Every Wednesday we take the bus to a little village near Deva called Mintia. One of the people we visit in Mintia is a little girl named Vanessa. Vanessa is 8 years old and was born without kneecaps so she is only able to walk on her knees. Vanessa doesn’t have many friends because she...
Cienna is a friend that is characterized by the saying: “When our mission house was bought, she came with the house.” The first time I met Cienna, all I heard was banging on the window and a very loud yell, “LETIII”. I opened the door and before I could say hello, she was already inside...
When I first arrived on Sunday for a day with Con-solatio, I didn’t really know what to expect. I didn’t know what we were going to be doing, and I didn’t know how much fun I was going to have. We had snacks, and then we played a game where someone had to mouth a...
Over three full weekends, the hands of many volunteers made our house feel more like home. This noble effort required relatively unglamorous tasks: scraping off decades-worth of old paint, laying down what seemed like miles of tape, sanding until our arms hurt, and finally applying a fresh coat of color....
I had the pleasure to begin this New Year with Con-solatio by joining them at the SEEK23 conference in order to spread the news of our mission and invite others to participate. When my family asked me what I would be doing while at the conference, I replied that I really had no idea what...
At the turn of the new year, we welcomed 15 friends and Missionary Program Alumni for a Family Reunion. This Reunion gave us the opportunity to give thanks for the blessings received in 2022 and to entrust the unfolding of 2023 to our Lord. Here are some personal highlights...
On Wednesday, January 18, 2023 about 150 people gathered at Cobble Hill Cinemas to attend Con-solatio’s movie night. This month, we were invited to the screening of De Son Vivant (Peaceful), a rare and courageous movie written by Emmanuelle Bercot and starring Catherine Deneuve, Benoit Magimel, Cecile de France, and Dr. Gabriel Sara, who...
My very first apostolate in Deva was at the Monastery, which is a home for children who do not have families to take care of them. The children are there either because their parents have died, their parents struggle with substance abuse, or simply because their families cannot afford to care for them. We try...
Every Friday morning, we do a deep cleaning of our house and this particular week was my turn to clean our Chapel (yay! I get to work with Jesus! Sometimes I feel like a Benedictine: Ora Et Labora!) After I took everything out, I started to look for a broom to sweep out the room....
We weren’t exactly ready when they arrived. There was no hot water for tea, the children’s activity hadn’t been set up, and the mulled wine was still being brewed. So, while several volunteers continued to discreetly make preparations, a few of us sat with the first guests and welcomed them to our celebration of hope....