Your Gifts are a Living Posada
Providing our Children Room at the Inn A “posada” is a traditional procession during the nine days before Christmas in Latin America. (The COAR children staged it in November when we visited.) A couple, playing Mary and Joseph, knock on doors asking for a room. The “innkeepers” behind the room refuse them entry. (Sometimes the […]
December 2021 – Executive Director’s Reflections & News from El Salvador
Telling the Story Did you ever wonder how the COAR News comes together? I approach it as telling the story of the COAR children and the world in which they live. I usually do it by looking at the latest pictures and thinking, “What story can I tell from these pictures?” Let me tell you, […]
Bishop Pilla’s Legacy
Remembering Bishop Emeritus of Cleveland Anthony M. Pilla November 12, 1932 – September 21, 2021 Bishop Pilla’s Legacy with COAR: “Come with me on a pilgrimage of hope” Watch Bishop’s Pilla’s full speech at our 2017 Annual Benefit here (10 minutes) COAR joins in mourning the death and celebrating the life of Bishop Emeritus of […]
Exciting Podcast on COAR’s past & future
In the September episode of the Generative Spirits Rachel Drotar of the Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland speaks to Sr. Sheila Marie Tobbe, OSU, and Mary Stevenson, Executive Director of COAR, about the mission and history of COAR and how its connection to Cleveland has lasted for decades. We invite you to listen to […]
Looking Toward the Future . . .
. . . empowered by examples from the past Pictured above is Brother Mick Joyce, OFM Cap., visiting COAR on June 9th. Karla gave him a card on behalf of all the children and staff memorializing Brother Saul Soriano, OFM Cap., our dear friend, taken too soon, May 7, 2018, read our tribute to him […]
Baptisms, First Communions, and Confirmations
Baptisms, First Communions, Confirmations Despite the pandemic, the eternal… …for 2,000 years, through plagues, natural disasters, and wars, children have grown in grace through these sacred rituals. Catechumans wait to receive the light of Christ… …in the form of their baptismal candles Newly baptized Though often celebrated in the spring in North America, the sacraments […]
Report on 2020 and Challenges for 2021
By COAR’s Board President: Melanie Reda On January 4th, my father called me to tell me that he received his $600 stimulus check and he was so excited. So of course, I checked too. And I had indeed received a $600 stimulus check. How exciting! What a windfall! And then my thoughts turned to how […]
March 2021 – Executive Director’s Reflections & News from El Salvador
Romero, Romero, Romero! He lived in horribly divided times amidst unspeakable violence. Yet, he preached peace constantly. His words, quoted on the Prayer Service page were spoken in reference to the Feast of the Epiphany, January 6th, 43 years ago . . .
August 15th – Foundation Day
August 15th – Foundation Day – A Day of Joy between two sorrows – and Joy for 40 years August 15th is the Catholic feast day of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into heaven. It was also the birthday of St. Romero in 1915. As refugee children came to the CLAM Team Parish […]
“Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return”
The COVID-19 pandemic and quarantine are the backdrop for Lent, Easter, and the Resurrection. The children are healthy, thanks to you. They are praying for your health amidst this COVID-19 pandemic. Lent began at COAR on February 26th, Ash Wednesday, with the traditional Catholic ceremony of making a cross on the forehead with ashes of the […]