On Saturday, April 11, we, the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary of the Nazareth Province, sought to honor our Mother and Queen at her National Shrine in Argentina, as part of the 100th anniversary of our founding. The Nazareth Province of the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary has its Province House in New Schoenstatt, Florencio Varela, Buenos Aires, and comprises the territories of Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay.

From Shrine to Shrine

Very early in the morning, we set out for the National Shrine of Our Lady of Luján. We wanted to unite the shrines by departing from New Schoenstatt and from our centers in Buenos Aires to converge—about 70 sisters—on the avenue leading to the Basilica. In this way, we were fulfilling the request of our Father and Founder, who said this in Luján, during his first visit to the National Shrine, on Monday, June 9, 1947: “Our shrines must bring life to the national shrines of the various countries.”

Pilgrims on our way to our great common home

What could be better than arriving at the National Shrine, home of the Patroness of our journeys, walking step by step across that sacred ground that Mary herself traversed during her nightly wanderings?

The morning dew still accompanied us, and the recently cut grass clung to our shoes, along with the dust and damp earth.

How could we not think then of the young Virgin Mary whom little Manuel would find in the mornings with her damp dress and thistles from the field caught in the weave of the fabric?

A Covenant that includes a very special exchange

So many times, we have heard about the exchange of hearts with our Mater ter Admirabilis in the Shrine. In the Little Consecration prayer, we give Mary everything we have, and she, in turn, gives us everything she has. In preparation for this pilgrimage, in this prayer so dear to us—and to all Schoenstatt children—we heard the echo of that memorable phrase from Little Manuel: “I belong to the Virgin, that’s all,” through which he gave himself as “her instrument and possession.”

This year, as we celebrate the centennial of our founding as Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary, we were able to carry out a very eloquent gesture made possible by small open doors: not only were we able to entrust to her once again all that we are and have, but we also very consciously presented her with a new dress for her Pilgrim Image at the Shrine in Luján.

It was a tender detail of Providence that we were able to present her with her new and beautiful dress, made by the Carmelite Sisters who live next to the Shrine. It is embroidered with a symbol that identifies us: the Shrine, with the symbol of the Father; inside, the MTA monogram, which incorporates the cross, just as it is expressed in the monogram we wear on our veils and the lilies that guard the Shrine.

Mary, meanwhile, confirmed us in our mission to be her living presence in the world. We continue to offer her our feet, so that she may walk through us along today’s paths; our hands, so that she may continue to heal the wounds of the soul; and our hearts, so that she may continue to bestow mercy in a world that often lives exposed to the elements. But we also want to return from our duties, bearing on our blessed garment the thorns, the dew, and the dust of the path we have traveled, just as it occurred on the sacred mantle of Our Lady.

In this way, the “garment-for-garment” exchange is a beautiful expression of the Covenant that unites us inseparably to her and allows us to be that light of hope for which people today cry out.

A solemn celebration, befitting the historic event in which we were participating

We had the great gift of participating in the 11:00 am. Holy Mass presided over by Monsignor Jorge Esteban González, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of La Plata and a member of the Schoenstatt Federation Priests. Much to our surprise, he invited us to lead the entrance procession alongside him; thus, an endless line of sisters crossed the entire basilica to the amazement and uncontainable joy of the faithful participating in the celebration.

In his homily, among other things, Bishop González said:

“Just a few years after the birth of the Schoenstatt Movement in Germany (…), Fr. Joseph Kentenich sought full-time female collaborators. He desiredPeregrinación to create ‘an autonomous and independent women’s movement’ in which women ‘take the reins.’ Thus, on October 1, 1926, 18 young women volunteered to carry out this task. Despite the uncertainty of the postwar period, they left their professions. They began in absolute poverty, but with the enthusiasm and idealism that is required to be the seed of a new kind of community. In their commitment to Schoenstatt as a lay movement, they wanted to lead a life consecrated to God, similar to that of religious orders, but with the rhythm and spirituality of the laity. This was new for the Church before the Council; there was still no room in its structure for this type of community, and no certainty that the venture would succeed. However, just five years after its founding, in 1931, they were already present in some forty locations throughout Germany. In 1947, Pope Pius XII recognized the way of life of “secular institutes,” and thus the first German secular institute was established. As we see, God never ceases to surprise us… when a Work comes from His Providence, it does not matter how small His instruments are, nor the trials or difficulties they must endure.”

During the Offertory, Sister Lourdes María López Manzur, 26, accompanied by Sister Miriam Schegg, 93, presented the list of names of all the sisters who make up the Nazareth Province. The bishop received it and placed the sheet beneath the new mantle, a symbol of our offering, already prepared to clothe the “Pure and Immaculate Conception.” In this way, Providence allowed us to seal with that gesture the motto that motivated us on the pilgrimage: “Mary, light of hope, under your mantle, renew our ‘yes.’”

At the end of Holy Mass, the long-awaited moment arrived to replace the dress that the Virgin Mary had worn throughout the past year—marked and worn by the passage of pilgrims and the imprints of countless hands that, over the course of the year, had rested upon the fabric in gratitude and supplication…

The bishop, assisted by Sr. Cecilia María Flecha Cosp, Provincial Superior of the Sisters of Mary, and the Rector of the Shrine of Luján, Fr. Lucas García, proceeded to replace the dress. With a beautiful prayer recited by all the sisters, we brought that unforgettable moment to a close.

This April 11, the day our Father and Founder was consecrated as a child to the Blessed Mother during the Octave of Easter, will continue to resonate in our souls. Mary herself, with her mantle of Luján, in her virginal dress, wished to renew our vocation; she wished to instill in us new courage to continue traveling throughout the length and breadth of Argentina, to continue being pilgrims “on the move,” leading those entrusted to us to her Son. In this way, the prayer of our Father and Founder, so dear to all of us, continues to resonate on our lips: “Let us walk like you through life, let us mirror you forever. Strong and noble, meek and mild peace and love be our endeavor. Walk in us through our world, make it ready for the Lord”.

Translation: Maribel Acaron