A letter of gratitude from Andrew Rivera

Dear Vox Cantoris readers:

Two years ago today we were in Easter week of 2023. A good friend of ours and someone familiar with most of the Latin Mass communities of Toronto, both diocesan and SSPX, was struck ill. From that week, the financial appeal above was posted here. You and others have come through in two years to just under the goal of $50,000.00. Andrew has asked me to publish this letter in gracious thanksgiving for your kindness. Andrew is not asking, but I am, please click here or on the above and bring us well over $50,000.00. 

God bless you all.   

Dear friends, 

It's been two years, almost to the day since I fell into a life-threatening illness and bearing a new burden after the more significant cross of widowerhood two years previous.  Amidst all this, the support offered to our child and family is beyond human measure and continues in our lives as we claw back from the brink of the abyss: the never-ending battle! 

In the wake of my more recent hospitalisation this past autumn, the blessings in my own life are still more than I can count with so many reasons to be grateful for what I have been freely given by God and the intercession of neighbours: a spirit of Charity not outdone in generosity!  This informal group of prayer, penances, and almsgiving rallying around our family continues to amaze and humble me. Hence, the bud of a new Apostolate of Gratitude has taken root and expression in a modest Devotion flourishing within our home amidst these latter-day calamities. 

This Apostolate of Gratitude has one purpose: the giving of thanks to the Triune God, nothing more or less or besides. (1 Tim. 2:1)  The giving of Thanks, the handmaiden of Adoration and Contrition and steward of Supplication, runs contrary to our troubled modern times: a worldly spirit seeking instant and transitory satiation, ever-prowling and ravenous upon the sterile and malnourished. 

The Method of this Devotion is found in the venerable Laudate Psalms - 148, 149, 150 - as prayed by Our Lord in the Temple during His earthly life. 

The Laudate Psalms as defined here contain all that needs to be prayed for this intention, offered by the Church throughout the ages in public and private prayer.  So long as an individual has access to a Psalter or Bible of sufficiently faithful translation, with uniform copies for group prayer, the Devotion may be prayed intact without worry of any obstacle. 

The Devotion would ideally be prayed in a church or before an altar of Sacrifice, after the model of Our Lord Himself.

Promulgating the Devotion was brought to the attention of my Parish this past January 10th; upon Parish encouragement, a proposal was then drafted and sent for review to our national Deanery and has since been vetted for refinement and submission to the General Council of my Diocese for consideration and discernment of next steps to follow. 

In the meantime, I'm compelled to foster the seedling beyond submission to my Bishop and my own daily personal practice with a proposal to those who have exercised heroic Charity to my family, and possibly expanding that prayer circle: a Novena of Gratitude, wherein the Devotion would be prayed for nine days in honour of the Holy Ghost and in union with the Nine Choirs of Angels.  The Novena would start on Palm Sunday and carry us through Easter Monday, walking us through the grandest and greatest time of the Church's year and if compelled possibly beyond these exalted days to come. 

To that end a modest and minimal structure is linked, emphasizing a gentle touch at most: 

English Version (from the Douay-Rheims - Challoner Revision): https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Dy5jY364UbpZwGZognz_cCXdDZLd7Oe7SctXuj8jlCk/edit?usp=sharing 

Proto-Typical Edition (Clementine Vulgate): https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-RKRtBaWhcOYFTblxr-mCefSiplW6PYHCbvSad5TmeU/edit?usp=sharing 

I'm really not sure where this present sharing of our Devotion will lead - I don't have clarity of vision to see if this little Devotion and Novena will "go" anywhere beyond daily practice in my own prayer life and possibly that of the one small but mighty soul under my care.  But, I am compelled to transmit this presently even if the "right" words are being drawn out of me kicking and screaming.  I welcome any advice and as always, prayers!      

Oremus pro invicem.                                                                                                               

Andrew Rivera      

Pope St. Leo, pray for us!

 

A setback for Andrew - please be generous.

Dear Friends,

As you know, since March 2023, I have been raising money for a friend, Andrew Rivera. The post is above, you can't miss it.

While Andrew has been making some improvement to the damage to his hands and other fine motor issues, he has had a major setback. Andrew is back in intensive care due to collapsing on Sunday with only his young son at home. You can read the details at the above link.

It is just not possible to even know the prognosis at this point or when he will be able to return to work. I ask you to be generous.

God bless you.

David Anthony Domet
Vox Cantoris

It's been one year now. Can you help?

Hello Friends,

As you can see above, I have been raising funds for a friend, Andrew Rivera, for a year.

Easter Sunday was April 9, 2023. I had seen Andrew at the Holy Saturday vigil. A few days after Easter 2023 Andrew faced a great health crisis. Currently, $42,322 has been raised towards a $50,000.00 goal. Andrew is facing more surgery due to nerve damage as a result of the coma and stroke. The issue is now more profound regarding a return to work. Andrew will need to retrain and seek a new career and that is not even in the immediate future.

I am reaching out once again. If you have given already, I thank you profoundly, as does Andrew. If you can, I ask you to do so again and if you have not, or this is new to you, please consider this worthy cause. 

Please click above on the picture of Andrew and his son.

God bless you all.  

David Anthony Domet

An update on Andrew Rivera

Update #6
November 17, 2023, 7:14 am

It is now November 17, over 7 months since Andrew's collapse from a diabetic coma and the resulting complications, including kidney failure (now resolved) and a stroke. During the medical crisis and testing it was found that Andrew had a hole in his heart. I'm glad to write that in mid-September, it was repaired in surgery and Andrew continues to recover. However, the effect of the stroke and the whole period of being in a coma means that his recovery is still ongoing. Make no mistake, he is improving, but, there is no indication of when he will be able to return to work. It may be many, many months, I cannot predict.

