Ecuador: Heaven and earth united to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the National Shrine

The Schoenstatt Family in Ecuador experienced days of profound meaning when they celebrated the 50th Anniversary of their National Shrine in Guayaquil on January 20th. The celebrations consisted of community events that spanned three days and included the presence of the Apostolic Nuncio of Ecuador and bishops from different dioceses. From the testimony of those present, it was a profound experience that incites the members of the Movement to faithfully carry on the legacy of the Founding Father, Father Joseph Kentenich, within a Church on the go.

Joy and happiness throughout the Jubilee year.

Many contributions to the Capital of Grace by all our Family, as well as instances in which we nourished the spirit and understanding through formative material, talks, adorations, and masses;  we were preparing ourselves throughout last year to discover and unveil the Jubilee Gold of these 50 years of graces and blessings.

It was a year of preparation and joys, but also of several difficulties we encountered, especially these last weeks, due to the pandemic, however, we found the strength and the impulse in the words of our father and founder, Joseph Kentenich: “The fruitfulness achieved was not a consequence of human heroism, but a consequence of the fulfillment of the condition requested by God, of having discovered what God demanded”.

Visitors and greetings

The week of January 20 arrived and with it the arrival in Ecuador of fathers and sisters from Chile, among them Sister M. Catrin, Provincial Superior, who were the pillars in the development of life in our Family, and who enhanced our celebrations with their presence. Greetings also began to arrive from various corners of America, especially from the Continental Schoenstatt Coordinators, the National Director of the Movement in Chile, and from various members of our international Family in the United States, Peru, Brazil and Paraguay.

Wonderful hymn of gratitude

“On the eve of our jubilee celebration, I join all of you in singing a great hymn of gratitude to God for giving us our Mother Thrice Admirable in our National Shrine. These have been 50 years of a very rich history, of so many blessings poured into the hearts and initiatives that have emerged. Some we know, others only God sees. The Blessed Mother has been faithful and generous. The blessing of the Shrine took place in the spirit of January 20. Thus, our Queen invites us to take our Covenant even further, that is, to the level of Blank Check, of generous surrender to God’s plans and desires. She also reminds us that we will not achieve this if we are not deeply united as a family and hand in hand with our Father and Founder. The circumstances of this pandemic remind us that we are called to live surrendering into the loving hands of God and his plans. Let us unite our voices and sing with joy a song of gratitude.”  With this greeting sent to the entire Family on behalf of our National Director, Father Felipe Rios Correa, we began the Jubilee Triduum.

January 20th is here!

The National Shrine was beautifully decorated, our hearts burst with joy and happiness to see it so well adorned, the joyful faces of those present along with the joy expressed by the more than a thousand connected who followed the celebration through social networks, made this first day of the Jubilee Triduum a memorable experience.

The melodies of the youth choir directed by Father Juan Francisco set the mood for the entire Family, transporting many to various stages in their lives experienced around the Shrine. The entrance procession was led by a parade of flags where representatives of our communities and of the Schoenstatt Family from Quito, Babahoyo and Manta exalted this liturgical celebration. God also gave us the great gift of having the presence of Monsignor Andrés Carrascosa, Apostolic Nuncio of Ecuador, accompanied by several bishops of the country. We witnessed how the Church joined this celebration in such a merciful and paternal way, gathering the children around their Mother.

Bishop Carrascosa impressed us in his homily with his knowledge of the history of Schoenstatt in Ecuador, sowing in our hearts a challenge for the next 50 years.

The Blessed Mother left the Shrine carried by representatives of our Founding Generation as a sign of the Mother who goes out to encounter her daughters and sons and, before being taken to the Pilgrims’ Church, a happy birthday was sung to our beloved Shrine.

The golden night

On Friday 21st, adoration was held in the Shrine during the whole day starting very early in the morning. Our brothers from Quito oversaw the Golden Night, they guided the adoration for all the Family of Ecuador with a liturgy that invited Jesus to accompany us and to receive in his hands all our gratitude and offerings for these 50 years of loyalty.

For my shrine my commitment is golden

At the end of the adoration, the canvas of the Time Capsule was read, which contains the commitments to the Shrine of hundreds of members of the Family for the next 25 years. Since the first days of January, during the Sunday Masses in our four Shrines in Ecuador and at the Wayside Shrine in Manta and also by means of a digital document, the commitments that will be unearthed in the year 2047 were written on golden ribbons. We trust that the Blessed Mother will take care of the loyalty to each one of these aspirations.

The Shrine: a gift for the church

On Saturday the 22nd, to close this unsurpassable Jubilee Triduum, the celebration began with the Blessed Mother’s return to her throne of grace carried by representatives of the Schoenstatt Youth.

Our Pastor, Monsignor Luis Gerardo Cabrera, Archbishop of Guayaquil, celebrated the Holy Mass. His words when he mentioned our motto: Shrine is Mission, committed us even more to take this jubilee fire to the new and future generations, and at the same time to walk on the path of our Synodal Church with greater commitment and enthusiasm.

Monsignor Cabrera received a small Shrine as a symbol of our gift for the Church. He invited us to pray to the Blessed Mother for more priestly vocations, and for consecrated and married life vocations as well. At the end of the Holy Mass he went to the renovated Pilgrims’ Church to bless it along with the Schoenstatt Fathers.

Fire for the next 50 years

Before ending this celebration, a representative of the Founding Generation invited members of the new generations to commit themselves to the life of our Shrine for the next 50 years.

After experiencing three days in which earth was united with heaven during this jubilee triduum, we are left with the gift of great joy and happiness in our hearts to see so many projects and dreams come true, as well as all the graces and blessings to come for the great Schoenstatt Family in Ecuador.

Shrine is mission, a motto that we will remember and that will accompany us for many years in our hearts and that will make us relive every instant of this Jubilee Triduum along with the words that our Father and Founder used to say:

“What you have received from your fathers, conquer it to possess it”. 

That is why, at the end of this great Jubilee celebration, the new generations take the baton from the founding generation that forged these first 50 years with such dedication and faithfulness. Our mission depends on our fidelity. Once again, great tasks are taken over on weak shoulders, trusting as children in the graces of our Shrine and in the consciousness of our mission.

Information about this jubilee can be accessed through the following link: https://linktr.ee/schoenstattjubileo.