My French Ministry with Anne Gabanelle, Owner of “French Memories Bakery”
At only 21, Anne Gabanelle and her new husband each packed a suitcase, took the little money they had, and left France.
Over the years, Anne wondered why God had led her away from her family and friends to America.
Anne now has grown children and owns a French bakery with her husband in Cohasset, Massachusetts. Looking back, Anne can clearly see how God’s will has unfolded in her and her husband’s life together.
“French Memories Bakery” is their ministry.
In this week’s “mini retreat in a podcast,” hear how Anne and her husband minister to their employees and customers. Lindy—host of Mamas in Spirit—met Anne when she was the recipient of this God-centered hospitality.
Listen and discover how you can also dwell in the presence of Christ and share His love in your little corner of the world.
Transcript:
Lindy Wynne (00:01.356)
Welcome to Mamas in Spirit, a podcast pointing you towards God in everything you are and everything you do. I'm Lindy Wynne and it's a blessing to be with you. Hello everyone, welcome to this mini retreat in a podcast. It's so amazing how God provides every time and there are over 300 podcasts now, over seven years of this podcast, this mini retreat in a podcast, Mamas in Spirit.
And I think about the new life that I and hopefully and prayerfully we are blessed with every single time. if you're on YouTube, because this is on all the podcast hosting platforms and YouTube, I'm thinking about speaking specifically to you right now in your heart, through my microphone, straight into the intimacy of your life and wherever you are right now in the hope and the prayer that during this time together, we as sisters and brothers,
become more deeply embedded and etched and reside more fully in the Sacred Heart of Christ, the one who loves us most. And I have to tell you a little story before I introduce our beautiful, beautiful guest today. So I was so blessed to lead a retreat in Cohasset, Massachusetts not long ago in this glorious little really ocean side town that is like classic East Coast.
And to be honest with you, I was in an afternoon break of leading this Ignatian retreat and in the spirit of Ignatian spirituality and how the good Lord wants to pour into our hearts and provide for us really practicing Cura personalis, care for the whole person in my own life. I was very, very tired for a number of reasons that we can all imagine, like many of us are. And it's so funny because it was about at the same time in the afternoon that I'm recording this podcast right now with our guest.
And I knew that I needed like rest and respite and like away from the retreat center and where we were all at. So on a whim, a providential whim, I walk into this darling French bakery and it's called French Memories Bakery in Cohasset, Massachusetts. And I walk in there and at first I'm just like delighted looking at all the treats and I took pictures. There are so many in there.
Lindy Wynne (02:25.248)
and they look so majestic and so amazing. was like, my heart was delighted by it. Like it's out of a storybook. So I took pictures to show my 10 year old. And then I started chatting with the girls, the young girls that work there and ordering a very heavy caffeinated coffee. And then I thought I saw the owner and she had on a merry medal. And so that caught my attention. So I get my coffee and I sit down in the seat, but I grab a book on the way.
and it had these like deep spiritual themes to it. And I sat there in this delightful shop reading this book and drinking my coffee and just being poured into before I had to go back to the retreat. I go after my coffee to put the book back and I see another book there. And it's "My Sisters the Saints" by Colleen Carol Campbell who I've interviewed and it's a Catholic saint book. And I'm like, well, wait a minute. And I start looking at all these books.
And there's all these Catholic books there. And then I remembered the Mary Medal and the owner. And I went and chatted with her and had the most charming conversation and saw her beautiful faith. And I asked her to be in a podcast. And here she is, Gabanelle Anne, thank you so much for joining us.
Anne Gabanelle (03:45.657)
Thanks for having me. Very happy to be here.
Lindy Wynne (03:47.992)
Well, and I shared that, I'm so happy to have you. And I shared that long story because of God's good providence. Like our sisters and brothers in Christ are everywhere. And Momma's in Spirit has really shown me that because I'm so blessed to interview people from everywhere. But even when I'm going to retreat and my own heart is in need, and then God drops me in this beautiful French bakery that is yours, and then with you.
Anne Gabanelle (03:59.587)
Mm-hmm.