I ask you not to forget Andrew and Orlando and to remember them in your prayers.

I thank each of you for your kindness by way of financial support. Many of you have given multiple times. Some have given small amounts, like the recent $7 donation. That is the "widow's mite," and the opus Dei! Thank you so much.

Please, please, share this on your social media. Please help us get to the $50,000 goal by Christmas.

God bless you.

David Anthony Domet

On this Sunday at Mass your urgent prayers and donations are requested for our good friend, Andrew Rivera!

Dear Friends,

Andrew Rivera has been a friend of mine for many years. He has been a collaborator with me on the organization of many Masses in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite across the Greater Toronto Area. He is known to many here both in the diocesan traditional community and the Society of St. Pius X. Andrew is a single father of a five-year-old boy, pictured with him above, his wife having passed away three years ago. 

GiveSendGo - Supporting Andrew Rivera and Son: The Leader in Freedom Fundraising.

Just after Easter, Andrew had a serious attack and went into a diabetic coma. The next few weeks were like an episode of House (without the cursing and such). Every time I spoke with his mother there was another issue. Infection. Kidney failure and dialysis and the usual things and indignities that accompany such a situation. The most shocking and profound was a stroke caused by clots that can happen due to inactivity. (No jab here folks, so let's leave that one alone). However, it turns out that the cause of the clots may have been a previously undetected "hole in the heart." more properly known as an atrial septal defect and is from birth. In addition to this, there is ongoing neuropathy from the stroke.

GiveSendGo - Supporting Andrew Rivera and Son: The Leader in Freedom Fundraising.

Tomorrow morning, Monday, September 18, Andrew will have PFO Closure surgery. Please remember Andrew today at Mass and in your prayers, that God will guide the surgeon's hands so that all will be well and grant a full recovery in all these things to Andrew.

Now, the recovery from this is going to add to the other maladies. It is simply not known when Andrew will be able to return to work.

Thus, I am asking you to be generous with our fundraising campaign.

Your help is most appreciated, Andrew has seen all the data from the GiveSendGo and you are all in his prayers.

God bless you.

David Anthony Domet

GiveSendGo - Supporting Andrew Rivera and Son: The Leader in Freedom Fundraising.

SUPPORTING A SINGLE DAD IN CRISIS

UPDATE: THE NEED IS STILL HERE. SOME IMPROVEMENT IS BEING MADE AS ANDREW IS OUT OF INTENSIVE CARE, BUT THE RECOVERY WILL BE LONG AND IT WILL BE MANY, MANY MONTHS BEFORE HE CAN RETURN TO WORK. THERE ARE MANY SERIOUS CHALLENGES FOR HIM TO OVERCOME. I AM TRYING TO RESPECT AS MUCH PRIVACY AS POSSIBLE FOR HIM, PLEASE RESPECT THAT.

PLEASE DONATE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY.

PLEASE SHARE ON YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA AND EMAIL.

THANK YOU.

My friends,

This is not the first time I have used the reach of Vox Cantoris for an urgent fundraising need and I beg your indulgence. I will always remember what you did for a priest of the Syro-Malabar Rite in India by building a house for his elderly parents so that he could be ordained, in peace.

If you are involved in the Latin Mass communities in the Greater Toronto Area, either Diocesan or through the Society of St. Pius X, you may be familiar with Andrew Rivera. I am managing this fundraiser on behalf of his mother and father to whom all funds will be given to Andrew and his son.

GiveSendGo - Supporting Andrew Rivera and Son: The #1 Free Christian Fundraising Site.

Andrew Rivera is a widower and single dad of a delightful four-year-old boy. Andrew's wife passed away just before their little boy was two years old. Since then, Andrew has been raising his son alone with the help, during the week, of his mother. She comes every Sunday night from out of town so that Andrew can work and so that his son can be cared for and taken to and picked up from junior kindergarten at the local Catholic school. 

Just after Easter, Andrew had a serious medical situation at home and was rushed to the hospital where he remains in intensive care (April 18, 2023). Andrew's recovery is going to be long. It may be a year, but we still don't know. In the meantime, the family is in a crisis. Andrew has a mortgage and will have ongoing medical expenses. Private insurance support is virtually non-existent. It is a devasting situation for the family and for those of us who are his friends. 

If you are in the greater Toronto area and attend the Latin Mass, you will know or at least have seen Andrew. He has often been a Master of Ceremonies and has assisted in the training of many to serve at Traditional Latin Catholic Mass at both diocesan Latin Masses and the Society of St. Pius X. Andrew is a good man, a good father, and a kind and humble fellow to all who know him. Whether you know Andrew personally or just come across this, he is now in need of your help and we are reaching out to you on his behalf. 

I've known Andrew for about fifteen years. I am working with another friend and his mother and father on this project. This effort has been approved by Andrew's mother. I am responsible for this fundraiser and all funds will be turned over to his mother and father for the sole purpose of supporting Andrew and his son financially at this most difficult time. His recovery is going to be long and arduous, it is unclear at this time, how long. The financial future is uncertain until he is able to function and be self-supportive for the foreseeable future. Therefore, we are reaching out to you in your charity for help. We have set an ambitious target of $50,000.00. We need to provide enough support for at least one year. May God bless you for your kindness.

https://www.givesendgo.com/andrewandson