By Dorothy K. LaMantia | Correspondent

It was Valentine’s Day weekend, and the display of red hearts in the foyer of St. Anthony of Padua Parish, Hightstown, could make Hallmark proud. These particular valentines sparkled with the faces of children from Kenya–many of them orphans and AIDS patients – for PROJECT Love for Africa.

Sponsored by the parish social justice committee, the program featured School Sister of Notre Dame (SSND) Kathy Schmittgens, who spoke at all weekend Masses and put human faces to the youngest victims of Africa’s HIV/AIDS epidemic.

“Notre Dame Children’s Outreach (NDCO) began in 2009 when sisters working in Kenya  recognized how many children were being orphaned by AIDS and other diseases,” said Sister Kathy, director of development for  SSND, an order based in St. Louis.

“Often the children were taken in by extended family members … but some of the children did not attend school or were used as household servants,” she said.

“The sisters did not wish to open an orphanage but wanted to ensure the children had food, an education and character development,” as well as medical treatment for the children  suffering from HIV, malaria, and other diseases.

“Our vision is to restore hope to the community, where the orphans and their families are empowered through education, health care, psychosocial support and creation of income through sustainable community-based development projects,” said Sister Kathy.

In 2013, the program supported 200 orphans in the Kenyan Diocese of Homa Bay.  School Sisters of Notre Dame also sponsors missions in Ghana, The Gambia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria.

 Telling the personal stories of three children involved in the outreach program, Sister Kathy moved her listeners as she revealed the hardships they endured when their parents’ deaths left them as caretakers of younger siblings or as workers for custodial relatives.  All three are still in primary school. 

“The parishioners responded to her,” said Judy Camisa, coordinator of PROJECT Love for Africa. “She sent us photos of 50 children which we copied then pasted onto valentines. We made 100 and asked the parish to take a valentine home to commit not only monetarily but in prayer.   We ran out and had to make more before our last Sunday Mass.”

Jamie Cristell, whose religious education class decorated the valentines, commented,“The stories of these children that Sister Kathy spoke about deeply touched the hearts of many. Many people stopped by The Project Love table to find out more about the mission and take a picture of one of these children to pray for them.”

The project was not confined to adult parishioners.  Joanne Tyne, who with her husband, John, coordinates King’s Kids, the name of the children’s Liturgy of the Word, noted, “Sister Kathy spoke at Children’s Liturgy of the Word.  She talked to them about how children around the world are alike in so many ways and told them that they can help other children by praying for them.”

Father Patrick J. McDonnell, pastor, designated the second collection for PROJECT Love for Africa and reflected, “I am humbled by these missionaries’ generosity and simplicity of living.  It is a blessing for them to be with us.”

Although figures were not yet totaled, Father McDonnell estimated the collection exceeded $5,000.

“I am glad to be able to do what we can...the parish saw where the donations are going and how desperate the need is,” he said.

An avid supporter of the project, Father McDonnell noted, “The social justice committee’s support of the missionaries’ ministry in Africa helps us be a better parish and better people.”

Since 2009 the School Sisters of Notre Dame have visited St. Anthony of Padua Parish once a year on behalf of their missions in Africa.