On September 23, about 30 pilgrims from Argentina had a special moment during the general audience with Pope Leo XIV in St. Peter’s Square in Rome. Most of the pilgrims were from Buenos Aires and were accompanied by two couples from Mendoza. The pilgrimage included a visit to Schoenstatt and its historic sites, followed by visits to Rome and other Italian cities.
Months before the trip, the group sent a letter to the Vatican expressing their desire to greet the Holy Father in person. The response confirmed they would receive tickets for the audience, but it remained unclear how close they would be able to get to the Pope.
The surprise and joy were immense when the group realized they had been assigned a reserved section to the right of the Holy Father, very close to St. Peter’s Basilica. For the pilgrims, this was much more than a good seat: it was a concrete opportunity to make a dream come true—a dream that had accompanied them throughout the entire preparation for the trip.
A Request brought to the Heart of the Church
For months, the group had longed to greet the Pope, especially to present him with a photo of Father Joseph Kentenich, asking for his help and prayers for the beatification process of Schoenstatt’s Father and Founder.
“It was a dream—and, as we say in Argentina, ‘dreaming is free,’” says Sister M. Teresa Buffa, who prepared the small picture to present to the Pope.
In addition, the group sought another symbol as a gift. During the pilgrimage, a small jar bearing the inscription “Nothing without you, nothing without us” was filled with contributions for the Capital of Grace. For nearly two weeks, the pilgrims gathered their offerings, sacrifices, and prayers, intending to present them to the Pope along with a request for the Founder’s beatification.
Before the audience, Father Martín Clavijo of the Schoenstatt Federation of Diocesan Priests and Sister M. Teresa Buffa presented the Capital of Grace and the picture, explained their meanings, and asked for prayers for the Founder’s beatification. Although the encounter lasted only a few moments, it was deeply moving.
On behalf of so many Schoenstatt children
The experience was lived not only as a personal encounter but also as an opportunity to represent, in that moment, so many members of the Schoenstatt Family who desire that Father Kentenich’s holiness of life and the relevance of his mission for the Church be recognized.
“In a certain sense, I felt unworthy to represent so many Schoenstatt children and spiritual children of our Father and Founder, whom we believe to be a great saint and to have a very important message for the Church today,” says Sr. M. Teresa.
For her, the request for beatification is deeply linked to the spiritual legacy left by the Founder: “His beatification and canonization would be an enormous blessing for the Church of our time, especially when we consider our charism, the network of bonds, and the gift of the Covenant of Love.”
The brief meeting with Pope Leo XIV thus became a moment rich in meaning: the symbolic presentation of the prayers and sacrifices of the pilgrimage, the request for Father Kentenich’s beatification, and the expression of the desire to place Schoenstatt’s mission once again at the service of the Church.
The highlight of the Pilgrimage
Looking back on the experience, the pilgrims acknowledge that those few moments with the Holy Father were the highlight of the entire trip.
“We all experienced as a group that those moments with the Holy Father were the highlight of our pilgrimage. It was an enormous gift to meet the Vicar of Christ, and, on behalf of the entire Schoenstatt Movement and our Father and Founder, who loved the Church so much and suffered so much for her,” emphasizes Sister M. Teresa.
Throughout their journey through Argentina, their visit to Schoenstatt, and their days in Italy, the group carried a common intention. Upon returning home, they also carried with them the memory of a brief yet deeply meaningful encounter: before the Pope in St. Peter’s Square, they were able to once again present the life, mission, and spiritual legacy of Father Joseph Kentenich and entrust to the Church and the Holy Father the request for his beatification.
