Songs of peace

How do you entertain a houseful of physically and mentally disabled children in the Philippines?

Answer: fill their days with music!

One of our Cross Catholic project officers put himself in harm’s way (accidentally laying down on an anthill) to capture this photo of Sister Venice singing with the kids at Queen of Peace Children’s Home and Formation Center.

Unfortunately, our project officer spent the next week suffering from painful, itching bites on his right arm. But his sacrifice gave us the opportunity to observe the Compassionate Franciscan Sisters of the Poor in action.

As supervisor of Queen of Peace, Sr. Venice does more than provide musical interludes. It’s her job to make sure that the children, most of whom were abandoned by families too poor to take care of them, have something to sing about. Thanks to her hard work, and the generous gifts from Cross Catholic donors, the children are being loved, nurtured, and nourished. Some of them are so severely handicapped that they can’t even feed or clothe themselves; but the Franciscan Sisters are there to tend to their every need and to assure them that they are special in God’s sight.

-Tony M.