Lindy Wynne (04:14.188)
and your beautiful heart. I just want to take a moment to revere God for that and open in prayer before Anne shares her story. In the of the Father, Son, Holy Spirit, Amen. Dearest Lord, so often in life, we have thoughts about what our lives should look like or what we want them to look like, like our own will, Lord. Yet you call us to surrender like our blessed mother did to your holy will, a will that is greater, more powerful, more filled with hope.
and awe and goodness. You're really your majesticness, Lord, than we could ever imagine. So Lord, during this time, I pray that we really get to know Anne's beautiful heart and your will for her and her life and how she said yes to that, Lord, so that hopefully and prayerfully by your grace, we can give that same yes in our own lives. In your name we pray, amen. In the of the Father, Son, Holy Spirit, amen. So Anne, I would love for you to start at the beginning of your story.
Anne Gabanelle (05:11.929)
Oh, the beginning of my story. Where to start? So I was born in France, in Provence. And so I moved around a little bit. I lived in England for about a year. And I met my husband very young. I was 16. And we were friends. And then we started dating around 17, 18. And I just knew, I just knew he was the guy. And I actually told him.
And I thought, wow, I really told him that, that was it. I was going to spend the rest of my life with him. And that's what we did. So he also traveled. He was in the Navy, came to the US a few times and then he fell in love with the country. So he came home after one campaign and he told me, said, this is where I want to go. We should live there. And I thought it was a crazy idea. I said, well, what are we going to go do over there? I was in the hotel business. He was in the Navy.
I quit the Navy, went to school in Paris, became a chef, and then I left. We got married. We left together with our two little suitcases, a little bit of money saved, but not much, and God provided. I mean, at the time, I didn't realize that I was a raised Catholic. I would call myself, now I know, was lukewarm Catholic.
I go to church once in a while for the holidays. I knew God was around, but didn't really have a very strong relationship. just knew he was around. But looking back, now I know exactly what he did. And it's fun to see it. It's fun to realize later in life. So what he did is got us in touch with a family in Florida.
originally from France. So they spoke French, which was easier to readjust with the country. But so many times I said, I don't think I would have been able to stay in the US with this family. They were like our parents. For me, it was really hard to leave. was just 21. I left everything, you know, and I by choice, not that I had to by choice. I just felt like it's what we were supposed to do.
Anne Gabanelle (07:36.485)
I left my parents, my brothers, sisters, my friends, my job and just, you know, figured let's go and see what happened. But it was hard. was difficult to leave everything behind. And it wasn't easy, but we did it. We worked, we worked hard. We knew we didn't have a big plan. We just knew we wanted to stay.
We saved enough money. We still, didn't know why, we didn't know what was gonna come along, but thought if something comes along, we'll have a little bit of money. And then an opportunity came along. We opened, so we moved from Florida to Massachusetts. We felt like it was a better place for our business. And we opened a first bakery in Duxbury, and that was in 1989.
And it was just work, work, work, work. But everything fell in places. looking back, my family said, well, you had a good star. That's what they call it. So now I know who the good star was. My husband has a face too. And we kind of grew together little by little. then I...
I mean, there's just so many things happened in my life. I got pregnant, I had my first daughter, and then we opened the car hasid shop in 1991. And then through this medal that you actually saw, and it's interesting because I was going to mention it, it attracted people to me. People will make comments, say, oh, it's a shiny medal, blessed mother. And I usually tell people, said, it's my christening medal.
in Europe, especially in France, Italy, Spain, when a baby's born, the godmother buys a medal and has the date in the back. And for me, it was the blessed mother. And I've always had her, always with me. And so people would come to me and I met a woman, French woman that was also living in Corrasset at the time. And one day she said, well, Anne, would you like to learn how to, would you like to say the rosary?
