school children in Kibeho, enjoy bread for the first time

Something so basic, so accessible to most of us, is a gift beyond words to school children in Kibeho, Rwanda. Bread. Plain and simple, yet beyond the reach for many children across the world.

The new 7 loaves project recently opened in Kibeho, Rwanda, providing the local schoolchildren with the most satisfying taste never experienced before.

The man in the middle, Fr. Leszek Czelusniak, M.I.C. was ordained a priest in Poland, over twenty years ago. Fr. Leszek was sent to Kibeho, Rwanda to help rebuild lives torn apart from the Rwandan genocide, and provide for the spiritual and material needs of the people. Through the years, Fr. Leszek always trusted in God’s providence to supply what he needed.

Enter into this story, a man with a passion for cooking, and a link to the Green Bay Packers, Mr. Ron “RJ” Schoenfield.

Mr. Schoenfield, owner of the Chives Restaurant in Green Bay, Wisconsin visited Kibeho in 2009. He came with a humanitarian leadership institute that helped feed a meal to 4,000. He returned with the idea of starting the 7 loaves project to raise money to build a stone oven bakery 8,000 miles away.

Schoenfield was the executive chef of the Packers from 1997-2003. After sharing his Kibeho experience and the needs of the people with head Packer coach, Mike McCarthy, his wife, Jessica, and the team, a joint donation of $100,000 dollars was donated for the bakery.

As the 7 loaves project mission statement goes, ” Give a man a loaf of bread and he eats for a day. Teach a man to bake, and his village eats for a lifetime.”

You can always spot Fr. Leszek. He’s the one you will see wearing the Packers shirt.

Make a donation to Schoenfield’s  Rwanda project online at sevenloavesproject.net

7 loaves bakery, Kibeho, Rwanda

Annie with children in village of Kibeho

“On the lips of children, and infants you have found perfect praise.” Psalm 8

This evening, I was distraught as I watched the news of families in Syria being forced to flee their homes as bombs were exploding around them. Children could be seen running out from apartment buildings that were burning. One man sadly held the limp, dead body of his young daughter for the camera to see. It was too much for me.

My heart and mind raced back to a happier time, a beautiful memory. It was this past August, in a small village in Kibeho, Rwanda, Africa. Genocide survivor, Immaculee Ilibagiza had led us to this village to experience the culture of the people living there.

I was immediately drawn to the children. As I sang and taught them songs, their smiles grew bigger and brighter, and so did mine. There was so much joy that flowed between us. Children are by far, our greatest treasures on earth.

The Syrian man who was reporting the sad events of the news earlier, told viewers that the world should be ashamed. I have to agree. No child should ever have to flee his or her home. No child should ever have to feel the gnawing pains of hunger. No child should ever be torn from his or her mother’s womb by the genocide of abortion.

There is some suffering that we cannot relieve. There is suffering we can relieve through prayer, and fasting and almsgiving. Think of the smile of one child who is dear to you.

Thank God for that child.

FIAT!

Phillipians 4:6 tells us, “Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known to God.”

I was pondering why so many of us seemed to be filled with anxieties and fears for our present situations and our future. I often fall in and out of this situation myself.

This morning, I was uplifted by reading the post of Dr. Jeffrey A. Mirus on the writings of a priest, Fr. de Caussade, an eighteenth century French Jesuit. Fr. de Caussade writes,

” We must recognize the hand of God in everything that happens, trusting completely that God neither sends nor permits anything that is not for our good, realizing (therefore) that there is no need for the least disturbance in our serenity, and responding always with “Fiat! Fiat! Thy will be done.”

Dr. Jeffrey Mirus, who speaks about Fr. de Caussade in his post writes,” In this way, and in every circumstance, whether we face exterior or interior trials, we can live in what Fr. de Caussade called the “sacrament of the present moment”, gradually dying to our own self-love as we habituate ourselves to relying ever more completely on God alone.”

As for crosses in this life, Fr. Caussade shares,” Crosses and afflictions are such great graces that the wicked are rarely converted without them, and good people are only made perfect by the same means…. Fortunate disappointments! happy privations! which come from the goodness of God rather than his justice. It is thus that we ought to regard them.”

Dr. Jeffrey Mirus is President of CatholicCulture.org

Presentation in the Temple

On this day, the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, I was wondering how Joseph and Mary must have felt as they carried little Jesus into the temple?

We all know how exciting of day it was when we brought our children to be baptized. I imagine the Holy Family was filled with the same joy and anticipation.

Because they had no money, Joseph and Mary were obliged to offer up the ransom of the poor, that being a pair of turtle-doves. ( Luke 2:24)

St Bernard wrote a sermon for this feast in which he refers to the long-standing tradition of mounting a procession of candles in the church.

St Bernard speaks, “Today the Virgin Mary brought to the Temple, the Lord of the Temple. Joseph presents to God his adopted Son, the Beloved One. Anna, the widow joins in with words of thanksgiving. Simeon takes the Child in his arms and blesses God. These four people performed the first procession, a joyful procession which will be continued throughout time in every corner of the earth.”

Trappist Monks, Holy Spirit Monastery, Conyers, Georgia

“From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised.” Psalm 113

Recently, I was blessed to book a private retreat at the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers, Georgia.

At first, I wondered if I would feel at home in this austere setting. By the second day, I welcomed the beautiful order of the monks day, setting a rhythm for my mind and body.

A typical day in the life of a Trappist monk starts at 4am with vigils or “watching in the night”.  The monks then have a very ordered daily routine of prayer and work, following the Rule of St. Benedict.

