Haiti Connections

From Joan Martin

2010-01-27T05:40:00.000-08:00

I called American Airlines today, Jan. 26, to see if I could confirm my reservation to return to PAP on Feb.1-2, and the woman told me they have changed their program. The first flight to PAP in now scheduled for Feb. 19---one flight from Miami to PAP, one flight from Ft. Lauderdale to PAP. They are planning to add a second flight from each location on March 2.

I received an email from the sisters in PdPaix where I live. They are still "sleeping" in the one story school room, and the ground was shaking all of last night. Most of the PdP schools are closed. I think Fonkoze PdP is open, but I am not sure they have money for their clients.

There are many, many refugees everywhere---even in the mountain parish of Gaspard and the far west parishes of Bombard and Mole St. Nicolas.

The Haitian Bishops are meeting in PAP to try to decide what to do now.

For those of you visits planned to your sister parishes, I guess we will see what happens.

Joan

News from Elizabeth

2010-01-26T05:35:00.000-08:00

St. Ambrose parishoner Elizabeth Amidon is now in Haiti, and sent this e-mail today:

Hello from Haiti. I wanted to let you all know I am fine. We set up clinic in Chambran and treated about 200 people yesterday. About 1/3 were displaced from the earthquake. Mostly we treated babies. We have not gone downtown to witness the mass destructsion and have no desire to do so. I have not been watching the news, so I'm not sure what the are reporting.This is the first time I have gotten on the internet. There are plenty of buildings down all around this nieghborhood. I saw many people living in tent cities. People are afraid to sleep in their homes. The streets are blocked off at night and people sleep in the streets. The buildings that were built with in building codes are still standing. Many buildings were built with shotty cement, meaning little concrete mixed with a lot of sand. When they fell they turned back into sand. I have not been exposed to the 'smell of death'. Thankfully. We went to church in Chambrun which is the highlight of my visits here. Thier committment to the lord is amazing to witnessI have seen my favorite kids and have added to the list. We are sending a five person team into the tent cities to treat earthquake victims. I should be on the team that goes out tomorrow. Today I will be back at the clinic in Chambran. My bus is leaving, so I have to run. Keep us in your prayers and please continue to try and raise money through NVM. God bless and love you all. Elizabeth

Elizabeth is working at Nehimiah Vision Ministries; you can read about their ministry at http://blog.nehemiahvisionministries.org/

Peace.

Earthquake

2010-01-24T11:42:00.000-08:00

I apologize for not updating this blog on a more regular basis lately; however, it seems like a good time to start again.

St. Therese, our sister parish, is located on the north side of the island, and although they reported feeling some small rumblings, there is no damage, injury or death to people of Gaspard. However, they are deeply affected by this tragic event, and ask for our prayers and continued support.

Here is a recent note from Joan Martin:
I am still in Indiana. American Airlines is not yet able to enter Port Au Prince with commercial flights. They have re-booked me again---for Feb. 1-2.

And of course, my return by that means will depend on Tortugair, the little plane, being able to fly from PAP to Port de Paix. Tortugair said that they are waiting on the new airport authority to give them clearance.

I have received emails from several of the priests in the diocese of PdP to say that the "refugees" from PAP have been arriving in large numbers---hungry, thirsty, sick, broken bones, infections. Fr. Leonville at the Cathedral said that people are sleeping everywhere--in the parish hall, the Cathedral grounds. They are asking him for financial help, and he does what he can---which is not much. Normally, the government hospital in PdP has no food, water, medicine, sheets, towels---so that facility will not be able to do much for the new arrivals.

Fr. Cholet and Steve and Faith say the same thing is happening in Bombard. Supplies are about finished.

If you have a sister parish in Haiti, I would suggest that if your parish has a special collection for Haiti earthquake relief, that you give at least part of the funds to your sister parish---to assist the people who are arriving.

I did receive an email from one of the priests in PdP to say that Sr. Adeline, in Jeremie in the south, is OK. But some of her family members died in PAP.

More later.

Joan

And a note from Teresa Patterson, of the Parish Twinning Program:
Dear All Concerned,

The outpouring of concern, love and support has been phenomenal. Many thanks to all of you who have responded with offers of help.

I want to share in this message to you news about the status of medical support. We explored the possibility of transporting a medical team composed of those of you who have offered your services for immediate care. Given the problems at the airport in PAP and the fact that 4 medical teams composed of 63 people are planning to go to Haiti on January 21, 22 and 23, we are not planning to organize another medical team or effort. I have suggested several places to work including the University la Paix Hospital you might have seen on CNN and Centre Saint Joseph. Our concern for now is getting medicines to Haiti for both Port-au-Prince and for Visitation Clinic. It may be impossible to purchase medicines in PAP in the coming weeks. The medical teams will be able to bring in supplies for immediate needs in PAP, but I am concerned about getting enough meds to Visitation Clinic. If any of you are still traveling to Haiti in the next few weeks or month and can carry a bag of medicines for us, please let me know. We hope as funding comes in for VHF that medicines can be purchased here in the U.S.

