Covington, Louisiana 

June 26 -28th

Immaculée shared her miraculous story of how she survived during the Rwanda genocide in 1994 during a retreat at the Saint Joseph Abbey Monastery.

It’s an amazing story.  Immaculee was 22 years old and home for Easter Break from her second year of college when the Genocide began. She survived by hiding in a Pastor’s tiny bathroom 4′ x 3′ feet for 91 days with seven other starving women.

After reading her book, Left to Tell which is life altering, I was inspired to create a piece of jewelry for her as a reminder of her spirit, mission of love and forgiveness.

The piece is called “Jewel of Africa”, consisting of a silhouette of Africa in gold with a diamond set in Rwanda.

Engraved on the back are the names of her father, mother and two brothers who were killed during the genocide.  I was moved to tears when she turned the piece over and read their names from her heart.

Immaculée shows us how to embrace the power of prayer, forge a profound and lasting relationship with God, and discover the importance of forgiveness and the meaning of truly unconditional love and understanding — through our darkest hours.

Master diamond cutter Gabi Tolkowsky best known for cutting the Centenary Diamond which in its rough weighed 599 carats and is classified as being the highest color grade.

Gabi told me the Centenary Diamond is known for its excellent quality yet another diamond deserved much attention…

…the largest diamond ever cut he faceted… a stone that did not get as much attention the “Unnamed Brown” or the “Ugly Duckling” became known as “The Golden Jubilee”.

In Gabi’s hands it became “The Magnificent Swan.”

Educational Workshop

Thursday May 28, 2009

JCK Las Vegas Jewelry Show

Join Anne Dale and learn how this socially minded independent jeweler developed a unique market niche by creating cause related jewelry designs that raise money, awareness and the spirits of people in need.

Jeweler for a Cause emerged from the flood waters of Hurricane Katrina as a collection of original jewelry designs by New Orleans jeweler Anne Dale.

Anne’s designs include the Facing Autism Collection™, Self-esteem pendant™, the military Star of Hope Collection™, the New Orleans Louisiana Collection, Perseverance pendant, PAUSE pendant and continues to grow with inspired works. Each item comes with a short essay explaining the cause and inspiration behind the original Anne Dale design.

The Jeweler for a Cause Collection is available nationwide through a network of charity associations and retail jewelers while being proudly Made in the U.S.A.

Other Panelists at this JCK workshow:
David Rocha - Jewelers for Children
Russell Simmons - Diamond Empowerment Fund

Spice of Life pendant
by Anne Dale

a bouquet of variety
a love and zest for life

a soul that dances
a powerful spirit revealed

with a spontaneous rhythm
that never yields

Life - a journey full of adventure
seasoned with your never ending zeal

Life is an endless series of moments

Any one of which can change your life forever

PAUSE - take a moment to THINK

Ask yourself

What is a moment worth…

What might this moment cost me?

Avoid the consequences of peer pressure

PAUSE think for yourself

It only takes a moment to change everything

PAUSE - THINK
Use your good judgment and seize the moments

then move FORWARD

It is an undeniable truth that children are the conduit that generations use to communicate.

The greatest challenge of one generation is to nurture the next and by doing so cultivate a bridge of hope for all of mankind.

“Education” literally means to draw out from within; an extraordinary education reveals the true gifts these children have to offer.

These gifts are imperative for the most important thing in life, our happiness. 

I believe there is a universe of knowledge within each child.

This includes all children but especially those with Autism and other labeled “disabilities”; whose gifts when we allow ourselves to receive them, are often extra special.

“I want to reach out and give back to the community,” Dale said. “St. Joseph is really all about community.”

The altar itself is imposing. Built on three levels, symbolizing the Holy Trinity, the altar not only contained statues of Joseph and Mary, crucifixes and candleabras, but also it was laden with all the wonderful Italian food and pastries. All of Dale’s jewelry cases are covered with Italian flags, and customers and well-wishers wandered around the altar admiring its beauty and all that food.
Shown is the St. Joseph’s altar that was built in the jewelry store of Anne Dale in Mandeville. (Staff Photo by Erik Sanzenbach)

This is the second year Dale has built a St. Joseph’s altar. Last year she put it in her house, then her friend Sandra Scalise convinced Dale to put it in her shop.

“The altar is all about abudanza, abundance,” Scalise said. “It is meant to bring people together, and it is a labor of love.”

Usually, people build an altar to St. Joseph in appreciation of the saint answering their prayers. Dale said she built the altar to “thank him for all my blessings.”

