The Mother Thrice Admirable
is re-enthroned in St. Mary’s Parish,
Sleepy Eye, Minnesota!
On a lovely autumn evening, 60 people from St. Mary’s parish in Sleepy Eye, Minnesota, USA, joined the October Rosary Procession which began at our Jubilee Family Shrine, the Schoenstatt Shrine which is located on the shores of Lake Sleepy Eye in our small farm town. The parish priest, Father Craig Timmerman, invited us to bring the Mother Thrice Admirable image, originally enthroned in St. Mary’s Parish in 1994, to join the procession before her re-enthronement, which would take place the same evening.
Capital of grace sheets – intention sheets – were passed out before the beginning of the procession to all who were gathered in front of the shrine, so that they could write their intentions and put the slips of paper in the jar in the shrine, which bear the fitting words: Nothing without you, Nothing without us.
Father Timmerman began the procession by praying an opening prayer directed to our MTA and written by one of the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary, Sister M. Marcia Vinje. He prayed this prayer kneeling in the open doorway of the shrine, with the people gathered around:
We gather in this place of grace
where we believe the Blessed Mother is present in a very real way. This small shrine is in itself a place of pilgrimage where we can encounter God and experience how this meeting changes our lives. …If we place our lives and ourselves unreservedly at the disposal of our Blessed Mother, she too will give herself entirely to us in a similar manner. She will live in our midst and be the mediatrix of all graces. She will lead us to her Son and educate us into disciples who assist her in fulfilling the mission God entrusted to her. Like Mary and with her, we will help Christ build the Kingdom of the Father.
After this opening prayer, the procession began. A statue of the Blessed Mother from St. Mary’s parish, carried by the Mass servers (young men from the parish) led the procession and the MTA image from the parish followed close behind, carried by the one of the Schoenstatt Movement Leaders, Ron Miller. The people recited the rosary and sang Marian hymns together as they processed along the bike path, past Lake Sleepy Eye, and across the street to St. Mary’s Parish Church.
An easel had been set up in the sanctuary, next to the altar, for the MTA image. The Mary statue was placed on the other side of the altar. The Blessed Sacrament was exposed and excerpts from the 2021 crowning prayer, in which the MTA image in the church had been crowned as Cor Mariae, Heart of Mary, were prayed. Most of the prayer was written by Father Mark Steffl, the previous pastor of St. Mary’s parish.
Dear Mother Thrice Admirable, Queen, and Victress of Schoenstatt,
we greet you under your title Cor Mariae – Heart of Mary. On October 3, 2021, you received this title, and we want to renew your coronation as we give you a new place of honor at the completion of the altar re-gilding here at St. Mary’s….
…Mary, our Mother and Queen,
accept this crown as a symbol of your power as mediatrix of healing grace. Accept this crown as a symbol of your power and protection over our lives, our family, our church, and our nation. Accept this crown as a sign that we are yours. Trusting in you, we surrender ourselves totally to your love and authority.
You are the Mother of the Church.
Heal and protect all families, all our priests, all those in consecrated life, and all who serve our parishes. Inspire our local and national leaders to be persons of great character and virtue. Help us to work together to solve the many pressing problems in our city, state, and nation.
After the prayer, the choir sang a beautiful rendition of the Ave Maria. There was then time for silent adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and the celebration concluded with benediction. Afterwards, our MTA, Cor Mariae, was enthroned on the right side of the St. Joseph side altar.