I have also been in communication with Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) and they are sending a jet to Haiti within a few days out of Nashville. I am working with them on the logistics. They will be using our facilities at Matthew 25 as will the medical teams. We are hoping that Dr. Tom Grabenstein and several of our medical folks are possibly going to be part of that contingent.

I will try to be back in touch with you tomorrow with some updated news from Sr. Mary Finnick and Matthew 25 House. Thank you again for such a tremendous outpouring of concern for the people of Haiti.

Blessings,

Theresa Patterson
Parish Twinning Program
Visitation Hospital Foundation

Peace

Haiti Committee International Dinner

2009-07-15T06:43:00.000-07:00

Please plan to join us for a celebration on Saturday, September 19. The Haiti Committee will be sponsoring an International Dinner in the Parish Center, following the 5:00 Mass. Come and enjoy foods from Haiti, Mexico and Vietnam. Watch the bulletin for more information.

Our next Haiti meeting will be on Wednesday, August 5 at 6:30 in the Parish Center -- all are welcome to attend as we plan this event and discuss future plans.
Peace.

A note from Joan Martin

2009-04-28T06:31:00.000-07:00

Father Phechner, going up the path to Gaspard

Just checking in from PdP on Wednesday, April 22.

I was in Gaspard, in the mountains, from Friday to Monday. Then to Chansolme from Monday afternoon to Wed. morning. Both visits were very good.

In Gaspard, Fr. Phechner has finished the stucco on the outside of the church--a minor miracle, since all supplies must go up by mule or on someone's head. It rained most of the time, but it cleared a little on Sat. night, just in time for a celebration with the young people.

In Chansolme, Fr. Prophy and I were able to visit the mountain chapel of LaVisite to give out worm medicine tablets and vitamins to about half the students (120). Then today, we were able to do the same thing at the parish school in Chansolme--again about half of the students (110).

The past 3 weeks have had many disruptions for the schools. First, the mid-terms before Holy Week. Then a vacation for all of Holy Week. Then rain and the disorder before the elections, the week after Easter. Then a national holiday the Monday after the elections. Then market day, then a feast day, then rain. Some schools have not had classes for about 3 weeks. No one is happy about this--except the students.

I am hoping to leave PdP tomorrow about 6 AM on Tortugair for PAPrince. Then to Ft. Lauderdale, Chicago, and southern Indiana...arriving about 11PM at my mom and dad's house. My mom's knee surgery was this afternoon, and I am hoping all is OK.

Thanks for your prayers, and thanks for being there. Hope to talk to you soon.
Joan

Fat Tuesday/ Ash Wednesday

2009-02-25T05:03:00.000-08:00

We received this note from Joan this week:

Dear everyone,
I am writing this to you from Bonneau, because I am visiting Fr. Carl and the preseminarians. But I am also trying NOT to be in Port-de-Paix for a few days. I am sure you know about Mardi Gras (Mardi is Tuesday). Well, Haiti takes that a few steps farther. They have Lendi Gras (Monday), Dimanche Gras (Sunday), and they would have had Samdi Gras (Saturday), but there was no electricity in PdP.

There is much loud music, many people marching and partying in the streets, young men in masks cracking long whips, drinking, and more disorder than usual....starting at about 5PM till very late at night. And it all passes by the convent numerous times.

I prefer the quieter rural areas.

I will write more after Ash Wednesday.
I wish you a peaceful Lent.
Joan

A Christmas Message from Father Phechner

2009-01-02T21:44:00.001-08:00

Father sent the following message to Father Todd and our parishes this week:

Today December 27, 2008, two days after the birth of our Jesus Lord the Christ, I have been forced excessively of activities it prevented me to wish you a happy noel, but as one says he/it is never too late to make well.
The whole parish joins me to tell you how much we are happy to wish you a happy christmas 2008 and a good and happy year 2009.

That the Small Jesus grants you the peace and serenity.

sincerely yours! fr. Phechner, Gaspard

Change Haiti

2009-01-02T11:24:00.001-08:00

In December, over $700 in change was given for St. Therese. Change will be collected again this weekend.

Peace.

A Visit With Joan

2008-12-30T06:15:00.000-08:00

Thanks to the hospitality of George and Jo James, we were once again honored with a visit from Joan Martin on December 17 and 18. At dinner Wednesday evening, she shared many stories and told of current happenings in Gaspard. She met with the school children on Thursday morning, told them about Haiti and answered many questions -- about herself, Haiti, Jesus -- and listened to the children's stories, as well.