Dale has been a successful businesswoman in Mandeville for 10 years. Originally from New Orleans, she has even started a line of jewelry called “I Know What it Means to Miss New Orleans,” and the proceeds go to help the rebuilding effort after Hurricane Katrina and to local food banks. Her biggest seller is a silver fava bean necklace. The fava bean is a staple of St. Joseph altars and is meant to bring good luck to those who have one.

Building the altar was a community and family affair. Dale’s husband, Michael, built the three levels, which took about a week. Eight women, including Dale’s mother, Diane Ferrara, cooked all the food, including pasta, meats, cookies, bread and cakes.

“It took us about a month. Everybody made something,” Dale said. “I baked over 3,000 cookies, and my mother made the red gravy.”

She added that customers and friends of all denominations came in to help.

Next to the altar was a framed list of all the people who helped create the altar.

There was also a box for people’s petitions to St. Joseph. Scalise said St. Joseph is a saint “of may hats.” He is the patron saint for the dying, social justice, the worker and the family. The prayers in the petition box were to be taken to St. Joseph’s Abbey.

New Orleans and its environs have many people who celebrate St. Joseph’s Day, but it is in Sicily, Italy, where St. Joseph is really big, according to Dale’s father, Paul Ferrara, a jazz drummer who played with Louis Prima, Al Hirt, and other famous New Orleans’ musicians. His ancestors came from the Sicilian village of Contessa Entellina.

“Half the houses in the town have St. Joseph altars,” Ferrara said.

He said the Greek Orthodox church in the village brings out the statue of St. Joseph, and there is a big parade through the streets all the way to the town’s Catholic church.

Ferrara said there is a band, and at the end of the parade there is a fireworks display.

“Then everyone goes home and eats. The people do not eat meat from the end of Christmas until St. Joseph’s Day,” Ferrara said.

For Dale, the altar is just a way to help others and to bring the community together. Not only does she help out the local food banks and other charities, but traditionally, all the food on the altar is donated to the poor and homeless. Dale said all the food on her altar will go to feed the homeless at Ozanam Inn in New Orleans.

Though St. Joseph’s Day is tomorrow, Dale said that “sadly” she had to take down the altar Saturday night. However, she assures everyone the altar will be rebuilt in her store next year.

 source: Saint Tammany News

New Orleans a major port of entry for Sicilian immigrants during the late 19th century like the French Canadians, Africans, Irish, and Germans they brought a unique set of (Italian) traditions and values with them. It is this collective history and heritage in New Orleans that makes up such a rich and diverse culture of people. The Feast of Saint Joseph a cultural tradition that has deep roots within the hearts of people in South Louisiana.

The annual Saint Joseph Altar at Anne Dale’s jewelry store continues the New Orleans tradition while honoring our family’s Catholic Italian ancestry of Ferrara, Catanese, Maestri and Labadini names.

The altar open to any visitor who wishes to pay homage, no need to be Italian, Catholic or a native of New Orleans. Join us and try some great Italian cookies, pasta, get a blessed New Orleans “lucky bean” and enjoy the culture.

In the traditionally of the Saint Joseph Altar in which the food is distributed to charity, a donation box for non-perishable food items as well as a place for monetary gifts, all of which will go to the Covington Food Bank is on site. The Covington Food Banks collects and give assistance with food, clothing, shelter, and other essentials to those that meet the Federal Poverty Guidelines in the tri-parish communities of St.Tammany, Tangipahoa, and Washington Parishes. 

Saint Joseph’s Day is also celebrated in other American communities that have larger populations of Italians such as New York, Chicago and Rhode Island but it is best known here in the Big Easy. 

Anne Dale with the amazing LeAnne Cantrell of KidSense the force behind the Nation’s first public-school motor sensory yard for special needs children.

Located in Mandeville, Louisiana between Pontchartrain Elementary and Tchefuncte Middle School, the playground has many purposes.

It is a sensory integration playground designed to help children with autism, ADHD and special needs regain self-control and concentration—and play like everyone else.

The yards are designed with rubber, safety-tile surfacing, making them ADA-accessible. Numerous Braille mosaics also dot the site, large enough to accommodate a full-size “typical” classroom, along with the students from special education classes.

Through the sales of the Facing Autism pendant the Jeweler for a Cause Fund was able to make a generous donation to this worthy project.

Learn more

Perseverance pendant™
by Anne Dale

Courage is the first of all human virtues… yet

Perseverance is much more than courage.

Perseverance is a commitment to courage

Enough courage to stay the course and suspend beliefs about human frailty.

An unwavering commitment that allows one to be uninhibited by adversity.

So keep moving “Forward” whatever the odds.

Overcoming each and every obstacle with patience and steadfast persistence.

Knowing your effort inspires others, and in doing so, renews the power of the human spirit.

A spirit that is uniquely beautify - hidden within each of us.