A little bit of background...

Nothing happens by accident.

While raising her family in Midland, Texas, Cheri Lomonte never imagined she would one day be a chronicler for the Mother of God. Her journey started innocently.

“Call it destiny or synchronicity; whatever it was…something made me open the travel section of the Sunday newspaper,” she writes. “With vacation planning in mind, I was looking for adventure.”

What Cheri discovered was an ad for a weeklong photographic workshop—‘no experience necessary.’ Without hesitation, she borrowed a camera and set off for New Mexico.

Despite all the beautiful scenery available to capture on film, Cheri found herself captivated by the area’s shadowy chapels and mission churches, where she was particularly drawn to statutes of Mary. Back in the studio, as she transformed her photos through a process called image transfer, her pictures took on a mesmerizing, spiritual quality. In the weeks and months that followed, wherever she went, Cheri sought out other churches—drawn by her desire to capture more images of Mary.

On one such occasion, she met a woman who, along with her mother, cared for the carved, wooden Madonna in the chapel. As Cheri relates, "These women were poor and couldn't afford expensive materials; yet, with the help of donations from the community, they created beautiful garments for the statue of Mary. The mother had sewn a cape, and on it were beautiful pieces of jewelry that had been donated by some of the women in the congregation. They had given their precious gems to adorn the Mother of God."

As Cheri continued taking her photographs, still others came forward with stories to tell. “There was no shortage of people willing to share their experiences with me. Many of them had been in desperate situations out of their control. They prayed to Mary, and they believe her intercession saved them.”

Cheri believes that Mary’s appeal lies in her humanity, her humility, and her absolute and unconditional love. No matter what life brought her, Mary trusted in God’s loving plan. As a young mother, she was forced from her home and endured exile to protect her baby. When her Son was 12, she lost him for three days, and when she found Him in the temple, He chided her for worrying. She witnessed His miracles and His unlawful trial and sentencing. Then, as she stood at her Son’s feet while He hung on a cross, she endured the worst heartache a mother can bear. Despite her hardships, she never complained. Despite the uncertainties, she never expressed doubt. Despite her heartbreak, she never gave up. Through her example, she teaches us how to trust…to have absolute faith when we don’t understand, to remain confident in God’s love despite the challenges life presents us. Mary brings us closer to God and her beloved Son. She gives us hope.

Seven years ago, with a portfolio of images mounting and her collection of stories growing, Cheri realized she had reached a turning point. She recalls, “I remember the day I ‘knew’ I had to continue this work. I cried and cried…not because I was scared, but because I knew my life was changing,.” Soon afterwards, Cheri resigned from her job and devoted herself to photographing images of Mary and recording stories of her goodness and grace in lives of those whom she has touched. The result of this work, The Healing Touch of Mary, was published by Divine Impressions in 2005.

“Since the day I made that decision, wonderful things have happened to me. I believe Mary’s presence is affecting my life. I trust her. I know she is here for us. Each morning, my daily prayer is, ‘What can I do for you today, Lord?’ I try to follow Mary’s example by saying ‘Yes,’ just as she did. How can I say no? If I’m called and I don’t answer, the question will go to someone else. If I’m called, and I don’t respond, how will that diminish the world?”

While collecting stories about Mary for her second book, Cheri became convinced that these stories needed a wider audience. In 2006, she established Mary’s Touch, a nonprofit organization committed to advancing Our Blessed Mother’s “YES.” Her work now includes production and co-hosting of Mary’s Touch, an inspirational radio program designed to bring a greater understanding of Mary, to remind us of Our Blessed Mother’s loving presence in our lives, and to help us recognize the healing grace she still brings to this world. Cheri also established two outreach programs, "Mary's Legacy" and "Through the Eyes of a Child," which extend our Blessed Mother's "Yes" by promoting life-giving ministries and assisting parochial schools and faith formation groups in addressing their fundraising challenges.

Cheri Lomonte resides in Austin, Texas with her husband, Tony. They enjoy traveling to visit their six grown children and five grandchildren.

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Mary's Touch is a nonprofit organization committed to advancing Our Blessed Mother’s “YES.” Our work includes the production and broadcasting of Mary’s Touch, an inspirational radio program designed to bring a greater understanding of Mary, to remind us of Our Blessed Mother’s loving presence in our lives, and to help us recognize the healing grace she still brings to this world. Mary’s Touch outreach programs are dedicated to promoting life-giving ministries.

We rely on generous donations to continue this vital work. Please keep us in your prayers.

Copyright © 2007 Mary's Touch. All rights reserved.