17 April 2023 · 2023-04 newsletter
17-18 March 2023
Mount Schoenstatt once more held 24 hours for the Lord in answer to the Pontifical Council’s theme of forgiveness. Themed around Luke 18:13 “God have mercy on me a sinner” we sent the call to the four dioceses surrounding the National Shrine. The event was facilitated by Paul and Ramani, members the NSW Family Branch.
The event began with Holy Mass. It was the feast day of St Patrick which added an extra solemnity, followed by benediction and reconciliation until 10pm .
Members of the Women’s branch, Family branch and members of the surrounding parishes supervised an hour over the following 24 hour period with readings, prayers and music.
On the Saturday, the Shrine welcomed pilgrims as normal, except that they could be in the company of the Blessed Sacrament that was exposed throughout the day. The event concluded with Mass starting at 5pm on Saturday, with Reconciliation held at various slots throughout the weekend.
In addition, we sold tea, coffee, drinks and cake to the pilgrims which was well appreciated.
The event was well attended, with pilgrims praying both inside and outside the Shrine. Even the middle of the night and early hours of Saturday proved surprisingly popular.
Unlike last year, this time the temperature in Sydney soared while people gathered to pray. Even so, the grace of quiet prayer was easy to discern and we relied not on words but on silence and listening.
We continue to invite connection with God, the source and ground of our being, and of discovering our true self, which is often hidden by the noise and distractions of our daily life.
Paul
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