Anne Gabanelle (09:57.113)
with me and my friend. I said, well, I don't know how to say the Rosary. I'd never said it. I said, well, we'll teach you, you know, it's, but the world needed it. It really felt like it was something that was, and I thought, it's very private. I'm not used to pray with other people, but I said, well, okay, I'll do it. It was just three of us. So we, she invited me to her house. It was 11 o'clock, October 6th, 1996.
because people say some things, sometimes people know what happened, some people don't, it can be slow change or it can be the big bang. And for me it was a big bang. Say the rosary, I had my great grandmother's rosary beads in my hands and I kind of went with it. And I can't give you in details when God touches you, reach out to you.
I think there's just no words. It's just something happened. And I can't say it was a door, it was a gate. It was just a giant gate that opened to a whole different world. That I knew God. At that point, I knew there was more. I forgot. Right before that, I was praying in my car and I said, and I challenged God. I said, if you're really around, if you exist,
you know, I think you're around, but I don't know. I promise that I will pray for you, with you, I'll pray for the world for the rest of my life. But I need to know. I needed a proof. needed to... And then I got that invitation to say the rosary and that happened. So after that, it was just one thing after another. Through the medal again, I met a woman that came to me and she said,
we do a cenacle in Khorhaset once a week on Tuesday night. Would you like to come? I said, sure, I want to come. I was busy. I had children. I didn't have time. But I think it was just the Holy Spirit was giving me wings. Sure, I'll do it. I'm sure my husband will be fine. I'll go for an hour two. So we started doing the cenacle. And then I met a priest, Father Mike.
Anne Gabanelle (12:22.073)
from a situate, Fr. Mike McNamara. And at that first cynical, he was there, he was leading the Rosary. I understood why the apostles left everything and follow Jesus. And I thought, this is very, very powerful. There's more than I can understand. There's just so much more. It was very exciting.
I just felt like I was being filled, completely filled by something I had never experienced before. So Father Mike really became somebody who changed my life also. So I joined his ministry and he would say the rosary, what did we have? had Tuesday night rosary, we had mass, and then we had adoration. And then through...
adoration, I also was being taught. So I never really read too many books. I felt like I was just being taught through prayers. I mean, obviously, through the Rosary, it's the Blessed Mother who, what I like to say, picked me up, and she brought me to Jesus. That's what she does. She picks people up, she teach them, brings them to Jesus. And
So she's very dear to me, but obviously she is also because I've been carrying her around my whole life. And then through Father Mike, just, I went to, I traveled a little bit. I went to Medjugorje. I went to different retreats. Again, I've learned everything through the prayer and through adoration.
Now I have three children. My third daughter is married. She was actually, when I went to Mejigori, she, was, know if I was supposed to have another child. And was around the year of 2000. You know, everybody was wondering what's going on with the world. Is it a good place to bring children? You know, what does God want me to do? I had learned at that time, do you really need to do what God wants to do for you? And
Anne Gabanelle (14:46.209)
And yes, while I was over there, absolutely revealed that, I should have another child. So I thought, well, if it's a girl, it has to be Mary. So Father Mike Christians my Mary, and he actually married her a couple of years ago. So he's a very special priest in our family. He's done a lot. So it's a little bit my story. That's how I got to...
Lindy Wynne (14:55.438)
you
Anne Gabanelle (15:15.191)
really encounter God and how he works in my life and it does. So after that, you know, people would come through the bakery. So the bakery became my ministry really. And that's how I understood it because I prayed often, why are we here? Am I supposed to be here? Why did I leave France? Where did I leave my family? And we have this little bakery now, just one, but don't have to do express store anymore.
And through this little bakery, it's an open door to the world. And people come in and they just pray, just bring whoever needs to come in, just bring them in. And sometimes it's nothing, sometimes it's just a smile. It's just a little talk, wishing somebody a good day. But nowadays I found that people are not people anymore. They're numbers.
When they come to us, that's what they've been telling me often enough. say, when I come, you know, we do have pastry, we have nice pastry, my husband does a good job, but I think they get more. I think they can sense there's more. So the just people are important. Each person is so important and they so need to, you know, to know that.
