‘Let the bells ring’ at the Marian Center

By Cristina Cabrera Jarro -

Photography: CRISTINA CABRERA JARRO| FC

MIAMI GARDENS| At the Marian Center, faculty, parents and volunteers believe they walk among angels.

On Dec. 20, that belief proved true as a host of Marian Center students dressed as angels walked among the audience during the “Making Miracles Happen” Christmas concert.

Not only angels came, but shepherds and sheep, the three kings, a colorguard, musicians and choirs, singing and celebrating Jesus, Mary and Joseph.

The choir from St. Joseph Church in Miami Beach also performed, as well as Ralph Dividio and friends, and award-winning opera tenor Roberto Iarussi.

Every year, the Marian Center, a school and training center for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, hosts a Christmas pageant, but this was the first time they combined the event with a concert. The reason: the center’s hand bell choir has been invited to perform for Pope Francis, in Rome, in April 2018.

The concert helped launch the “Let the Bells Ring” drive, which aims to raise $60,000 for travel expenses, transportation, accommodations, meals and all other necessities for the hand bell choir, staff, and chaperones.

So far, more than half of the funds have been raised, and Marian Center PTA President Toni Acocella is confident that they will reach their financial goal. But what she is most proud of is that they are making the dreams of former director and foundress of the Marian Center, Sister Lucia Ceccotti, of the Sisters of St. Joseph Benedict Cottolengo, come true.

“Years ago, Sister Lucia mentioned many times she would love to bring her children over to Italy to visit the Vatican,” said Acocella. “I believe she is looking down from heaven and saying, ‘Wow, you guys are really doing this,’ and tonight is extremely, spectacularly special.”

Barbara Psinakis, director of the hand bell choir, remembers the first time the hand bells made an appearance at a Christmas performance.

“We had a group of people come to one of our Christmas shows and they volunteered to play the hand bells, and after that Sister Lucia said, ‘I want hand bells for the Marian Center.’ We have had them ever since,” said Psinakis.  

“The staff have played, the students have played. Some of our students have played a long time, some are just starting out, so we put them all together and we’re going to do this,” Psinakis added.

One of the hand bells musicians is Andres Mahy, 20, who has been playing for six years. His favorite part about playing the hand bells, he said, is standing on the top row where everyone can see him and he can see everyone.

Ironically, his family is going to Italy for the Christmas holidays. When he heard the news that they were going to Rome, he simply told his mom, “I guess we’re going back in April. I am very excited to see the pope.”

And there is no doubt that where he will stand during that performance, he will see Pope Francis, and Pope Francis will see him.

WANT TO HELP?

To find out how you can help sponsor the Marian Center hand bell choir’s trip to Rome, contact Toni Acocella at [email protected].