Nazareth House Apostolate

Dear Friends,
I am sorry for the lapse in posting, there has been so much going on at our NHA Headquarters in Kentucky that my attention has been diverted. But we are hopefully back to full swing.

First, thank you for your best wishes and prayers, Fr. Seraphim is resting at the hermitage after hospitalization this weekend and subsequent surgery. All is well, he is recovering.

At the onset, I must admit I was frightened and not sure what was in store for him.
Once we arrived at the ER and preliminary tests proved that his situation wasn’t life threatening,
I decided to make the best of the long hours in the ER and put on a “Vomit Bag Puppet Show”. Fr. Seraphim is most disturbed he was “out of it” and unable to enjoy the show.

Second, if you have not given to Keep St. Laurence House in operation in Freetown, please do so today. The clock is ticking fast and James and the family in Sierra Leone are poised to be evicted within a few short days. Please contribute to keep our rental operations center one more year. WE NEED YOUR HELP! March 1st is almost here!

Last week began with a group from the Southern Nazareth House Chapters (Georgia/North Carolina) dropping in
to help clear the NHA Headquarters’ property from the Ice Storm Damage. The place literally looked like a war-zone with trees everywhere.

As always, our team in Sierra Leone works in solidarity with the American team. Little Roo in Salone pretends he, too, his helping Claudio & Carroll trim the damaged limbs. Claudio using chainsaw in Kentucky

Roo using toy chainsaw like Claudio in Freetown

Carroll using chainsaw in Kentucky

Roo using toy chainsaw like Carroll in Freetown.

After a week of hard work and GREAT fellowship the clean up was tremendous. The grounds look 100% better.

We really have a great group of people -more like family – working together that make up Nazareth House. A team composed of people all over the United States blended with the Nazareth House team in Sierra Leone. One big family.

When the guys realized that the Jonah House wash machine had bit the dust and had no more use it in, they tossed it over the fire escape

and purchased us a new one for the Retreat Center! What a great body of friends this Nazareth House venture has. Caring for each other across borders, across oceans, its what it is all about. Loving thy neighbor. Helping out wherever the need. Child or adult, working together.

As always, nights at the Nazareth House Retreat Center (Jonah House) are ended around the fire pit enjoying each others company.

Dear Friends,
I am sorry for the lapse in posting, there has been so much going on at our NHA Headquarters in Kentucky that my attention has been diverted. But we are hopefully back to full swing.

First, thank you for your best wishes and prayers, Fr. Seraphim is resting at the hermitage after hospitalization this weekend and subsequent surgery. All is well, he is recovering.

At the onset, I must admit I was frightened and not sure what was in store for him.
Once we arrived at the ER and preliminary tests proved that his situation wasn’t life threatening,
I decided to make the best of the long hours in the ER and put on a “Vomit Bag Puppet Show”. Fr. Seraphim is most disturbed he was “out of it” and unable to enjoy the show.

Second, if you have not given to Keep St. Laurence House in operation in Freetown, please do so today. The clock is ticking fast and James and the family in Sierra Leone are poised to be evicted within a few short days. Please contribute to keep our rental operations center one more year. WE NEED YOUR HELP! March 1st is almost here!

Last week began with a group from the Southern Nazareth House Chapters (Georgia/North Carolina) dropping in
to help clear the NHA Headquarters’ property from the Ice Storm Damage. The place literally looked like a war-zone with trees everywhere.

As always, our team in Sierra Leone works in solidarity with the American team. Little Roo in Salone pretends he, too, his helping Claudio & Carroll trim the damaged limbs. Claudio using chainsaw in Kentucky

Roo using toy chainsaw like Claudio in Freetown

Carroll using chainsaw in Kentucky

Roo using toy chainsaw like Carroll in Freetown.

After a week of hard work and GREAT fellowship the clean up was tremendous. The grounds look 100% better.

We really have a great group of people -more like family – working together that make up Nazareth House. A team composed of people all over the United States blended with the Nazareth House team in Sierra Leone. One big family.

When the guys realized that the Jonah House wash machine had bit the dust and had no more use it in, they tossed it over the fire escape

and purchased us a new one for the Retreat Center! What a great body of friends this Nazareth House venture has. Caring for each other across borders, across oceans, its what it is all about. Loving thy neighbor. Helping out wherever the need. Child or adult, working together.

