João Luiz Pozzobon – The Pilgrim Deacon
João Luiz Pozzobon was born in 1904 in the city now known as São João do Polêsine, RS. Married and the father of seven children, he initiated the Schoenstatt Pilgrim Mother Campaign in 1950. On December 30, 1972, João Luiz Pozzobon was ordained a permanent deacon at the Chapel of Nuestra Señora de las Gracias, Km3, in Santa Maria, RS, by Bishop Érico Ferrari.
The Diaconate
Deacons especially exercise the diakonia of the liturgy, the Word, and charity, in communion with the bishop and the priests. They may, among other services, administer Baptism, guard and distribute the Eucharist, assist and bless marriages, bring Viaticum to the dying, read Sacred Scripture to the faithful, instruct and exhort the people, preside at the prayers of the faithful, administer sacramentals, and consecrate themselves for various charitable services. The service of deacons in the Church is documented from its origins (Acts 6:1-6; cf. Philippians 1:1; cf. 1 Timothy 3:8-13). However, for various reasons, it suffered a slow decline, eventually remaining only as an intermediate stage for candidates for priestly ordination. The Second Vatican Council (1964) restored the right also conferred on married men, as was the case of João Luiz Pozzobon.
” My ordination was like a flower that opened… I felt totally penetrated by the spirit of the Holy Church. I felt united with one heart. It was a true Upper Room, together with the Mother and Queen. The hour of the Holy Spirit…” The Poor Deacon João Luis Pozzobon.
The Pilgrim Deacon
The Pilgrim Mother Campaign, initiated by João Luiz Pozzobon, consists of bringing the pilgrim image of the Mother, Queen and Victor Thrice Admirable, from the Schoenstatt Shrine to people, especially in families, schools, hospitals, and prisons, praying the rosary. This evangelizing action has developed and is now present in more than 100 countries. After his diaconal ordination, João Luiz Pozzobon continued the mission of the campaign, but from that moment on, he exercised his ministry as a “pilgrim deacon.”
“This is my wish, to continue the pilgrimage as it has been until now , to be a Pilgrim Deacon: families, schools, prisons and hospitals, announcing the peace of the Lord to all through an exemplary life in the eyes of the Bishop and priests.”
“…There, in the Shrine I had a little corner…. I wrote a little note: “Mother and Queen, for your love I am going to leave. I am going to take the deacon course. I am going to the seminary. If it is to your liking, I will be your little deacon. Your little note represents me here until I return . ” João Luis Pozzobon.
Diaconate of Charity
Charity is the practice of God’s love through service, primarily to those most in need. João Luiz Pozzobon practiced charity with the Pilgrim Mother, visiting the sick and elderly, hospitals, prisons, accompanying the bereaved, and conducting various fundraising and distribution campaigns. He especially founded and supported the Villa Noble da Caridade (Noble Village of Charity), with 14 homes for families who had no place to live, offering material and spiritual shelter.
“We saw that the good Mother Educator wants to protect all her children both materially and spiritually. The body must also be cared for to fulfill the Father’s will.”
Diaconate of the Liturgy
The diaconate of the Liturgy is exercised by the deacon in the celebration of the sacraments or sacramentals, in presiding over celebrations of the Word, in prayer, in serving at the altar, assisting the priest, and bringing Holy Communion to the sick. João Luiz Pozzobon participated in daily Mass and, as a deacon, held days of adoration, celebrations of the Word, weddings, baptisms, blessings, and assisting the sick, all with great joy.
“As a deacon… I received a great grace to be able to administer blessings to homes, to the grieving, to proclaim the word and peace; to bless children, to bless schools; even on long journeys, even on buses, to raise my hand and bless families, jobs, and the sick… to be able to administer Holy Baptism, to pour water over children and make them Christians,… the Sacrament of Matrimony,… to raise my hand to invoke God’s blessing, and I do it with all my love.” Poor Deacon João Luiz Pozzobon
Diaconate of the Announcement
The diaconate of proclamation is exercised by the deacon proclaiming and transmitting the Word, both within and outside the liturgical context, through homilies, sermons, catechesis, but above all, through the testimony of life, participating in the Church’s mission to evangelize.
João Luis Pozzobon had a serious vision problem since he was fifteen, but he especially lived the dimension of listening, meditating, proclaiming, and practicing the Word. He ensured that catechesis was maintained in the communities he founded. He evangelized families before, during, and after the reception of the Sacraments, and especially during the visits of the Pilgrim Mother. He encouraged children, youth, and adults, aware that the Mother carried the “message of her Son” even to the surrounding parishes, forming communities, establishing more than 40 wayside shrines, and organizing families.
“In organizing the prayer of the Holy Rosary, monthly visits, and it’s an open path to bring the word of the Gospel… guiding the people.” “That life is also the Bible, isn’t it? It’s a Bible of practical life.” “The great sermon is our example, our life that speaks to the world.” Poor Deacon João Luiz Pozzobon