Peter Morin Family Fund

David Look is organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Peter And Helen Morin.

Donation protected

August 15, 2022:

A FINAL THANK YOU from Helen Morin: We are forever grateful to you for everything you did to make our lives a little easier at the most difficult time. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Lots of love. Helen, Luciana, and Emanuel xoxo

This site has served its purpose, and is now shut down. Please make any additional donations directly to the Morin family through St. Anastasia Catholic Church, 5205 A1A South, St. Augustine, FL 32080-8006

Thank you! July 23, 2022

Journal Entry by Helen Morin

Dear Friends,

On behalf of Peter, Luciana, Emanuel, and myself - Thank you! Thank you to all our family and friends and even people we have not met for the outpouring of love, support, and incessant prayers since we found out about Peter’s diagnosis back in February 2021.

We prayed for a miracle, and we were blessed with many miracles along the way with many silver linings. Peter was able to be here for Luciana’s 13th and 14th birthdays, Emanuel’s 8th, and 9th birthdays. Peter played the music for Emanuel's First Holy Communion and composed and played music for Luciana's Confirmation. We made memories with Peter at Lego Land, Disney World, Butterfly World, we went to the Planetarium, we had Christmas together, we made a family CD together, the Living Nativity, we were able to put on the Twelve Days of Christmas Concerts and raised funds for the summer choir trip. Despite COVID and cancer, Peter was determined to fulfill his lifelong dream of taking our choir community on a pilgrimage choir tour to France. We sang Mass with Fr. Tim presiding and performed concerts in some of the oldest and most beautiful cathedrals and basilicas in Europe. Peter even got to play on the second largest organ in France and maybe even the second largest in Europe at St. Eustache, made by J. L. Van Den Heuvel. We visited Normandy, Paris, Lisieux, Chartres, Mont-Saint -Michel and finished our pilgrimage in Lourdes. You should have seen Peter climb those steps at the Abby in Mont-Saint-Michel – there had to have been a thousand steps. When it was time to get back to the coach, it would have taken hours to wait in line for the bus, so Peter said; “let’s just walk back.” I looked at him and then I looked up at the Abby and figured – well he just climbed all the way up there and down – let’s go! This was a miracle. Peter was always determined to make the most out of his life and he never wasted time – this was true even before we knew he was sick. Peter had this drive, ambition, and work ethic when I first met him in 2001 – it was one of his many attributes that I fell in love with.

These past sixteen/seventeen months would not have been possible without your support, prayers, and love. It was very difficult at times but You – all of You gave Peter and our family the strength and hope to get up and carry on. We always talked about how blessed we are to have God in our lives and how He is the focal point in our lives. Your continuous prayers give us strength, encouragement and hope, the sign we are Christians. We thank You all for this extended precious time we were able to have together with Peter.

Thank you to the Knights of Columbus for all their work behind the scenes to help raise thousands of dollars to cover Peter’s medical expenses and needs. We are forever grateful to all of Peter’s doctors for helping Peter with their compassion and expertise and for putting up with all my relentless questions. Thank you to Dr. Hsu, Dr. Deacon Santiago, Dr. Gassert, Dr. Trikha, Dr. Starr, Dr. Grothey, Dr. Hubbard, Dr. Taylor, the St. Augustine Cancer Center, Flagler Hospital, Mayo Clinic Jacksonville, Mayo Clinic Rochester, MN. Thank you to the Community Hospice of Northeast Florida – the Bailey Center for their compassion and care for Peter during his last days. A special thank you to the DuBrow, Eavenson, Barone, Vighetti, VanRysdam, Davis, Milar Families, Kathleen Meahan for all your help with picking up Luci and Manny and helping us out with coverage when we needed it. Thank you to Fr. Tim and St. Anastasia R. C. Church staff and community and Mrs. Garman and our R. B. Hunt Elementary School Family and SJCSD. Thank you for all the dinners, comfort baskets, gifts, cards, Masses, prayers for Peter and our family. Thank you to you all for your financial support which lifted the load when we needed it most and for all the love and prayers you have showered us with.

We miss Peter so much and keep thinking he’s going to walk through the door anytime now, but we know he has no pain, and he is in heaven. So, in the words of Peter Anthony Morin;

"Let there be Music”

Thank you!

With lots of love

Helen, Luciana and Emanuel Morin

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March 3, 2021

Our friend and Brother Knight Peter Morin, age 42, has recently been diagnosed with Stage 4 Colon Cancer. The Knights of Columbus, St. Thomas More Council 7121, have created this Go Fund Me page in support of Peter and his wife Helen and their children Luciana (age 12) and Emanuel (age 7).

An excerpt from Peter’s message 2/28/2021 to the Parishioners of St. Anastasia:

“I am writing to you from Flagler Hospital. I have Stage 4 Colon Cancer which has spread to my intestines, diaphragm, lymph nodes, and stomach lining. We are in need of your prayers, and that is the one thing you can do for us, for each other, to keep praying for each other. I miss you all and so much miss sharing Mass with all of you."

Peter has been the Director of Music and Liturgy at St. Anastasia Catholic Church since 2011 and an accomplished pianist and organist for many many years. He is often accompanied by his wife Helen, a classical violinist and music teacher at RB Hunt Elementary School in St. Augustine. Peter has been an active 4th Degree member of the Knights of Columbus since 2007 and an important part of the faith life of this community.

Peter and Helen have dedicated their lives to ministry and to the music community here in St. Augustine, coordinating an annual music series that has been enjoyed not only by those in the parish but in and around St. Augustine as well. The Morin's are a family of strong faith and their hard work, dedication, leadership and cheerfulness at St. Anastasia has everyone asking “what can we do to help?” Our desired goal with this GO FUND ME page is to ease their minds and help them financially, as there will likely be medical bills and other expenses.

Join us in lifting Peter and his family up as he has done for us so often, and for so many years, in the St. Augustine community.

Thank you and God bless.

The fine print:

Donations are accepted only through secure credit card processing. You will be asked to add a "tip" to help fund GoFundMe. This is optional, purely voluntary. GoFundMe does not charge anything to use its site. You credit card company charges a 3% processing fee.

Donor email addresses remain private, are used only by GoFundMe for donation notification. Names of donors will appear publicly unless you check "Don't display my name publicly" before selecting "Donate now" at the bottom of the credit card form.

ADDENDUM TO FINE PRINT as the goal of $33333 was exceeded in just 18 days:

Note from Peter: "We are humbled and overwhelmed with the financial support. Is there anyway you can see who the anonymous donors are? People are generously giving large amounts and it is hard to just take it without expressing some gratitude. We would like to privately show our appreciation or at least be able to try and do something to thank these anonymous donors."

GoFundMe goes to great lengths to secure the privacy of individual donors by using aliases in all emails so no one can see your email address. As administrator, I am the sole person who can see the names of anonymous donors. In response to Peter's request, there are now two people on the planet who can view the list of donor names. I believe Peter has a legitimate and personal need to see the names of friends and supporters. I gave him access to the full list. If you trust Peter, you know that he will properly handle this information only to the extent that he feels a need to respond. Dave Look 03/21/2021

A few examples of Peter and Helen's skill in organizing quality musical events at St. Anastasia

Peter and Helen hosting the Barbara Van Rysdam and Friends Concert, Oct 2020