By: BARBARA FRIEDHOFF

BARBARA FRIEDHOFF — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 21:05:33 +0000

I loved reading about Manfred Honeck. Finally a Catholic conductor in the music world who actually practises his faith! I have beenm the principal violist in the Gulbenkian Orchestra in Lisbon, Portugal for almost 30 years now and I have to hide my Catholic faith alot at work. This article was heaven to read. How I wish Manfred would conduct us. My only reservation is that he doesn’t feel the need to defend the unborn openly. We must always defend the defenseless victims of abortion. Every Wed. between my double rehearsals I race downtown to pray the rosary in front of Lisbon’s first ‘Abortion Clinic’ and try to help any women I can to keep from killing their children. One day we saved 2 babies. But mostly it is just women entering and exiting with white gauze wrapped around their wrists and minus the baby in their womb. It is very depressing but I feel my faith calls me to do this. I studied in Vienna also like Manfred Honeck when I was 19 and went to Mass weekly at St. Stephen’s. Then I lost my faith in the secular world of music. Now after nearly 20 years away from it I am back in the one true church and it helps me through all the pressure of performing and dealing with conductors and colleagues. I hope one day we might meet, Maestro Honeck. I can show you Fatima and some beautiful Catholic sites here in Portugal.

Comments on: Manfred Honeck

By: BARBARA FRIEDHOFF