We're Raising Money for the
Religious Teachers Filippini

Won't You Please Help?

Since 2001, Marshall has been raising money to promote the good work of the Religious Teachers Filippini. The

Sisters of the Religious Teachers work to promote the dignity of women and children in some of the poorest countries in the world – and here at home – by providing an education to those who previously had limited opportunities and choices in their lives. More than that, the Sisters also help provide the necessities of life: water, food, shelter, and clothing.

The Religious Teachers Filippini

The Institute of the Religious Teachers Filippini was founded by Lucy Filippini and Cardinal Mark Anthony Barbarigo who, in 1692, looked ahead with a vision to fulfilling their generous, ardent, and profound mission of faith and charity. Both were interested not only in education, but also in the social apostolate. The schools they founded were intended to promote the dignity of womanhood, and help influence a healthy family life.

Cardinal Barbarigo placed Lucy in charge of the education of young women. Besides teaching them Christian doctrine, she embarked on a revolutionary innovation - reading and writing for the poor!

Saint Lucy expressed her great desire for the work of evangelization:

"As for me, I long to be present in every corner of the earth

to be present everywhere

and plead with all peoples of every sex, age, and condition:

Love God! Love God!"

On May 25, 2004, Marshall carried Saint Lucy's message to the top of the world - the 29,035-foot summit of Mount Everest! And, to other "corners" of the earth through his successful Quest for the Seven Summits!!

Many thousands of people have been touched by the Religious Teachers Filippini. They have fulfilled the vision of Cardinal Barbarigo who, in October of 1704, summarized the motto and vision of his life when he said to the Religious Teachers:

"The Church of God is not a restful garden
but a working vineyard."

Lucy Filippini lived by those words and so have all of her daughters, the Sisters of the Religious Teachers Filippini.

One of the Sisters, providing comfort to a young
child with AIDS in Adigrat.

With your support, Marshall is working to bring some relief to war-widowed women and starving children around the world. He believes in the mission of the Religious Teachers Filippini to:

"Go and Teach!"

A Visit to the Missions

In October 2005 Marshall and his wife Heather visited the missions in Eritrea, Africa where the Sisters are making a difference in the world: in the cities of Asmara, Tukul, and Hamelmalo.

Coming soon: a complete report from Eritrea!

While the Sisters have already provided so much to the women and children of Eritrea, there is so much work still work to be done! And not just in Eritrea. The 900 Sisters of the Religious Teachers are also working in Albania, Brazil, England, Ethiopia, India, Ireland, Italy, Switzerland, and the United States.

Through your generosity, the Sisters are able to provide aid to underprivileged children and their families.

Your Donation

To support the wonderful work the Sisters are doing, Marshall and Heather ask for your donation to promote the dignity of women and children around the world.

Every penny of your donation will go directly to the women and children, as the Sisters do not use any of the money they receive in donations for overhead or their own living expenses. One hundred percent of your donation will be used only for the women and children.

Marshall and Heather suggest the following donations levels - or whatever you can afford.

$25

$50

$100

Other

If you would like to send a check, please make it payable to: Religious Teachers Filippini.
Send your checks to:

Religious Teachers Filippini Mission Fund/Team Stray Dogs 455 Western Avenue Morristown, NJ  07960

Your donation is tax deductible.

If you prefer, you can make your donation now using your Visa or Master Card. Please select the "Visa Master Card Buy Now" button below to make your donation directly to the account set up for the Religious Teachers Filippini Mission Fund.

 

Remember...one hundred percent of your donation will go to the deserving women and children!

A Letter from Mother General

We were touched to receive the following letter from Sister Mary De Bacco, M.P.F., Superior General, regarding Marshall's fundraising efforts for the Religious Teachers Filippini associated with is climb of Mount Everest and other endeavors.

Dear Marshall,

I have heard so much about you from Sister Mary Beth that I feel I know you in a profound way, heart to heart. You will never know the good you have done to so many poor mothers and children of Ethiopia and Eritrea who have been given life through your generous spirit. Your strenuous climb to the peak of Mount Everest (even honoring us by placing our Institute flag in that remote spot!) and your 4x Badwater Run winning for you the Guinness world record, all done to help the most destitute of peoples, is admirable beyond words. Each mile of the journey was one of strenuous work and painful sacrifice, as we can well imagine. The Sisters here followed you with their daily prayers, and waited for the news bulletins that Sister Mary Beth would deliver to us as soon as they arrived. We were honored to be a small part of this marvelous endeavor, even if only from a distance, but close in heart to what you were doing for our poor people.

A starving child hovering close to his mother who can do nothing for him but love him, is so pathetic a sight, it tears at your heart. Many of these children would have died, but because of the hope and concrete help of your generous and sacrificial spirit, they now have a chance.

If you only could see in your mind's eye, the hope you have given these destitute people! A near starving child, sometimes made to wait, to give priority to a starving child, asks for a glass of milk and is no longer turned away because now, thanks to you, we not only can supply food for hundreds of people, but also have a milk fund that will never go empty.

Marshall, I hope I have the honor to someday meet you and thank you personally. May God bless you with his most perfect gifts, love and peace of heart!

