The Mother of God dwells in the homes of our co-workers

At the Schoenstatt-Tabor Center in Atibaia/São Paulo, Brazil, there are many co-workers, and Sr. M. Inácia Bett joyfully shares that at the end of 2025 many of them established a Home Shrine. In this way, they take care of the house of the Mother of God, and she takes care of everything that belongs to them.

Each month, she offers them two moments of spirituality, giving them the opportunity to come to know more deeply the place where they work and to deepen their religious life, even though some are not Catholic. The invitation is always freely offered, and everyone participates.

“From the beginning it was explained to them that this formation is a gift from our Institute to them, because we do not consider them as laborers, but as important collaborators in our mission, together with the pilgrims and the Schoenstatt Movement,” Sr. M. Inácia explains. “As collaborators, they share in the mission of our Founder, Fr. Joseph Kentenich, and become instruments of the Mother of God in evangelization.” Every month on the 18th, they also make a group pilgrimage to the Shrine to bring their contributions to the Capital of Grace and renew their dedication to the Mother of God.

Upon learning about the presence of the Mother of God in the Shrine through contributions to the Capital of Grace—and that she also establishes herself in homes, making them Home Shrines—some shared this with their families. A desire arose to establish a Home Shrine, since some had already sealed the Covenant of Love. “Some co-workers shared the preparation themes for the Home Shrine with their families. In this way, the preparation was not only for the co-worker, but for the whole family,” the sister explains.

When they heard the testimony of a person about the ideal of his home shrine, they too wanted to find their own ideal. Very meaningful names emerged, for example: Home Shrine: Mother of Divine Mercy, Dwelling of Faith, Mary’s Flourishing Garden, Fountain of Transformation, and others.

The enthusiasm of the co-workers spread, and a young man who has worked with us for several years, and who is Evangelical, asked that we provide him with catechetical instruction because he wants to become Catholic so that he too may have his own home shrine. “On the day of the dedication of his coworkers’ home shrines, even though he was on vacation, he came to participate in Holy Mass.”

Family members of the co-workers also took part in the Holy Mass, and it was a day of many graces for everyone. “During the time of formation, the Mother of God truly worked real miracles of transformation.” Thus, the Mother of God reveals herself as a light of hope in many homes, and our co-workers have in their homes an extension of this place of grace where they work.

Edited by Sr. M. Nilza Pereira da Silva