The provincial
of Paraguay, Fr. Francisco CARILLO has announced that the Oblates have accepted
the responsibility of ministering to the faithful at the Shrine of the Virgin
of Itacuá in the diocese of Encarnación. Fr. Francisco stated further that the
mission of the Oblates will be to “…advance the pastoral plan of the diocese,
especially in reference to the Continental Mission and the Permanent Mission of
Paraguay: To evangelize the family.
“We want to give
this privileged place of nature a sacred character where the pilgrim can have a
living experience of Jesus the Savior and Son of Mary and can praise the
Creator in the midst of this blessed land.”
The director of
the Shrine is Fr. Andrés CZEKAJ; he will work closely with the pastor of the
neighboring parish of St. Michael the Archangel, Fr. José ORZECHOWSKI. Closely
collaborating with the Oblates in the Shrine will be the diocesan auxiliary
Bishop, Claudio Silvero.
According to Wickipedia, the shrine is the site of “…one
of the most important Marian devotions in the region, known also as the ‘Virgin
of the poor.’
“As the story
goes, the Virgin appeared to people as they crossed by the place, helping them
to avoid colliding with the rocks of the riverbed which are very numerous in
that part of the river and which constitute a danger for the safety of the
boats. In the early 20th century, through the efforts of Divine Word
Missionaries, a small statue of the Virgin, brought from Europe, was placed in
a grotto. From then on, the custom of pilgrimages to the place grew.”