Joan's hometown is Rockport, IN, a small town on the Ohio River in Spencer County. In the Evansville Diocese, St. Bernard in Rockport also supports St. Therese. Joan spends much of her time in the US visiting parishes which supoort Haitian parishes in the Diocese of Port-de-Paix. Joan's parish in Tuscon, Arizona, Our Mother of Sorrows (where she lived and taught for many years) twins with St. François of Assisi Parish in Bombardopolis. They have a beautiful Haiti page on their website, which can be found here; the following is from that site:

Joan lives in Port-de-Paix with an order of Haitian nuns, the Daughters of Wisdom. The Daughters of Wisdom is an order devoted to hospital work and the poor, founded by St. Louis de Montfort in 1703.

Joan’s first connections with Haiti were through The Haiti Parish Twinning Program. This program is the largest citizen-to-citizen network linking Haiti and the United States and Canada. It facilitates and supports linkages, or twinning of parishes, mostly but not entirely Catholic parishes, in North America with parishes in Haiti. The program today includes more than 290 twinnings. Twinned parishes provide experience that raises the consciousness of both North American and Haitian participants, and provides for direct relationships and avenues of aid without bureaucracy or middlemen or deductions for salaries or overhead. The contact for the Haiti Parish Twinning Program is Theresa Patterson, 208 Leake Avenue, Nashville, Tennessee 37205, phone: (615) 356-5999.

Peace.

Change Haiti

2008-12-02T19:22:00.001-08:00

Bring in your change this weekend, December 6 and 7.

Peace

3rd Picture set

2008-12-02T18:57:00.000-08:00

This is the third (and last) set.

1. By Monday, it had been raining for 7 days straight. Since Gaspard doesn't have much other entertainment, Titise and Rodrigue, the two helpers, spent a lot of time playing cards. The clothes pins on Titise's ears mean that he is losing.

2. When Fr. Phechner went to visit his father in early October, he visited a local family. The mother had just died of cancer, leaving 10 children---and the father is dying also. It was decided that the children would have to find someone else to live with. Jean Ronel, age 14, ended up going to Gaspard with Fr. Phechner.

3. Fr. Phechner is trying to renovate the parish hall. It serves as the government school in the morning; as the classroom for the St. Therese Parish 7th and 8th grade classes; and as the meeting hall for the church on the weekends. He has enough money to finish the walls, but not the roof or the floor. All building materials (cement, sand, rebar, nails, wood) have come up the mountain on someone's head or on a mule.

4. The upper classroom of the parish hall. No one comes to school when it rains; but nothing can be left in the open room, because it will be destroyed by the water or stolen by the hungry.

What courage, hope, faith, community.......

More pictures from Joan

2008-12-02T18:55:00.000-08:00

Set 2 of photos:
1. Madame Antonio and her oldest and youngest daughters (she has 5 girls) inside their house. Baby Nika, 6 months old, was born about a month after her father died of typhoid/malaria. Madame Antonio's mother and father, who are both unable to walk, also live with them. There was absolutely nothing but the tub to bathe the baby in the big entry room. But the dirt floor was well-swept.

2. Madame Antonio outside their house.

3. The local bakery, severely damaged by the September hurricanes, is no longer functioning; so Gaspard no longer has bread.

4. Fr. Phechner and the adult literacy program group--a project of Bishop Paulo. The 5 Gaspard centers had 79 participants; 78 received a passing final grade.

A Recent Note from Joan Martin

2008-11-28T18:49:00.000-08:00

These are some photos from my recent visit to St. Therese parish in the mountain village of Gaspard. We were supposed to go up on Wed. Nov. 19, but Fr. Phechner had gone to visit his father who is sick, and the heavy rains caused Trois Rivieres to flood (again). Fr. Phechner was stranded on the other side for 2 days. He was able to cross on Friday, and we finally set off for Gaspard about noon. The road was very muddy and slippery, but we made it to TiQuoin, the drop-off point, about 2 PM. Mr. and Mrs Adlee and their new baby, Max Allen, had come with us from PdPaix. Our concern was that the threatening rain would start again as we were making the 2 hour hike to Gaspard. We arrived in front of St. Therese Church at 4 PM, and two minutes later, the rain began----and continued for 4 days, almost non-stop.

A visit to Gaspard always generates feelings of amazement and awe in my heart---to see what the priest and the people can do when they work together in such very difficult circumstances. Fr Kerny began the work, and Fr. Phechner is continuing.

1. Fr. Phechner standing by his pick-up after reaching TiQuoin. Baby Max and his mother are waiting patiently.
2. Loading the mule for the 2 hour hike.
3. Fr. Phechner standing by the newly-stuccoed church wall.
4. Fr. Phechner celebrating the Mass of Christ the King. Even with the heavy rain and mud, there were about 200 people who came to the Mass

Beginnings

2008-11-27T18:02:00.000-08:00

This blog has been established to help keep the St. Ambrose/Our Lady of Providence parish communities updated on our sister parish, St. Therese of the Little Flower, Gaspard, Haiti.

Peace