And that they're just not a number, they're just not a customer. They're not just here for business. know, sometimes I've come across people that have had so many issues in their life. And you know, they'll come in and they'll be sad or they won't be talking much. And sometimes they can be a little bit rude. And then some of my staff, have a hard time. But if you go a little further, you realize, you know, something happened in their lives. That's why, you know, and then you talk and then you can smile and then you become, you know, you can create a relationship.
So it's, you know, look, stepping back, looking, it's fascinating. It's fascinating to see how God works through people. Another example, for example, my husband seems to have kids that don't have a father figure. And they end up working in the back with him. They make pastries, they make fruit tarts, whatever needs to be done.
Anne Gabanelle (17:41.049)
You always end up with a voice that needs a male figure in their lives. And then I end up with the girls. They'll work in the France and then we talk and they're almost like my kids. I keep the kids a long time usually and we become close like my children and now we talk about different situations and what's going on in the world.
And I really feel like that's how God works. He's helping, you know, and he's bringing to us the people that needs something. And it works both ways. We need them too. We need help. And I've always said I've never advertised for help. And it's always something that I found interesting. You know, in small business, retail.
food business. It's difficult nowadays. It's hard to find people. But I pray and I ask and he brings me people. And he's challenged me to see how strong my faith is. Because sometimes I get to that last week and I know I'm not going to have enough help and I know I can't physically do it by myself. And it's like, okay, God, I'll see. know what? You know I need help. You know, I know you hear me.
days later somebody comes along. And this is what happened today. I had a lady and she was starting today. I had no idea she's retired, she's older. No idea if she was going to work out. No idea if she was going to physically be able to do it. And she's awesome. I just love it's like, okay, thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I'm so glad. So grateful. So that's our story.
little business, little part of the world. I can't change the world, but if can send somebody home with a smile and they feel good, that's it.
Lindy Wynne (19:50.553)
Well, you sure sent me home with a smile that day, And there's something about you that is just so soothing and consoling and just precious. And it makes sense to me when you say that you have all these girls that work for you that you feel like they're like your daughters. I could see how they'd be drawn to you too. And what a glorious role model. And as a mother, like,
Anne Gabanelle (19:54.009)
Yeah.
Lindy Wynne (20:18.74)
what more could a mother want for her daughter than to work for someone like you and you and your husband. And I remember you telling me even with your husband that he'll get like father's day cards and stuff from some of the yeah, that's so it's so precious and hope filled, especially when we constantly hear like you talked about how you talk with them about things going on the world. Like when we hear about the lack of fathers involved in homes and all these fatherless children and whatnot. And it's like,
Anne Gabanelle (20:30.753)
It still does,
Lindy Wynne (20:48.216)
but like God is so much bigger than that. And here we are talking about our blessed mother and your medal. And like, she's a mother to every single one of us. like, actually before Anna and I got on, Ann had some challenges getting onto the podcast today. And I told her, never really worry about that because the light truly does outshine the darkness, like scripture says. And like, I've seen that time and time again, like even with obstacles and things of the sort, like.
Anne Gabanelle (21:08.537)
Mm-hmm.
Lindy Wynne (21:15.052)
God's provision is so good and really like more boundless than we could expect, especially when we're in His will, when we're in God's will. And I just love that your name is Anne and your daughter's name is Mary. And I cannot help but think of the beauty. I love that kind of ritual and tradition for the sacrament of baptism that the Godmother gives.
Anne Gabanelle (21:32.621)
There it is.
Lindy Wynne (21:42.963)
a medallion and that you got our blessed mother with your baptismal date etched on the back. That is so, that's so beautiful. That, I mean, that kind of changes me. And I wonder about everybody listening like, I really want to do that moving forward. Like even for being a sponsor for confirmation or other things of the sort. But it almost seems like that, like that represents, like you said, like
Here you were a baby being baptized and you were given this medallion that you've been wearing and you said that your faith was lukewarm, but you were still being sought by the Lord and sought by Mary. And how beautiful that that woman came and invited you to pray the rosary. And that one tiny invitation, this is such a blessed reminder for all of us, like that one tiny invitation changed your life and then opened to all these other opportunities for you too. And this
really glorious relationship that you and your family have with Father Mike, Father Michael that you were talking about. And I'm wondering, Anne, in the beginning, I love your accent, by the way, and I haven't listened to that many French accents, so I'm especially delighted. Anne, did you say in the beginning that someone said to you, was it you have a good star?
