Paraguay ­– The Salesian Youth Movement at the Service of the Pilgrims of Our Lady of Caacupé

Paraguay – The Salesian Youth Movement at the Service of the Pilgrims of Our Lady of Caacupé

09 December 2016

(ANS – Caacupé) – According to a local tradition, one day an indigenous of Tobatí found himself threatened with death because the Mbayaes had not accepted his conversion to Christianity. In that moment, the Virgin Mary appeared to him and told him: “Caaguy Cupe-pe”, which means “behind the grass”, i.e. the place where the indigenous found a big trunk behind which he hid himself. Trembling with fear he squatted and asked help from his heavenly mother, the Immaculate whom the good friars had taught him to love deeply; and he promised her that if he could be saved he would carve a beautiful image out of that trunk.

Every year Caacupé is crowded with thousands of faithful who go and pay homage to “Our Lady of Miracles of Caacupé”, the “celestial Virgin of Paraguay” or simply, “Mary of Caacupé”.

In particular on the 8th of December of each year about 300 thousand people do this gesture of devotion, and because of this about 400 young people of the Salesian Youth Movement (SYM) do the “Service to the Pilgrim”, assisting the faithful who go to visit the Basilica in Caacupé.

The youth of SYM placed themselves in three points along the road and provided first aid and drinking water and invited the pilgrims to pray a few decades of the Rosary as they were walking towards the Basilica.

When they concluded their service, at night, the youth as well went to the Basilica of Caacupé and participated in the Eucharist that was celebrated, at 01.00 am, in the square in front of the Basilica and was presided over by Fr. Nestor Ledesma, Provincial of the Salesians.

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The “Service to the Pilgrim” is one of the strongest experiences of communion, an experience of selfless, altruistic donation and ecclesiality which every year involves the SYM of Paraguay, and thanks to which a testimony of deep love for the Virgin is also given.