On Friday, February 20, we made our monthly journey to Port au Prince for Confession with Fr. Rick Frechette, CP, at St. Damien’s Hospice for Children. It is always interesting when we visit him. Last time we toured St. Damien’s, which is staffed by Haitians. It is a beautiful hospital that is funded by an organization that was begun by a Mexican priest who is known all over the world for the work he has done with the people. Fr. Rick, who is also a medical doctor, continues the mission.

Today we met Fr. Rick at the warehouse where he has built a bakery and a place for making macaroni. He also has a warehouse that makes school uniforms for the orphanages and schools that his organization has founded over the past 18 years that he has been missioned in Haiti. All these facilities are staffed by Haitians. Fr. Rick had one of his artist’s create a painting with people being taken up to heaven, commemorating the 5th anniversary of the earthquake, January 12, 2010.

We asked Fr. Rick where we could take one of our artist’s, Daniel, to get fitted for a new leg prothesis. He sent us next door to St. Germaine’s Rehabilitation Center for the Poor, especially for special needs children and stoke patients. There we learned about what this organization is doing for special needs children and their parents.