Sincerely in Christ,

Sister Mary De Bacco, M.P.F.

Superior General

 

Past Effort - Quest for the Seven Summits

In 2004, Marshall's fundraising efforts - associated with his (successful) Quest for the Seven Summits -
were focused on the villages of Adigrat, Ethiopia and Hamelmalo, Eritrea.
Read below for more information.

Marshall is asking for your support for the Religious Teachers Filippini in association with his Quest for the Seven Summits. The Religious Teachers Filippini helps war-widowed women and starving children in some of the poorest countries in the world. They help them by teaching them how to read and write, and teaching them skills to give them a chance in life – a chance that they may not have had.

In particular, Marshall is raising money for 600 orphans who live in cement rooms in Adigrat, Ethiopia; and 1,500 children and 200 women in the bombed village of Hamelmalo, Eritrea. For more information on these women and children, and the efforts of the Sisters of the Religious Teachers Filippini to teach them so that they can help themselves, see below. More information about the Religious Teachers Filippini is also provided below.

Marshall has been doing fundraising for the Religious Teachers Filippini for years. In 2001, as a part of his Quad crossing of Death Valley, Marshall, with the support of Lisa Smith-Batchen and his crew, raised over $70,0000 for the Sisters. His goal is to surpass this level of support – through the generosity of people like you – as a part of his attempt to reach the top of the world, and the other Seven Summits.

Marshall could not be completing this quest without the motivation of fundraising for some of the most deserving people in the world – young children and women that are suffering through no fault of their own. He gives special thanks to Sister Mary Beth Lloyd with the Religious Teachers Filippini for helping to coordinate his fundraising efforts.

You can help!

600 Orphans Living in Cement Rooms

As Sister Mary Beth explained to Marshall:

"This is the most heart wrenching site you have ever seen." 

In the small city of Adigrat, Ethiopia (about an 8 hour drive east of the capital of Addis Abbaba) the Sisters are helping 600 children that have lost both their mothers and fathers to AIDS. The phenomena is called Child Headed Households (CHH). Sister says, "there are so many groups of little children, usually an older sister 12 to 15 years of age with their younger siblings ...trying to make it on their own."

"A CHH is formed once every 14 seconds!!!" 

Many of these children have walked miles to get to the city, as their parents have died in the villages. They lose any inheritance that might have been rightfully theirs. Unscrupulous relatives take their land and any little money they might have had, and scare them away from the villages. 

Here is one little family. There are towns full of them.

As Sister Mary Beth says, “Interesting...they always smile!!"
"They were waiting for Marshall to get to the top of Mount Everest
so that he could see all that has to be done from there!!"

Currently, the government won't let the Sisters build an orphanage, as they want extended family members to take care of the children. However, the families are either unscrupulous, dead too, or have so many children of their own that they cannot take care of these children.

To help, the Sisters rent – for $3 a month – little cement rooms for them. All the brothers and sisters sleep in the same room. They come to the Sisters for school and for some food. The Sisters also pay a neighbor lady to make them some dinner.

The oldest girl is put in a special program where she learns a skill besides getting her normal elementary education. They learn knitting, embroidery, basket making...and then the Sisters sell the items and the girls are able to keep the money they make. When they can, the Sisters give each of the little girls a packet of food to take home to their little brothers and sisters. They also do what they can to make sure the kids all have clothes on their backs.

"Here's a great picture of some of the orphans...

...and the Sister who helps." Smiling, of course!

There is so much work to be done here. You can help. 

Children and Women in a Bombed Village

The Sisters from the Religious Teachers Filippini found 1,500 children under the age of 5 when they arrived at the site of their new mission in Hamelmalo, Eritrea. Hamelmalo was one of the most bombed villages in Eritrea during the 30-year war with Ethiopia. A soldier from the town, who became mayor, knew of the work of the Sisters from their school in the capitol of Asmara. He begged the Sisters to help by providing water, and opening a clinic, a school for women, and a school for the children of Hamelmalo.

Sister Mary Beth told Marshall:

"The area is very dry and the children walk
miles to bring a jug of water back to their families.
The Sisters have been able to dig two wells, so now
everyone has some water."

Sister Mary Beth explained to Marshall that there are,
"1500 of them under 5 that have to eat every day!!"

The women have never been to school and have one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world, mainly from lack of knowledge of hygiene. The children never had a school to go to and had very little nutrition. 

Since July 2004, the Sisters have been providing an education and food for these 1,500 children and 200 pregnant women. They can already see improvements. But, there is still work to be done.

You can help the Sisters continue to
provide an education to the women and
children of Hamelmalo.

Sister Mary Beth described this as her favorite picture. She said, "This boy was in an abandoned hospital in Ethiopia. The people go there to die. No water, nothing, just cement beds. He was in bed with his dying mother. One of the Sisters handed him this roll. I took this picture as he handed it first to his sick mother...what love!"

Past Effort - The Sahara Race

See the (archived) Sahra Race Fundraising page for information
about Marshall Ulrich completing the 150-mile stage race in Egypt
as a fundraiser for the Religious Teachers Filippini.

If you'd like more information, please contact Marshall.