Anne Gabanelle (22:45.293)
Mm-hmm.
Anne Gabanelle (23:06.681)
Some people in my family would say that. My mom has a very strong faith too. But I would hear it's, you guys had a good start. It's like, you know, things fell in places. We worked on it. It was hard. We worked on it, but we had the opportunities too.
And I think God put in people in your life that you just have to recognize where they are and appreciate them. And this family in Florida, they were like our family. They were my new parents. And I don't think, again, I don't think I would have made it in this country without this family. They had eight children.
And they were, a lot of them were about our age and I was welcome in this family. They didn't know us. There was just a job opportunity for my husband. He was going to open a bakery with one of the children, the oldest. And that didn't work out, but they kept us. They adopted us. And we, we, we see them and my, kids called them grandpa, grandma, cousins. You know, it's like my, I call them my American family.
So I have my French family, I have my American family, and I have my heavenly mother. So I'm in good shape. I have a lot of people around.
Lindy Wynne (24:28.202)
Amen. My goodness. You are in good shape. And I love that you said that because that's what we all long for is deep, deep connections with other humans. And I can't help but think that here you came as a 21 year old to the United States and we're blessed with a spiritual mother and this adopted family here, your American family. And then now that's what you and your husband do at your bakery.
That is the beauty of a living witness and the beauty of a living faith is that it's real and it's truly loving and it's infectious. And so you received it and now that is also what you share. And I love how that concept of a good star, the star of Bethlehem, that really means a lot to me. Like it means a lot to me. And I wonder for everyone listening like,
Okay, so I think it is in the Gospel of Matthew, but I don't know. It could be in the Gospel. It could be in all of them. I really don't know. But it says, it's so simple. Behold the star. Behold the star. And I said to Ann before we started recording today, like, oftentimes I think about the gold crucifix.
that's in my little She Shed Chapel. You can see it on Instagram. It's pinned at the top of Instagram if you haven't seen it before. I really created that for the intimacy of my own heart. And I write up prayer intentions there. just wrote up Anne and her family before we recorded this podcast and my little prayer wall in there. And when you request prayers from me, I write them up in there. And it really helps me to, and I told Anne, like while we're recording this podcast, the hope is, that
our gazes are like transfixed, are fixed on the cross. Like I personally imagine that gold cross, because that's where I pray. And it's also like not a super large cross and it's gold. And I think of the star like that. Like the star, behold the star. It's like you're talking about the will of God in us following the will of God and how you followed God. You followed God to another country.
Lindy Wynne (26:47.502)
and you followed him to Cohasset, Massachusetts. I'm so tickled pink when you say that you told your husband you were gonna spend the rest of your life with him. I'm like, well, that's good, he said that too.
Anne Gabanelle (27:00.985)
was bold at 16 or 17. I very bold. I know, well, obviously somebody knows better. But it's interesting what you say about the star because it is also the light in the darkness. And that's really what and that's how Jesus, you know, came to the world too. There was a there was the star and I've never made that connection.
Lindy Wynne (27:02.606)
It was bold, but I love that. I love that. Well, hey, here you are.
Lindy Wynne (27:31.959)
I love that you just said that. And I know I've shared another podcast. My little list has those glow in the dark stars on her ceiling. at first glance, that could seem like, it's just these commercial stars for the ceiling. For me, it reminds me of our Blessed Mother, and most specifically, Our Lady of Guadalupe. And it also reminds me of the star, just keeping the gazes of our hearts on this star and following, just like the magi,
following the star to Christ. Our job is actually very simple in that sense. We can be very complicated and we have a lot of feelings and things of the sort. But really to follow the will of God in that sense is very simple. It's to follow the star. You had a good star. We all have a good star.