I welcomed the sound of the bells throughout the day, calling the monks to prayer. The church itself was an oasis of peace and solitude. A sign posted outside the massive doors, invites visitors in to rest or pray.

Those staying at the retreat house are invited  to join the monks in the chanting of the Liturgy of the Hours in the choir stalls that line both sides of the marble aisle leading to the tabernacle. The chanting was truly remarkable and a blessing to me as a singer.

The last prayers of the day are called “compline” (night prayer). Compline is a masterpiece of composition, the work of St. Benedict himself, and can be called the ideal night prayer. Its symbolism is beautiful.  The church is dark, with the only light  focused on the tabernacle. Compline concludes with the ringing of the Regina Coeli during the Easter season or the Angelus during the rest of the liturgical year. Finally, after a short pause for reflection, the abbot or prior gives a knock at which time the community and guests come forward for the blessing with holy water. After Compline until the following morning after Lauds/Mass is a period of the “great silence” when monks do not talk.

In a world where we are assaulted with noise and media from all directions, it is a joy to know there exist such holy places of peace and order. May God continue to bless all our dear monks around the world.

As I was researching this feast day for a radio interview, I found several insights noteworthy.

First of all, the wisemen were Gentiles, from other nations, revealing that our Lord made a point to manifest Himself to all cultures, races, and religions.

The wisemen perservered in following the star, despite facing many obstacles.

These men showed great humility and faith by prostrating themselves in adoration to this tiny King. In their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh, we can relate to our gifts of good works, our prayers, our sufferings.

We would be wise to imitate these ancient brothers of ours, seeking He who is the everlasting Light, and offering Him all that we are and possess.

Mary, Mother of God

On this solemnity of Our Lady we begin the New Year. Truly, there could not be a better start to the year, and of all the days of our life, than by being very close to Mary.

With the confidence of children, we turn to Mary, so She may help us to live in holiness every day of the year.

She is Mother to us all in the order of grace.

The Second Vatican Council, in a principal document, Lumen Gentium, (Light of the Nations), states that the motherhood of Mary will last forever. ” It began with Her consent which She gave in faith at the Annunciation and which She sustained without wavering beneath the cross, and lasts until the eternal fulfillment of all the elect.”

How comforting to know our Mother is interceding for each of us this very moment, and until we are all safely home.

Let us ask Her to guide us and never leave our side this New Year.

The Vatican, Rome, Italy

Several years ago, prompted by concerns from people who wanted their loved ones to return to the Church, I was inspired to write a song titled, “Come Home” on the CD, “Perfect Sacrifice.” This song closely relates to the story of the prodigal son.

In my opinion, the return of the prodigal son, found in Luke 15:11-32, is more about the patient love of a father rather than the sins of the son. The lyrics to “Come Home” begin with the words, ” a father searches, down a long dusty road, waiting and watching, for his child to come home. His eyes fill with tears, his arms open wide, he dreams his loved one is there at his side, come home”!

Recently, Catholics Come Home, an organization founded to invite non-practicing Catholics to return to the sacraments, launched a nationwide campaign.

Over thirty dioceses have agreed to help in promoting this wonderful evangelization effort through T.V. commercials, and by parishioners offering warm invitations to friends and family members. Already, there has been much success.

It cannot be denied that we are a family. During a dinner, when a family member is missing, we all notice it. On the other hand, we all benefit from the unique gifts and talents each person brings “to the table.” As a Catholic singer/songwriter who has benefited so greatly from the Catholic Church, I extend a heartfelt invitation to “come home.”

The Nativity

This advent seemed to be a struggle for me spiritually. Trying to prepare my heart for the coming of Jesus, I felt distracted, and frustrated. I tried different methods of obtaining the peace I longed for, to no avail.

On Christmas Eve, I was blessed to join the choir for Midnight Mass, which is celebrated around the world, and also morning mass on Christmas Day.

During the morning Mass, while singing “O Little Town of Bethlehem” several lines of the song jumped out at me. “How silently, how silently this wondrous Gift is given.” “Where meek souls will receive Him still, the dear Christ enters in.”

On Christmas Day, while least expecting it, the Christ Child entered into my poor heart. My soul was flooded with peace and joy, as tears streamed down my face. We cannot force a gift to come, but only be open to receive and acknowledge our own poverty. May the Christ Child come silently to your heart this Christmas.

Annie walking on the "Way of St. James" Santiago, Spain

Recently, my husband Dave and I went to see a new film titled “The Way.” This particular film, starring actor Martin Sheen and his son, Emilio Estevez, was especially appealing to me, since I had been to Santiago, Spain in June 2010. “The way of St. James,” known as El Camino de Santiago in Spain, is a journey and intimate experience unique to each pilgrim who travels it, whether by walking a few miles or the entire 600 miles.

The route is a trek across Spain, originating from different countries, with breathtaking views of mountains, meadows and forests. The path leads pilgrims to the the final resting place of St. James, the apostle, at the ancient cathedral of Santiago de Campostela. According to legend, the remains of the apostle James were transported by ship from Jerusalem to the north of Spain, where they were rediscovered in the 9th century. For more than 1,000 years pilgrims have been walking along the Camino de Santiago.

In the film, Martin Sheen’s son loses his life on the journey due to inclement weather. His father tries to retrace his son’s steps, finding healing and self enlightenment along the way.

He discovers many facets of the human spirit both in himself and in the others he meets on his journey. I highly recommend this excellent film and offer you,”buen camino” or “good walk,” the wish given to pilgrims you meet along the Way.