Two young Argentines travel Europe in Tandem to the Sanctuary of Schoenstatt

Ignacio and Simón Jurado were born in London 20 and 18 years ago, of Argentine parents and, during the first days of July, they have traveled 850 kilometers in tandem – byculum for two people – to the sanctuary of Our Lady of Schoenstatt with a message of peace and hope.

The elder is studying civil engineering and the child wants to enter architecture. This summer they had to change home at the end of June, but they didn’t find where to stay.

So they decided to undertake an adventure together that also had a spiritual background. They chose to travel on a tandem bicycle from the British capital to Dover. There they took the ferry to the French coast, in Dunquerque. Following the Belgian coast they went through Ostende and Brujas and crossed the Dutch border: Rotterdam, Hague, Leiden. And from there, they traveled to Germany where, on the way to the sanctuary, they passed through Dusseldorf and Colonia.

The devotion to the Virgin of Schoenstatt was not alien to them before this adventure, because, throughout her childhood, a pilgrim image of the Virgin frequently passed through her house and, together with her parents they used to travel by car to the sanctuary.

“My parents have a group and the Virgin goes from house to house and prayed with the Virgin, you pray the rosary. They also take them to those who need it most. And that we did very small. Always, when it came, we were happy. He stays for three days and then goes to another house,” they tell Aci Press.

Last Friday they reached their goal, and they were fortunate to attend a Spanish Mass held by a Argentine compatriot priest.

Beyond the adventure, which led them to physically strive, to overcome difficulties and deal with intense coexistence on a trip of these characteristics, Ignacio and Simón have wanted to bring a message of hope that they have disseminated Through its social networks.

“The world is full of tensions, of war, for example in Iran, in Israel, in Palestine and also closer in Europe, in Ukraine, in Russia. So it was a bit was to bring that message of peace and hope to the world and telling people who follow us through the networks of our way, what we were doing. Also sending messages of hope,” they explain to Aci Press.

This message of hope is especially relevant in this jubilee year: “Hope, we all need it to go to heaven,” they emphasize.

Ignacio and Simón have prayed every night for these intentions, as they do as a family, and also in the churches that have been visiting throughout their journey. In some of them, they have found reception and refuge, following their father’s advice.

This happened in Dunkerque, when they were done at night before.

“They were about ten o’clock at night and we hadn’t found anything. And just by chance we went through a church and they were having a celebration, right? Yes, it was a boy’s birthday celebration. And there were people in the parish house there in the hall. And there we asked them if they had somewhere where we could stay. And providentially in front of the parish house there was a garden. And they left us there.”

At one point they even thought about lengthening the trip to get to Rome and join the jubilee of young people, but for now that idea was discarded – at least to arrive by bicycle – although they do not rule out attending with their parents.

For now, they will stay a few days near the Sanctuary of Schoenstatt to perform a volunteer, as they did in Santiago del Estero, Argentina, long ago.

“I have approached God more”

The path has also served to grow in faith. “I have approached faith more, more to God. Because, on the way, you find it in silence, in the landscapes, in what God has created. And with that you are meditating a little,” Ignacio acknowledges.

“In this world full of noises it is good to separate a little and isolate yourself a little to have more silence. Being there with God,” he adds.