Christmas in July

It’s not Christmas yet, but children in Haiti received a shiny little gift last week thanks to loving Catholics who participated in Cross Catholic’s cross necklace campaign.

During my visit to Haiti last week, Cross Catholic President Jim Cavnar handed out a special “cadeau” (Creole for ‘gift’) to the children after their meal, which I shared earlier this week.

What’s the Cross Catholic cross necklace campaign? We wanted to give our donors a chance to connect with a needy child in a special way and share the hope of Jesus’ unconditional love, by sending a cross necklace with a personalized message. Caring Catholics from around the U.S. prayed for the children of Haiti, signed their name on the package, and returned them for us to distribute.

I was blessed to photograph the moment dozens of children opened the package containing the cross necklace. Their faces lit up as if they were in a room full of toys and presents on Christmas morning! Jim explained who the gift was from—Catholics like you—and personally clasped a necklace around each child’s neck.

To a child who has so very little, the gift of a cross with a personal message written by someone who has prayed for them means a lot! It reminded me of the time I received a special cross plaque from my church family as a child—I still have it to this day. When you know you’re loved and supported by a family in Christ, whether it’s people in the pews with you or people praying for you in another country, it’s a powerful thing.

As I saw the children’s smiles, I knew it was a day they wouldn’t forget either.

-Stephanie J.