Anne Gabanelle (28:20.953)
We do, we absolutely do. just, you know, being in his will. I think that's also, it's hard when you're young, you don't know that. You know, you have all this planned. You think this is what we're gonna do and this is what is gonna happen. And Father Michael always said, well, you wanna make God laugh, you tell him your plans. And then you'll see what happen. So it's good that, you know, fairly quickly,
realize that you just just let go. Let go, you know, and and you'll do the rest and just just figure out where what you're supposed to do. I don't know, I don't find it very difficult. I just go day by day and again people come through the door, whoever needs something. But I want to go back to the family in Florida because you know as we talk things come back and I remember a few things.
But the father, Claude, said, I asked him one day, said, you know, you opened your door to us. You don't know us. You know, we talked on the phone a couple of times. You welcomed us in your family. And I said, why did you do that? You didn't, you know, took a chance. And he said, well, this is what you do in this country. You know, people come, you know, I was, you know, from a, you know, good.
very wealthy family in France and I became an immigrant overnight. I remember one day thinking, hmm, that's a difference. That's very different for me. That's okay, we keep going. And Claude said, you know, whatever we do to help you get started, you will do it again. You will do it to others. And this is what we do. And you have no idea how many times we've done it. How many times and not...
because we have to, it just happens. People that just needed a little push, a little hands, something, anything, need a place to stay until they bounce back and they can go on with their life. People that come from France, that's also that we've hired, a couple chef we've had, it's just come along and...
Anne Gabanelle (30:45.303)
You just do it, that's all. And I don't think, again, it was by obligation because somebody did it for us, we have to do it. It's just who you become, I think. And that family made us who we are now.
Lindy Wynne (31:01.632)
It's who you become. That is so glorious. And what was also on my heart to kind of dig into with you, really touches on that because you talked about that prayer experience and there really being no words for it when you prayed the rosary and how like Jesus sought your heart, God sought your heart, Mary directed you to Jesus through the rosary and how that changed you, but that there's really no words. Like that was the day that your faith, in a sense it sounds like
turn from lukewarm to hot. And so I think about that and how there are no words because it's like, what's coming to me is like the Holy Spirit was in the air, know, like the Holy Spirit was in the air. Jesus was in your heart, our blessed mother was in your heart. When I walked in your bakery, I think that's what it was. It's like, because you said whatever someone needs, like,
I really needed some respite in that moment. Like I was gonna go on a really, really long walk. Any of you who have listened to Moms in the Spirit for a while know that like I love, you know, just like being in nature and walks and prayer walks. And that usually is what like really replenishes my heart. But I'd already done that early in the morning. And in the afternoon, I started to go on a really long walk and I was so tired. And I was like, no, it's like...
Come and sit for a while and rest with me from Jesus. And so that's what I experienced in your little bakery. Like it's so touching listening to you, Anne, and it really shows the goodness of God and shows about presence because that's what I'm hearing from you, intimacy and presence and the one, like pursuing the one like Christ pursues each one of us. And we talked about that in last week's podcast with the producer,
of the film about St. Maximilian Kolbe, Triumph of the Heart. St. Maximilian gave his life for the one. Jesus gave his life for all of us and we're called to pursue the one. Christ pursues each one of us. I think about how each person walks in your bakery or you hire the different...
Lindy Wynne (33:19.576)
people to work and back with your husband and to make these pastries and tarts and things of the sort, or how they're working out front with you and what you're blessing them with, it's the presence. It's the thing that's kind of untouchable in words. It's that holy presence, that love of God that we all hunger for, that St. Augustine talks about, that we need from one another. Like we're made to be in communion with Christ and with one another.
We are adopted sons and daughters and we're made to be sons and daughters together in Christ. And you're just, you're offering that. It's just a beautiful offering from what you've received.
Anne Gabanelle (33:52.129)
it.
Anne Gabanelle (34:02.625)
What's interesting is that first woman that invited me at the Cénécole, that second actually, when I walked in into her house, she had a beautiful picture of Saint Teresa the little flower. And they were very excited. We said, well, we like Saint Teresa, but in your French, and you know, they kind of put the connection together.
