetti, a missionary of the Pilgrim Mother Apostolate in the municipality of Atalanta (Santa Catarina, Brazil), on the occasion of the dedication of the first Schoenstatt Shrine in the state of Santa Catarina (Brazil).
From dawn on Sunday, July 20, around a hundred buses arrived in Biguaçu, carrying thousands of pilgrims to participate in this long-awaited moment, which the people of Santa Catarina had been eagerly anticipating for decades. There were participants from all over the state, as well as caravans of Schoenstatters from various parts of Brazil. All eyes were on the small shrine, located on top of a hill in the Tijuquinhas neighborhood.
“For us, the wait of many years has become a reality… We longed for the Blessed Mother to come and live among us to attract many people and transform hearts. The Shrine is an oasis for all of us,” says Gládis Kuhn, from the Schoenstatt Mothers League.
The Tabor of Mercy
The Holy Mass was presided over by the Archbishop of Florianópolis, Monsignor Wilson Tadeu Jönck, SCJ, and concelebrated by the bishops of the dioceses of Tubarão/SC, Monsignor Adilson Pedro Busin, CS, and Blumenau/SC, Monsignor Rafael Biernaski (member of the Federation of Schoenstatt Diocesan Priests), as well as many priests.
In his homily, Monsignor Wilson emphasized the significance of the shrine as a place of encounter with God: “The most important thing is not the stone church. The stone church is an instrument for building the true Church, which is us. It is in our hearts that God wants to dwell. […] This shrine is a place of encounter with God. Everyone is invited to climb this hill, stand before God, and speak to him about their lives. This hill, this Shrine, is called Tabor of Mercy. Tabor is the mountain of the Transfiguration. It is the transformation that the presence of Christ, the presence of God, can bring about in anyone’s life.”
After the homily, the rite of dedication took place, during which the new temple was solemnly consecrated to the Lord. A relic of Saint Generosa, a martyr of the second century, was placed on the altar, thus uniting the present of the Church with the living memory of the first Christians.
Mother and Queen, we invite you
One of the most emotional and significant moments was the arrival of the image of the Mother and Queen of Schoenstatt at the Shrine. To the sound of the song Ave Maria, performed by the Voices of Santa Catarina choir, a procession of Sisters of Mary born in the state of Santa Catarina carried the image of the MTA to the Shrine. The image was placed in its place of honor by the national director of the Movement, Father Antonio Bracht.
The old Schoenstatt song that says, “We call you and invite you to come and live among us; it is our desire,” accompanied the moment of the enthronement of the image of the Blessed Mother. This music reminded us that, thanks to the covenant life of the Schoenstatt children of Santa Catarina, both living and deceased, the 25th throne of grace of the Mother and Queen was being established on Brazilian soil.
It was an emotional moment, but also one of commitment to the mission, as Nilo Simm, coordinator of the Pilgrim Mother Apostolate in the Diocese of Joinville, recalls: “It was an event marked by several moments of emotion, especially because it brought to mind people who had dedicated themselves so much to making this moment a reality and who, for some reason, could not be present, or who continued on their journey in the ‘heavenly Schoenstatt.'” Participating in the liturgy that day was a great honor; I could feel God’s mercy. At the same time, feeling that the Shrine to which we are dedicated had become a reality made us feel like it was October 18, 1914, not with a sense of mission accomplished, but with a renewed commitment that all who come there may feel in the Blessed Mother’s lap.”
This great day of celebration was a blessing from heaven, but it also benefited from the collaboration of many volunteers who worked tirelessly to ensure everything went smoothly. They also knew how to offer to the Capital of Grace what, despite all their efforts, did not turn out as planned, thus giving a great testimony of love for the Mother and Queen and of commitment to the mission.
