World-renowned Catholic composer and musician Michael John Poirier will head back out on the road with his wife and three children this summer to continue his life’s work of evangelization through music.
For the last year and a half, Michael and his wife, Mary, have lived in south Scottsdale with their three children, renting a home. Most of their marriage and family life, however, has been out on the open road in their motor home.
For 18 years, the Poirier family has toured the country, visiting almost all 50 states, so that Michael can share his gift of music with the faithful. Mary has home-schooled the children, though they did attend Ville de Marie Academy during the last two school years.
“We want to give the whole world a prayer break,” Michael said of his musical outreach, Holy Family Apostolate. It’s a prayer break that’s also available via the Internet at prayerbreaks.org, where listeners can hear the psalm from the Mass of the day chanted by Michael.
On board their motor home, the Poiriers will carry the Divine Mercy image as well as a relic image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, signed by Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera, the archbishop of Mexico City.
Though they don’t perform with their dad, the Poirier kids—Joseph, 16, John Paul, 12 and Therese, 6 — love to sing and are used to the troubadour lifestyle. They’re anxious to reconnect with friends they’ve made along the way at parishes across the country.
“They are excited about going back on tour,” Mary said. “We want to focus more on doing things together to help families pray.”
The family visits parishes and schools where Michael teaches the faithful through songs and stories. He also leads them in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. The Poiriers often revisit the same areas around the country and Mary said they are encouraged by the feedback they receive.
“What is really cool is that when we make our rounds, people tell us what has happened since we saw them last,” Mary said. Oftentimes, it’s how God put their marriage back together or answered a prayer.
“God gives us the stories to encourage us,” Mary said. It’s moments like those that keep the Poiriers focused on serving God and relying on Him completely.
Mary, who said she comes from a business-oriented background that fostered a go-getter approach to life, said living month-to-month and embracing utter dependence on God has been a radical change for her.
“It’s really been a huge transformation for me,” Mary said. “Sometimes it’s so hard but God shows us every month that He provides — it’s amazing how He comes through.”
Michael recently decided he would no longer sell his CDs after Masses or require a stipend. Instead, he hopes fans will become subscribers to his website, PrayerBreaks.org. For $9.95 a month, subscribers support his work and gain multiple privileges, among them, the opportunity to download and keep five different songs every month.
Subscribers will automatically have their seat reserved at a May 21 farewell concert that will feature Michael’s meditative, soulful music as well as that of well-known Catholic musician Danielle Rose. Tickets for the concert will also be available for purchase at the door.
Money raised at the May 21 concert at Xavier College Preparatory will support the work of Holy Family Apostolate, but some of the funds will be set aside to help children in need.
“A portion of the proceeds will go to China Little Flower Orphanage,” Michael said. “It’s a ministry that has a U.S. anchor but they provide care for orphans in China.”
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May 21 concert at 7 p.m. at the Virginia G. Piper Center for Performing Arts at Xavier College Preparatory, 4710 N. 5th Street
Website: PrayerBreaks.org.
For more information, call (405) 833-0111.