And I was very interested in her life, I definitely read her book, the book of Story of a Soul. And then I realized that she didn't do anything other than staying at the convent. She couldn't travel, she didn't leave the convent, and she's one of the greatest saints of our time.
And I learned through her that the little things, and you can't, again, I work a lot. raise three children with a busy business. I can't change the world doing big things, know, not Mother Teresa. And I think through the little things, if you just, with God, sometimes I don't even have time to pray.
but you can just be in the presence. And I think being in the presence is probably, you know, one of the greatest prayer because maybe that's what people feel when they come in and I'm glad if that's what they feel. But one of my prayer was, you know, to Jesus.
Anne Gabanelle (35:34.816)
trying through me. I don't need to be Anne, just work through me. That's what people need to see. Because that's what we're longing for. And that's what we need. And even in our little town, that's... It's a little town, it's actually very wealthy. But the money doesn't give you everything. There's a lot of needs.
Mother Teresa said she had a better, not better, easier time in India to just give a bottle of rice than what the work we have to do here. Because it's not a bottle of rice that people need anymore.
Lindy Wynne (36:17.954)
Yes, and she has a quote that I'm paraphrasing that the greatest poverty is the feeling of being unwanted or unloved. There's another word in there too. And that's really what you're offering in your beautiful little bakery. And it's always so providential because in my little chapel right by the prayers that I hang up is a statue of St. Tres of Lesault. Can you say that St. Tres of Lesault? How do you say that?
Anne Gabanelle (36:44.089)
Saint Teresa of Lisieux. Call us a little flower in Césaire.
Lindy Wynne (36:46.51)
I really wanted to hear you say that.
I know, but I wanted to hear you say it. So she's there and it's like, it's in God's will. Like I went in this antique shop and she was on clearance for $20 and that's why I bought her. And now she means so much to me. I mean, this is how the Lord works. Like someone accidentally put on a bracelet that I was given. It was supposed to be our blessed mother and instead it was Padre Pio. Well, now I have this prayer that I just love. Stay with me.
Anne Gabanelle (36:55.929)
It's cool.
Anne Gabanelle (37:09.345)
Yeah.
Lindy Wynne (37:21.25)
that Padre Pio prayed to the Lord. And it's a prayer after communion, but like, I just love it, period. It's just this glorious prayer. And it's like, this is the thing, me walking into your bakery this time here, you're coming, it's the big and the small things, you coming to America, like whatever it is, like God has a will for our lives and a plan for our lives. And I love this idea that I think that is such a glorious invitation for all of us to merely be in the presence of the Lord.
and to ask the Lord to share his presence through us with whomever we encounter because that is the love of our longing. That's the love of our greatest desire. And in all respectfulness, I thought about what you just said about Saint Mother Teresa and I thought, you know, even though she did really big things in the sense like she's very well known, she was encountering, and doesn't she have a quote about this? Like one human,
at a time and like no human can encounter every human like we're all so desperately and deeply needed in God's plan and in God's story of redemption because there's all these souls on this earth that we all need the same thing the love of God we all need that intimacy with God so and you are just so special is there anything else that you want to share with everyone gathered
Anne Gabanelle (38:48.151)
So I knew you would ask me if there was anything that God wanted to say and I thought about it and I said, I don't know. I mean, and I was praying on my way from work today and I thought, well, if there's anything, Holy Spirit, you better tell me. And it came very, very strongly. He said, I can hear all your prayers. I can hear you.
And it felt, it was, very unusual for me to, to receive that because I certainly didn't expect it. But he can hear us. He can hear us. He can hear every single prayer. So we have hope and we have to keep praying. And I know we don't understand why not all the prayers are being answered because it's, you know, we think differently, but he can hear us.
Lindy Wynne (39:42.297)
Thank you so much, Anne. That is so beautiful. And I can't remember what scene, if it's St. Therese of Lisieux or St. Cathar of Siena or someone, but there's this beautiful quote about prayer being like merely like turning the heart to heaven or something like that. I if you've never heard this, ever heard this before. But I even think of that for you in your bakery when you're like, well, sometimes I don't even have time to pray. It's like.
