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On September 10, 1950 in the
Shrine of Our Lady of Schoenstatt, in Santa Marķa,
Brazil, John Pozzobon was commissioned to take
the pilgrim picture of the Mother of God to the families and to pray the
Rosary with them.
For 35 years, and without
neglecting his wife, seven children, and a small store, John walked over
140,000 kilometers (87,500 miles) carrying on his shoulder the picture of
Our Lady of Schoenstatt. He visited families, schools, hospitals, prisons,
and nursing homes.
John had a great love for Mary
and was consecrated to her in the Shrine. In search of strength with which
to carry out his mission, he prayed more than one Rosary a day.
In
1959, in order to reach more families, he added small pilgrim pictures to
his Campaign, which went about the different homes inviting families to pray
the Rosary.
On December 8, 1983, John asked
the Blessed Mother that his Campaign be spread worldwide. She heard
his request.
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In March of 1984, a group of
Argentines traveled to Brazil in search of 25 pilgrim pictures to spread the
Campaign throughout all countries in the Americas. Upon arriving in Santa
Marķa, joined by John, they crowned Our Lady of
Schoenstatt as Queen of the Rosary, and asked her to hand out upon the world
the grace of praying the Rosary. They placed themselves in her hands, as
instruments.
Soon the fruits of this
coronation were to be witnessed: in less than a year, the Campaign had
spread to more than twenty countries in the five continents and in Rome, on
September 20, 1985, Pope John Paul II blessed all the pilgrim pictures of the
Campaign, which travel around the globe.
On June 27, 1985, in Santa
Marķa, John died on his way to the Shrine.
In his testament he wrote: "I
offer myself as holocaust for the great mission that was entrusted to me:
the Great Campaign of the Holy Rosary."
"Take this picture of our dear
Mother and give it a place of honor in your homes. Your homes will become a
small Shrine where Mary will work many miracles of grace, create a holy
family and transform its members." Father Joseph
Kentenich
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