PictureShown: The Founder (middle) and Pope John Paul II (right) during his visit to Rome in 1985.









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The Founder's moment of love and Joy in the Orphanage.
In 1990, concerned for the welfare of these unfortunate children, whose God's "kingdom they belone" (MT. 19:14), the Founder, whose loving touch founded the Orphanage of the Virgin of Guadalupe (OVG), where the "children be fed first" (Mk: 7:27) made the following 4 promises to all the children who come under his care: He will feed them; He will house hem; He will educate them.

The toddlers and female teenagers are under the care of SMAHE Nuns while teenage boys are under the care of Brothers. There they learn and experience what love really means. 

These less fortunate children are housed in three modest houses which stand in a 3-acre property. These houses, which were built by SMAHE personnel (to save money), are a place of love, trust, mutual interest and unselfish service, i.e. a place of harmony and contentment. Although incomplete, these houses have become a home.  Since founding, in 1990, the orphanage has graduated, i.e., returned to the population, 463 healthy, happy, educated orphans who have a good start on life.

In 2001, after hearing our Founder speak, Mike and Amie DeMinter decided to help. A request was submitted to the United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for approval of a tax exempt foundation whose sole responsibility is to provide an avenue for those who want to financially help the less fortunate children of OVG.  On December 26, 2001, 501(c)(3) approval was granted and the Foundation for the Orphanage of the Virgin of Guadalupe (FOVG) was born.

In the fall of 2001, these founders of FOVG, Mike and Amie DeMinter, decided to take to trip to the Philippines and see the Orphanage of the Virgin of Guadalupe in action.  The result of the trip was the cementing that the Founder IS DOING GOD’S WORK.  Mike and Amie spent close to a month with the founder, the orphans at the orphanage, and the Founder's religious group, Sons and Sisters of Mary Adorers of the Holy Eucharist (SMAHE) (who are the day-to-day caretakers of the orphanage).

Mike and Amie found out that the orphans are never put up for adoption.  The reason is simple.  The Founder wants to bring progress to this portion of the Philippines.  Thus, he wants the orphans that are put under his care to grow up and return, fully educated, to help the people who live there.  To accomplish this, he has committed himself and SMAHE to house, clothe, feed, and fully educates all the way through college each orphan God has asked him to help.

Among the orphans Mike and Amie met were children who where made blind by extreme malnutrition, who were the result of rapes, who were to sick for their families to take care of them, who were malnourished and homeless, who were literally sold by their parents, etc. (Note:  While OVG was originally intended as a home for less fortunate children, it has recently become also a shelter or runaways, rape victims, and incest victims.)

It was during this trip that Mike and Amie came to know that the Founder WAS DOING THE WORK GOD ASKED HIM TO DO and that both of them were extremely lucky and privileged to be called by God to assist him in a very small way.  How did they know?  Simple, they looked in each orphans’ eyes.  Each eye contained a sparkle that only someone who is happy can show.  These children, who were plucked out of unimaginable living conditions, were full of life and, very thankful toward their caretakers; as well as very curious about Mike and Amie. (Note:  It is assumed think the curiosity came about because the orphans had never seen an American before.)

Then end result of the 2001 trip was that Mike and Amie committed their lives to helping the Founder fulfill his mission to God and the poor of the Philippines.
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In 2005, Mike and Amie DeMinter decided to take another trip to the Philippines.  This time they spent almost a month with the children.  They found the children happy, just like what was found on the first trip.

Help is still needed to pay for medicine, food, and education for these less fortunate little angels as well as orphanage maintenance (which is ongoing as the orphanage is located in a country that experiences high temperatures and high humidity year round).

The present Holy Father, Pope Francis, said he longed for a church of the poor, FOR THE POOR.  The work the Founder and the men and women of SMAHE perform every day is a manifestation of Jesus' love for the poor and is something all people should strive to accomplish.
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