As always, nights at the Nazareth House Retreat Center (Jonah House) are ended around the fire pit enjoying each others company.

Today in Freetown, James, Kadijah, Lucy and Roo will be celebrating the birthday of our special girl: Ann Marie. Though across the ocean, we here in America celebrate Ann Marie’s day as well. She is one remarkable young lady. Ann Marie is both beautiful and brilliant and continues to excel in school.

Happy Birthday Ann Marie, WE LOVE YOU VERY VERY VERY MUCH!

Please scroll down to read more about Ann Marie from a previous post.

Today in Freetown, James, Kadijah, Lucy and Roo will be celebrating the birthday of our special girl: Ann Marie. Though across the ocean, we here in America celebrate Ann Marie’s day as well. She is one remarkable young lady. Ann Marie is both beautiful and brilliant and continues to excel in school.

Happy Birthday Ann Marie, WE LOVE YOU VERY VERY VERY MUCH!

Please scroll down to read more about Ann Marie from a previous post.

The following is a reprint of a previous post (October 2008)

Another brilliant and talented young lady that NHA recommends that you keep an EYE on is Ann Marie Parker. She was born February 20, 1995. After first staying with us on weekends during early school years, Ann Marie made St. Laurence House her permanent home in 2004. She is fully a part of the St. Laurence House & Mansaray Family in every way.

Up until this school season, Ann Marie and Lucy have always been in the same classroom, the same school. Because of their career choices, they had to part ways and go to separate schools this year. Both girls have continually excelled in their academic studies, repeatedly receiving awards.

Ann Marie now attends The International School, LTD where she will prepare and focus on a law degree. Can’t say enough good about this dynamic young lady. We love you, Ann Marie!

Very early one morning while we were last in Freetown, Ann Marie came into the Prayer Room where Fr. Seraphim was finishing up his prayers on his beads. She came in and sat quietly beside him. They struck up a conversation. Fr. Seraphim asked her why she chose to become a lawyer. She told him that “In my country, only the rich, powerful and privileged have lawyers and I want to be a lawyer for those who are poor, those who are not powerful and those not privileged.”

Before we left to go back to the States, Ann Marie asked Fr. Seraphim to write her a prayer that she could use before beginning her studies each day.
We are all delighted to have Ann Marie as a part of the family and are very proud of her. Like Lucy, she is fun, loving and very caring.

Both girls, Ann Marie and Lucy are remarkable young women. NHA is blessed to have the opportunity to provide the education for these two girls and are proud of them both. They are a credit to their parents, James and Kadijah who have done an excellent job in raising them. (From the looks of this photo above, I do believe it is time for Roo to “face the wall”).

The following is a reprint of a previous post (October 2008)

Another brilliant and talented young lady that NHA recommends that you keep an EYE on is Ann Marie Parker. She was born February 20, 1995. After first staying with us on weekends during early school years, Ann Marie made St. Laurence House her permanent home in 2004. She is fully a part of the St. Laurence House & Mansaray Family in every way.

Up until this school season, Ann Marie and Lucy have always been in the same classroom, the same school. Because of their career choices, they had to part ways and go to separate schools this year. Both girls have continually excelled in their academic studies, repeatedly receiving awards.

Ann Marie now attends The International School, LTD where she will prepare and focus on a law degree. Can’t say enough good about this dynamic young lady. We love you, Ann Marie!

Very early one morning while we were last in Freetown, Ann Marie came into the Prayer Room where Fr. Seraphim was finishing up his prayers on his beads. She came in and sat quietly beside him. They struck up a conversation. Fr. Seraphim asked her why she chose to become a lawyer. She told him that “In my country, only the rich, powerful and privileged have lawyers and I want to be a lawyer for those who are poor, those who are not powerful and those not privileged.”

Before we left to go back to the States, Ann Marie asked Fr. Seraphim to write her a prayer that she could use before beginning her studies each day.
We are all delighted to have Ann Marie as a part of the family and are very proud of her. Like Lucy, she is fun, loving and very caring.

Both girls, Ann Marie and Lucy are remarkable young women. NHA is blessed to have the opportunity to provide the education for these two girls and are proud of them both. They are a credit to their parents, James and Kadijah who have done an excellent job in raising them. (From the looks of this photo above, I do believe it is time for Roo to “face the wall”).

