“She is the Great Missionary; She will work miracles.
St. Vincent Pallotti
"Make as many people as happy as possible"
Joseph Kentenich
Mother Thrice Admirable, Queen and Victress of Schoenstatt
With the main objective of evangelizing families and individuals, the Schoenstatt Pilgrim Mother, reaches out to everyone, promoting Christian values and renewing the life of prayer in homes, schools, and wherever people search for God. As part of the Apostolic Movement of Schoenstatt, this apostolate is one of the most effective ways of making a reality the new evangelization needed in our modern times
History
The Pilgrim Mother Campaign originated in Brazil in 1950. It was a Holy Year, during which Pope Pius XII declared the Dogma of Our Lady Queen assumed into heaven.
As a special gift to Our Lady, a Schoenstatt Sister of Mary entrusted a layman, John Pozzobon, with a 10kg picture of the Mother Thrice Admirable and Queen of Schoenstatt, encouraging him to take it into the homes of families and to pray with them. It was the beginning of a long walk over thirty years during which John Pozzobon covered 140,000kms of dedicated service to his Mother and Queen carrying her picture on his shoulders in every kind of weather into every possible situation.
It's aim
Our Lady was the first ‘Pilgrim Mother’ or the first ‘Christian missionary’ when she visited her cousin Elizabeth. She brought Christ to her cousin and the grace of redemption to John. When the image of the Mother Thrice Admirable is blessed and sent out from the Schoenstatt Shrine, it is similar to Mary who went to visit her cousin Elizabeth bringing the presence of Christ with her. Mary, too, carries Christ into our homes, serves our spiritual needs, and works miracles by interceding for us before the throne of God
The aim of the Pilgrim Mother campaign is to make the same graces of redemption available to the people of our time through the picture of the Mother Thrice Admirable, Queen and Victress of Schoenstatt.
How it works
Not everyone can physically visit a Schoenstatt Shrine, but its three-fold grace of a spiritual home, of transformation into Christ and of being a zealous apostle is made available through the acknowledged picture of grace. Our Lady ‘visits’ homes, families, schools, prisons, offices, hospitals, communities, wherever she is wanted or needed, so that Christ may once again be ‘born’ in the hearts of all whom she meets or who welcome her into their hearts.
The Pilgrim Mother Campaign has been established on all continents and, according to testimonies, is a source of rich blessing, comfort and hope to individuals, families and communities in a world still awaiting its fullness of redemption.
The Campaign is active in and around our Shrines in South Africa, Cathcart (E. Cape), Johannesburg, (Bedford View) and the Shrines in Cape Town, Constantia, Tamboerskloof and Hanover Park.
Get Involved
Whoever would like to invite the Pilgrim Mother to visit them in their home can contact thier local Schoenstatt Centre. They form or join a Pilgrim Mother Circle. They can belong for as long or as short as they wish. Each member has the Pilgrim Mother for one day or two or a week. Then they must pass her on to the next person by either going to that person’s home, or if that person comes to Mass, they can pass her over at Church or that person comes and fetches her. A family may decide to have her the first week of every month or on a special date of every month eg the 12th or 25th or whatever.
In the home, a nice place should be provided for the Pilgrim Mother, she should be welcomed into the home. The family can discuss how they can do this- and how they will greet her every day. Other people can also be invited for a prayer session. The family normally prayes the rosary around the Pilgrim Mother. There is a booklet provided which goes around with the Pilgrim Mother. In this booklet there are suggestions for the visit and a number of prayers you can use.
