Proceeds from Little Flower Christmas CD to assist school families in need

CD cover for "Christmas through the Rose Window."

By John Shaughnessy

Teresa Eckrich knew she had to do something to help ease the heartbreaking situation facing the children and families she cares about so much.

“The economy has hit people so hard in our neighborhood,” says Eckrich, the longtime music teacher at Little Flower School on the near-eastside of Indianapolis.

“People are losing jobs here. When the economy hits people who are just living on what they earn, they’re in bad straits quickly. We have parents who are heartsick about the possibility of taking their kids out of school because they can’t pay the tuition.”

Trying to help these families, Eckrich turned to a gift that has always made a difference in her life: music.

As the director of the Little Flower Christmas Choir, she led the group in creating a CD of Christmas music—with the proceeds being used for tuition assistance for struggling families.

“We always try to have a chunk in our [school and parish] budget to subsidize parishioners who can’t afford Catholic schools, to help with their tuition,” she says. “This year, if we even had double the amount we usually do, it still wouldn’t be enough.”

Hoping to bolster that help, the choir ordered 1,000 copies of the CD. The title of the CD, which sells for $15, is “Christmas through the Rose Window”—a tribute to the large circular window in the parish church that features the saint known as the “Little Flower,” St. Thérèse of Lisieux.

The CD’s 13 selections include Carol of the Bells, Joy to the World and Ave Maria.

“We thought people would buy one more Christmas CD to support our kids,” says Eckrich, who is also the director of pastoral music for the parish. “Our choir is made up of people of all ages, from kids as young as sixth grade to adults in their 80s.”

More than 300 of the Christmas CDs have been sold so far. Eckrich hopes the music—and the cause—will reach a larger audience. To purchase a CD, call the parish office at 317-357-8352 or e-mail Eckrich at teckrich@littleflowerparish.org.

“Other families have already had to remove children from school,” she says. “We had a student who had to go to public school. Every time his school has a half-day, he comes here to be with his old class. He still wants to be part of that family.” †