For 30 years Abba House of Prayer served as an oasis of peace and prayer in Albany, New York. Operated by two Religious of the Sacred Heart, the modest house on Western Avenue had a significant impact on thousands of individuals in the Capital District, including the author. Her life intersected with Abba House when Sister Libby Hoye became her spiritual director during the author's pursuit of the practice of Centering Prayer. Shortly thereafter, life circumstances resulted in prayer and Abba House becoming her lifelines. This is the story of two houses: Abba House and the author's house, and how a spiritual connection kept a family intact during a time when family stress caused by physical and mental illness threatened to pull it apart. Anne Samson is a wife, mother, catechist, writer, New York State government employee, Greyhound dog owner, gardener, baker, joyful lover-of-life. She is first and foremost, though, the blessed daughter of the God who gave us all life, and always grateful for the opportunity to talk about her faith. Anne lives in Albany, New York with her husband, within several miles of her young adult sons.
