Keeping up with the Choir

We're in the midst of our annual Christmas Concert tour, having held the Boston concerts in a new venue after we outgrew the motherhouse chapel. In fact, we're close to outgrowing the new venue, too: Yesterday afternoon's event was to an almost-capacity crowd. If you live near any of the concert venues, I hope you already have your tickets; Sunday afternoon attendees were really taking a chance here in Boston. (I think there were maybe 10 seats open in the well-appointed auditorium of Fontbonne Academy.)

After our big fundraiser in New York, we were treated to a special cooking demo/Italian feast at the Trattoria Romana on Staten Island. Chef Vittorio and his wife Pauline (they met in Rome; it's a charming story) treated us to a fabulous meal while Vittorio made mozzarella cheese right before our eyes, and then explained the best practices for buying mozzarella (if the deli has fresh mozzarella unrefrigerated and a bit warm, buy it rather than the stuff in the refrigerated case; it was just made) and canned tomatoes (buy a small can each of a few varieties to find the type you like, then stock up on that right away: tomatoes have seasons and next year's crop will have a different flavor).

The tiramisu is so good (we know from past experience), we had to prepare for it by offering a few songs for our hosts and fellow-guests. (Travel Tip: I personally think that the Trattoria Romana is in the running for the best Italian food in New York City. Worth the time to get to Staten Island if you are visiting Manhattan for business or pleasure.)

Sound check in Boston.

Tomorrow morning we fly to New Orleans (supper at my sister's house!), and then our first-ever concert in the Capital of Cajun culture, Lafayette, is scheduled for Wednesday night. Then it's New Orleans, St Louis, Cleveland, and Santa Monica. If you have any friends in these areas, please let them know about our event; they will thank you later for the wonderful time they and their whole family had celebrating the real meaning of Christmas.

Don't be afraid to invite the fallen-away, or even those who feel really alienated from the Church right now. We are finding that while this is a really rough time for our priests, people are still open to receiving the Gospel message from religious sisters, and many are probably secretly hoping to find some "safe" way to reconnect with the Church that will not immediately trigger thoughts of the current (but actually old) crisis.

As usual, the lineup is a mix of sacred Christmas music (traditional and contemporary, in a variety of musical styles) and "winter holiday" songs of the season. Most songs are introduced by one of the sisters with a personal story or reflection that creates a prayerful setting even after you've just sung "Jingle Bells" with us. Maybe that's why the concerts are enjoyed by such a broad mix of people, and why we have heard so many stories through the years (like the one you'll hear from Sr Tracey this year) about ways the Christmas concerts have made a difference in people's lives, or helped bring people back to the sacraments.

We pray daily for all those who are supporting us in any and every way: those who helped the sisters organize the concerts; who set up the Christmas trees or the hors d'oeuvres; who run the sound boards next to our tech sisters; who sent us supplies like batteries and the gift cards that pay for our baggage fees (and meals!); those who are praying and offering their sufferings for us.

Please do pray for us (safe travels, good health, calm prayer, and finding all our notes!) and for the people we will meet over the coming two weeks.