Today in Freetown, James, Kadijah, Lucy and Roo will be celebrating the birthday of our special girl: Ann Marie. Though across the ocean, we here in America celebrate Ann Marie’s day as well. She is one remarkable young lady. Ann Marie is both beautiful and brilliant and continues to excel in school.

Happy Birthday Ann Marie, WE LOVE YOU VERY VERY VERY MUCH!

Please scroll down to read more about Ann Marie from a previous post.

Today in Freetown, James, Kadijah, Lucy and Roo will be celebrating the birthday of our special girl: Ann Marie. Though across the ocean, we here in America celebrate Ann Marie’s day as well. She is one remarkable young lady. Ann Marie is both beautiful and brilliant and continues to excel in school.

Happy Birthday Ann Marie, WE LOVE YOU VERY VERY VERY MUCH!

Please scroll down to read more about Ann Marie from a previous post.

The following is a reprint of a previous post (October 2008)

Another brilliant and talented young lady that NHA recommends that you keep an EYE on is Ann Marie Parker. She was born February 20, 1995. After first staying with us on weekends during early school years, Ann Marie made St. Laurence House her permanent home in 2004. She is fully a part of the St. Laurence House & Mansaray Family in every way.

Up until this school season, Ann Marie and Lucy have always been in the same classroom, the same school. Because of their career choices, they had to part ways and go to separate schools this year. Both girls have continually excelled in their academic studies, repeatedly receiving awards.

Ann Marie now attends The International School, LTD where she will prepare and focus on a law degree. Can’t say enough good about this dynamic young lady. We love you, Ann Marie!

Very early one morning while we were last in Freetown, Ann Marie came into the Prayer Room where Fr. Seraphim was finishing up his prayers on his beads. She came in and sat quietly beside him. They struck up a conversation. Fr. Seraphim asked her why she chose to become a lawyer. She told him that “In my country, only the rich, powerful and privileged have lawyers and I want to be a lawyer for those who are poor, those who are not powerful and those not privileged.”

Before we left to go back to the States, Ann Marie asked Fr. Seraphim to write her a prayer that she could use before beginning her studies each day.
We are all delighted to have Ann Marie as a part of the family and are very proud of her. Like Lucy, she is fun, loving and very caring.

Both girls, Ann Marie and Lucy are remarkable young women. NHA is blessed to have the opportunity to provide the education for these two girls and are proud of them both. They are a credit to their parents, James and Kadijah who have done an excellent job in raising them. (From the looks of this photo above, I do believe it is time for Roo to “face the wall”).

The following is a reprint of a previous post (October 2008)

Another brilliant and talented young lady that NHA recommends that you keep an EYE on is Ann Marie Parker. She was born February 20, 1995. After first staying with us on weekends during early school years, Ann Marie made St. Laurence House her permanent home in 2004. She is fully a part of the St. Laurence House & Mansaray Family in every way.

Up until this school season, Ann Marie and Lucy have always been in the same classroom, the same school. Because of their career choices, they had to part ways and go to separate schools this year. Both girls have continually excelled in their academic studies, repeatedly receiving awards.

Ann Marie now attends The International School, LTD where she will prepare and focus on a law degree. Can’t say enough good about this dynamic young lady. We love you, Ann Marie!

Very early one morning while we were last in Freetown, Ann Marie came into the Prayer Room where Fr. Seraphim was finishing up his prayers on his beads. She came in and sat quietly beside him. They struck up a conversation. Fr. Seraphim asked her why she chose to become a lawyer. She told him that “In my country, only the rich, powerful and privileged have lawyers and I want to be a lawyer for those who are poor, those who are not powerful and those not privileged.”

Before we left to go back to the States, Ann Marie asked Fr. Seraphim to write her a prayer that she could use before beginning her studies each day.
We are all delighted to have Ann Marie as a part of the family and are very proud of her. Like Lucy, she is fun, loving and very caring.

Both girls, Ann Marie and Lucy are remarkable young women. NHA is blessed to have the opportunity to provide the education for these two girls and are proud of them both. They are a credit to their parents, James and Kadijah who have done an excellent job in raising them. (From the looks of this photo above, I do believe it is time for Roo to “face the wall”).