It all began in a simple way in southern Brazil: a humble man, with little formal education but a great missionary spirit, visited families carrying the image of Mary — the Pilgrim Mother — to pray in their homes. Who could have imagined that this simple beginning would one day reach all five continents?

Now, 75 years after the start of the Schoenstatt Pilgrim Mother Apostolate, 700 representatives from 25 countries have gathered in Santa Maria, in southern Brazil, where it all began.

With the Pilgrim Mother, Missionaries of Hope

The international congress is taking place from September 10–14, in historic locations in Santa Maria and São João do Polêsine, with representatives from the following 25 nations:

Germany, Spain, Portugal, Poland, Croatia, Slovakia, Italy, Luxembourg, United States, Mexico, Guatemala, Peru, Bolivia, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Brazil, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Burundi, India, and the Philippines.

The Archbishop of Santa Maria, Dom Leomar Brustolin, highlights that the Apostolate is now a concrete gesture of a missionary Church that goes out to meet others:

“This beautiful initiative of taking this image has spread to more than 100 countries. Taking Mary to where people are. There are more than 200,000 images going out, visiting people. João Pozzobon didn’t just visit homes; I often say he went where we often don’t: to the poorest neighborhoods, the harshest realities, places of great misery — there, he brought Our Lady.”

Sr. M. Rosequiel Favero, a member of the congress’s central organizing team, explains the goal of the event:

“These representatives are not here just to celebrate the 75th anniversary, but also to share experiences, exchange ideas, and review the consensus documents drafted in previous international meetings of the Apostolate.”

João Luiz Pozzobon: Venerable and Servant of the Poor

The founder of the Schoenstatt Pilgrim Mother Apostolate, João Luiz Pozzobon, was recently declared “venerable” by Pope Leo XIV. The Dicastery for the Causes of Saints is currently examining a possible miracle that could lead to his future beatification.

Anita and Dino Crnjak, representing Croatia, express their excitement and sense of grace:

“We are at the source where João Luiz Pozzobon began serving as an apostle and missionary. We are extremely proud to be part of this great jubilee. The world needs Mary; she is a missionary and performs miracles wherever she goes.”

Mária Púčková, representative from Slovakia, also emphasizes:

“The image of the Pilgrim Mother is small in size, but Mary is great: she acts, heals, and helps us every day in the name of the Lord. In this congress, I want to gather graces to share with others and give thanks.”

Pozzobon was a man of the land, married, and father of seven children. To better serve the Church, he was ordained as a permanent deacon. Despite limited formal education, he was deeply aware of families’ needs. In addition to the Apostolate, he left important social contributions — such as the Vila Nobre da Caridade, a project in which he personally built wooden homes for homeless families.

“When he arrived, with Mary’s gaze, he would notice that people lacked bread, lacked education, that even faith was empty. So he created and worked hard for the Vila Nobre da Caridade, built community chapels, and cared so much that one of Santa Maria’s bishops, Dom Érico Ferrari, decided to ordain him a deacon,” explains Archbishop Brustolin.

Watch the Live Broadcast

In Brazil and Portugal, the Closing Mass of the International Congress will be broadcast live by TV Canção Nova on September 14 at 10:00 a.m. (Brazil local time). Other countries can follow it on Canção Nova’s YouTube channel.

The invitation is open to all:

“Let us celebrate together, give thanks to God, and carry forward the mission of a Church that goes out, so that the Son of Mary may be known and loved. I’ll be waiting for you here in Santa Maria, on September 14, for the Spring Pilgrimage, with Mass at 10:00 a.m. at the Monument Altar of the Basilica of the Medianeira,” invites the Archbishop.