Anne Gabanelle (40:05.529)
That's true.
Lindy Wynne (40:09.986)
your life is a prayer, you're constantly turning your heart to heaven. I mean, that's just, it's so beautiful, Anne, and I can't thank you enough for coming on, and it's so important for me and for all of us to stop and to sit in gratitude for all the ways that God reveals God's self to us. Like, our days can be so busy and so full, and we can be so stuck in our head rather than in our hearts, and...
and whatnot and I'm really trying to like really be in my heart. I have a beautiful friend who keeps saying like, work from your heart, move from your heart. And so really quick story that has to do with our blessed mother. This morning, I was all stressed out because I was trying to get to Daily Mass and this is, our church is in a downtown and there's very little parking but it wasn't that, it was the traffic. Like it took me so long to get there and...
I was trying to decide what to do and then I was so late and I finally got to the side door and it was locked. And I couldn't get in. And so I decided to let it go and I was going to go into this other little chapel we have and pray. And I was walking by this Mary statue that we have outside and I just felt like Mary calling me, like just calling my name, like to come and be with her. And so I sat there and I prayed there. I prayed the rosary there.
And that just transformed my heart this morning. And the reason I turned and went to the statue instead of Little Chapel is because that's where my heart led me versus my mind. I love the original chapel. And was like, I want to go to the original chapel and pray. But then was like my heart was like, no, come sit with me. Our Blessed Mother, like your medallion, come sit with me. Come be with me. Come let me draw you to my son. And so it's just such a beautiful morning.
There's just something so special about you that just draws the heart to the Lord, And so I just want to thank you for that and just thank you. Thank you for your yes, because so everybody knows I know other people have asked Anne to share before. She told me when I asked her to be on Mamas in Spirit, wow, we were standing at the counter at her little French Memories bakery. And I hope if you're anywhere near there, you go visit and meet Anne. But she said, you were so clear, Anne.
Anne Gabanelle (42:16.417)
I know.
Lindy Wynne (42:29.538)
You were like, gosh, other people have asked me to do this. And I've said, no, because it's live. And I said, well, mine's not, Anne. And you said, yes, I'll do it. Anne, you followed through and you did it. I'm like so amazed.
Anne Gabanelle (42:35.225)
And.
Anne Gabanelle (42:44.437)
I know people have asked me to, you know, I think it's important to witness, but I'm not a public speaker. I'm not comfortable. It's not my thing. Kind of hide behind my counter. And so I'm glad. I'm glad. Thank you for having me.
Lindy Wynne (42:58.83)
well, it has been a blessing beyond measure. I hope for everyone gathered, this is just a tremendous, beautiful reminder to all of us to be present to Emmanuel, the one who is present to us. This all ties together. We talked about the star, behold the star that guides us to Emmanuel. That's what scripture says to that Jesus was to be named Emmanuel, God with us.
And so what a beautiful, this is I love mom and the spirit, this is I love living witness, this is why I love living testimony, this is why I love the living word, the living bread, all living water, all the things, because it's real and it's life and it's new life for each one of us, just like Ann blessed me with that morning or afternoon in her bakery. So in that spirit, in the Holy Spirit, let us close in prayer in the name of the Father, Son, Holy Spirit, amen. Dear Lord, thank you.
This beautiful podcast in Anne's heart is such a reminder of how we can rest and abide in you. Even when we're going through our days that we could define in our minds as being busy, in our hearts they can still be still because our hearts can be with you. You're always inviting us to you. You're always inviting us to rest in you and to be with you. In your name we pray, amen. In the of the Father, Son, Holy Spirit, amen.
So as many of you know, you can go to mamasinspirit.com or wherever you like to listen or watch podcasts to listen to more beautiful testimonies and witness to the love of God, the one who loves us most. Can't wait to be together again next time. This is Lindy Wynne with Mamas in Spirit. May God bless you and yours always.