Irish-British Province

CHICAGO/USA
Where there is music, there is hope

The beat of a drum filled the quiet church announcing a unique opportunity for prayer, reflection and music. The choirs of St. Anselm and St. Elizabeth parishes gathered at the sanctuary of St. Anselm’s with prayer leaders, musicians and artists for a benefit concert for the survivors of the Gulf Coast hurricanes.

The concert was organized by Stauros USA, a non-profit organization founded by the Passionists to help people find meaning, hope and peace in the midst of suffering. It had contacted the musicians, but was looking for a place to host the event.

The concert would help ease the pain of the hurricane’s devastation through prayer, song and free-will donations and make a difference in the lives of desperate people, letting them know they do not walk alone.

The evening was filled with the power of Gospel music from the joint choirs. What made this concert very unique was that between selections, personal stories of evacuation, devastation, loss and survival were told by noted musician and vocal artist Richard Cheri of New Orleans.

His personal story put yet another human face on the destruction that left hundreds of thousands of our brothers and sisters from Florida to Texas homeless, jobless, displaced and feeling hopeless. In the face of all the reasons there were to give up hope, Cheri’s stories continued.

In spite of all the losses in terms of homes and possessions and jobs and treasures, most still had their lives and reason to give praise to God. He reminded the audience that scripture tells us to praise God constantly.

People in areas hardest hit by the storms are people of great faith, and from their faith, songs of hope began to be sung, songs of joy and of praise even in the midst of turmoil and disaster... where there is music, there is hope!

The concert raised more than US$ 2,000. The money was given directly to individual victims of the hurricanes.

Source: Arnoldus Nota