During the morning of November 29, 2024
the children of the Raio de Sol¹ (Sunray) Kindergarten made a pilgrimage
to the Schoenstatt Shrine in Atibaia, Brazil.
With the Mother Three Times Admirable of Schoenstatt, they experienced a day filled with faith and joy. They sang, prayed, and delighted the other pilgrims who had also come to the Schoenstatt Shrine, the Tabor of the Father’s Permanent Presence, in Atibaia/SP, Brazil.
Exchange of crowns
Beginning in October, the children had striven to be princes or princesses of the Blessed Mother. They did this by being obedient, respectful, friendly, and practicing kindness towards each other. In the shrine, the children–accompanied by their teachers, the coordinator, the pedagogical director and some members of the childcare team–presented the Blessed Mother with her crown. It was a symbolic action expressing love, trust, and gratitude. As a gift in return, they received a gold prince or princess crown. This expressed that we are children of God through Baptism, and because God is a king, we are also princes and princesses.
Lindaura Lourenço da Silva, a teacher who has been working at the Raio de Sol daycare center for 12 years, shared her enthusiasm about this experience:
“We’ve been living for this moment all year. We knew it would take work to organize everything, but we prepared the children, explained to them the meaning of the crown, and asked the Blessed Mother to take care of everything. In the end, everything turned out well. It was a great joy, because we not only took care of the educational part, but also the spiritual growth of the children. Everything that we did during this day at the shrine was prepared for during the year. That is very gratifying.“
Caring for nature
On the same day, the children participated in the conclusion of the “Frutos da Terra” (Fruits of the Earth) project, an initiative of the city’s educational network on caring for nature and the importance of a sustainable approach to the environment. To conclude the project they planted a fruit tree on the property around the shrine.
Two hundred and thirty-eight children between the ages of 2 to 4 attend Raio de Sol. All educational activities are based on Schoenstatt‘s pedagogy. In accordance with Brazilian educational guidelines, the activities are developed according to the age group of the children, using a playful language so that the children develop habits based on values and learn to interact well with others.