Concerts for hope
“Impelled by the fire of the Spirit, listening to contemporary humanity, we communicate the Gospel of hope.” This is the main theme of the upcoming 12th FSP (Daughters of St. Paul) General Chapter that will be held in Ariccia, Italy, from Sept. 7 to Oct. 7, 2025. We want to live and communicate hope.
Pope Francis also proclaimed 2024 as the Year of Prayer before celebrating 2025 as Jubilee “Pilgrims of Hope.”
Because so many signs of disasters are revealed all over the world, we are concerned about the reality. Thus, we are dreaming, praying and planning to have more hope.
As an exhibitor of Pauline books, I participated in the 25th annual St. Louis Marian Conference held for three days last May 17 to 19. During this dynamic event of inspiration, faith, hope and fellowship on the theme of “the word was made flesh, dwelt amongst us,” I took a chance to listen to Eric Genuis’ music and talks in the evening concert of healing and inspiration.
Listening to his talks about suffering, I was touched by his passionate sharing. His spontaneous way of playing the piano attracted my eyes. I was so engaged in his mission of "Concerts for Hope."
What made him so enthusiastic about his music ministry? His performance with storytelling was extraordinary.
Born in Toronto, Canada, in 1967, Genuis now lives in Louisville, Kentucky. As an inspiring composer, musician, pianist and instructor, he is well-known for his Concerts for Hope.
Performing his original compositions more than a hundred times a year, he is fully dedicated to music ministry in prisons, hospitals, rehab centers, nursing homes, homeless shelters, veterans’ homes and inner-city schools. He keeps playing the piano for marginalized people because he strongly feels music can bring humanity and beauty to people. He firmly believes that music can impact culture.
Just passing by his booth with piles of various CDs, I was encouraged to see his presence giving hope through his constant music projects.
Concerts for Hope is a nonprofit organization in which Genuis seeks to bring hope and inspiration to forgotten individuals on the fringe of society.
As a captivating speaker who consoles thousands of people, he regards music as “a language with the profound ability to stir the heart, inspire the mind and awaken the soul.” He hopes that his music will “spark hope, uplift emotions, renew the spirit and resonate within the heart of our shared human experience.”
His musical career began in 1997 when he was invited to perform at an AIDS benefit in Poland in front of 15,000 people. Then, he started touring the United States. Since then, he shares a marvelous healing ministry with a talented group of musicians.
His faithful activities for marginalized people remind me of a three-minute speech by Jorge Mario Bergoglio just before being elected as Pope Francis. “Evangelizing implies apostolic zeal and presupposes a bold willingness in the church to come out of herself and to go to the peripheries, not only the geographical peripheries but also the existential ones; the mystery of sin, pain, injustice, ignorance and absence of faith, all forms of deprivation, of all forms of misery. When the church does not come out of herself to evangelize, she becomes self-referential and then becomes sick.”
Kim Ae-ran is a member of the Daughters of St. Paul (Figlie di San Paolo), living the Good News and proclaiming it with various means of social communication.