Welcome to Haiti!

Last Tuesday I arrived in Port au Prince safe and sound. Thanks to the hospitality of the Sisters of St. Joseph at St. Mary’s in Newark I was able to take a direct flight from Newark to Port au Prince. Although it was a relatively short four hour flight, Haiti is certainly a world away from Philadelphia.  I was greeted at the airport by the Sisters of Jesus and Mary with whom I will be living. Fortunately Sr. Vivian is well versed in the Port au Prince airport and Sr. Isabel is an expert at navigating the Toyota through the city. The area where we live is known as Barbiole. Below is a picture of our house. My room is on the second floor, front corner. I have two walls of windows which provided a nice breeze at night. I think we are due east of the Presidential palace. Our parish is Sacred Heart. The church was destroyed by the earth quake but the landmark crucifix still stands on the corner. Daily mass is celebrated under canopies on the site of the church. A cargo container serves as the sacristy. Mass at Sacred Heart is a very uplifting experience.

On my first full day in Haiti we went to an “open house” at the new community school in Merceron, a remote village about an hour away from Port au Prince.  The RJM are directly involved in building the school and training the staff. On Wednesday most of the village showed up to celebrate the new school and share some sandwiches and soft drinks. While in Merceron I also had the opportunity to visit a new  rice paddy and mill. Merceron is near lakes and the land is apparently ideal for growing rice. With a new school and a new mill there is much hope for Merceron.

Later in the week we visited “Atelier Saint Joseph”, the clinic for amputees where Sr. Isabel works. The clinic is near the Port au Prince seminary where the archbishop who lost his life in the earth quake is buried. The RJM were quick to point out to me all the statues of St. Joseph that can be found in the work shop where the prostheses are made. The day we were there a woman who lost her leg to diabetes was fitted with her new leg. A full length mirror was set up so that she could see herself as she walked between the bars. The smile on her face was universally understood, she was very happy to be standing and walking.

Although it has been less than a week since I arrived in Haiti the new experiences have been many and varied. Haiti obviously still suffers greatly from all the destruction caused by the earth quake. However the faith, perseverance, and strong spirit of the people is also tangible. Living in Haiti presents many challenges and many graces!