By Theresia Titus
The Schoesnstatt Movement community in Perth, together with Knights of the Southern Cross, are producing new pilgrim shrines, inviting young families to join the WA Pilgrim Mother Apostolate in WA.
The apostolate was introduced by Deacon John Pozzobon in Santa Maria, Brazil, in 1950 and began in WA in 1986.
Today, the apostolate exists in more than 120 countries.
Speaking to The eRecord, Schoenstatt Sister Rebecca Sampang said a “new surge of interest” and the need to repair the images distributed since 1986 called for the production of new pilgrim shrines.
“The WA Pilgrim Mother Apostolate Team decided on the production of one hundred new images, along with accompanying bags marked with an Australian Logo,” Sr Rebecca added.
“In this way we want to give the pilgrim shrines an ‘updated new look’ to promote in parishes in 2020, especially inviting young families to join the apostolate.”
The new production of the shrines, she said, was funded by the Knights of the Southern Cross.
“When members of the Knights of the Southern Cross Cathedral Branch began helping with our fundraising efforts for the new bags, and they heard of the new images being made, learning that the apostolate promotes prayer in families, they were willing to financially fund the project.
“Lindsay Gregory, a member of a Pilgrim Shrine group in [Armadale Parish], along with Vince Laleggio, who belongs to the Schoenstatt Couples, helped supply the wood and once cut, assembled the images.
“Without the generous help and financial support of these people, this project would not have been so speedily completed,” she continued.
Knights of the Southern Cross member Brad Page said the deterioration of the initial images and resurgence of interest in the Apostolate “provide the opportunity to created new quality images that truly inspire devotion to Our Lady as the Mother Thrice admirable and promote prayer within the home”.
“The Knights of the Southern Cross offered to fund the creation of new Pilgrim Mother Shrines. And also volunteered their time to stain, cut images and assemble smaller Shrines which are to be sold,” Mr Page added.
“The proceedings of which will fund carry bags that are to accompany the new 100 solid timber oak Pilgrim Mother Shrines.”
Sr Rebecca is hoping to have a sample of the new pilgrim shrine bags by January 2020, and launch the new pilgrim shrines to Perth parishes throughout the year.
The pilgrim shrine is “an image of Our Lady as the Mother Thrice Admirable, who holds her Son and can be seen as a miniature of the Schoenstatt Shrine”.
“Some may know of or have visited the Schoenstatt Shrine at Mt Richon,” Sr Rebecca stated.
“Those who belong to Schoenstatt believe and have experienced the Shrine as a special place of grace, where Mary generously gives us the pilgrim graces of a home, transformation, and missionary zeal.
“The pilgrim shrine, as a picture of grace, is a miniature version of the Schoenstatt Shrine,” she explained.
The shrines are currently circulated among a group of families according to a roster, where a group of four to 10 families welcomes one pilgrim shrine into their home – “so that Mary and her Son visits each family every month”.
“Just as Mary brought Jesus into Elizabeth and Zacharia’s home when she came to visit, through the pilgrim shrine, Mary wants to distribute the special graces from the Schoenstatt Shrine into homes and work miracles of grace,” Sr Rebecca continued.
In 2017, there were 25 pilgrim shrines circulating among 25 groups of families and since 2018, the number has doubled to 50 groups of families.
“When Mary in the pilgrim shrine visits a family home, she invites the family to pray before her image. Every form of prayer is encouraged, especially the rosary.”
“There are many testimonies of numerous graces people receive by welcoming Mary into their home.”