Monthly Archives: December 2015

On December 29, Sr. Victoria, with a nursing professor and two students, arrived in Jacmel to work with our children. Sr. Victoria uses every semester break to bring faculty members and students on mission to Haiti. This visit, they will spend most of their time with our kids since this is Christmas vacation time in Haiti and all schools are on break.

The first activity they did was the importance of clean handwashing. They had a special ultra violet-ray machine that showed viruses and germs we carry on our hands, that we cannot see with our eyes. The kids enjoyed the activity; they had a lot of fun and learned at the same time. 

In the afternoon, they had other activities that brought even more fun with the Legos blocks given by the sisters at our past Provincial Assembly, a Christmas card mobile activity, and Christmas coloring books. There was something to do for everyone.

This was our last day of the year, 2015. May we continue to build with hope. A blessed and holy New Year to all!

Since December 19, when Sr. Francis arrived to be with us in Jacmel for the Christmas holiday, she has been busy teaching some of our girls how to make Blessed Mary Angela chaplets. For years, our sisters have been praying the chaplet through the intercession of Blessed Mary Angela. Now the sisters have thought about making a chaplet bracelet. It was providential that Sr. Francis came to us at this time to teach the girls how make the chaplet bracelets.

  
With the help of our girls, we hope to make chaplet bracelets for many people around the world. The girls pray to Blessed Angela during the making of the chaplet.

On this holy feast of Christmas, our fourth time celebrating here in Jacmel, we celebrate with great joy the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Today is born our Savior! What we have come to learn is that with the poor there is not much celebration or gift giving, so we decided to always celebrate the birth of Jesus with our kids with great festivity. Over 100 children were here to celebrate; some we did not know. We began with Mass at 12 noon with Father Vallery carrying Baby Jesus and placing Him in the manger. The children sang beautifully. At the end of Mass, everyone came to adore Baby Jesus. The celebration continued with a delicious dinner that our ladies had been preparing the past few days.

      
  Then the long awaited time came for everyone to receive their gifts. Everyone received a Taylor Swift bag full of surprises and needed items. We thank Sr. Johnice from Buffalo, NY, for the donation of bags, and we thank everyone who helped us fill the bags. The beautiful gym uniforms that you see our kids wearing are a donation from our dear friends, Dorothy and Joe Mastropaolo, from JDM Associates.

  
On this holy night as we await the celebration of our Savior and Lord, we remember you in our thoughts and prayers.

Thank you for your love and support of the Felician Mission in Haiti!

On Sunday, December 13, Sister Inga Borko and Sister Marilyn Minter participated in the Opening of the Year of Mercy in the Diocese of Jacmel Haiti. The celebration was during the 6th Annual Charismatic Conference for the diocese that gathered thousands of people. We sent 16 of our youth people participate in the weekend Congress. This meant we needed to purchase entrance fees that included a bracelet, t-shirt, meals and transportation. This is a big Catholic event in the Diocese of Jacmel. On Saturday evening our young people shared with us a healing that took place during the Adoration of the Holy Eucharist. A woman in a wheel chair started to walk, before everyone. We pray this event will strengthen the faith and open all to God’s mercy.
  
  
   
   

On Thursday, December 10, the new nursing lab at Notre Dame University was blessed and dedicated. Sister Victoria Indyk, our Felician Sister and a professor at Madonna University, had much to do with the materials and items in the lab. The Felician Sisters also gave a donation to help make the lab a  learning facility for students.

Sister Janet Lehmen, a Sister of Christian Charity who lived with us for a year before she found her own home, is the director of the the Nursing Program. The lab was dedicated to the Sisters of Charity who paid for the construction of the room. We rejoice with Sr. Janet for this accomplishment and the future of well prepared nurses for Haiti.

Our young kids have been getting some extra help from our teens as they  prepare for their “compose” exams. The teens that come to us, asking us to help them pay for school, are given the opportunity to “pay it forward” by helping a child or two with their studies. Soon the semester will be finished and vacation will begin. They will not return to school until January 7, 2016.

Every night at 5 p.m., those who want to do so, join us for a 15-minute Advent break at the end of the day to listen to the Gospel of the day. This is our little way with our kids to prepare the way for the Lord. We process from  downstairs into the stillness of our chapel and gather around our Advent wreath. Everyday we sing a popular Advent song in Creole that translates: “We are waiting for you, Lord, for your light to appear to us. Others say to us we are crazy, but we respond: we are waiting!”

After our family of 🐝🐝🐝🐝left the room that we have for kids to eat in, we were able to serve meals again. We have more kids coming to eat; now we think the number is up to 70. Thank you so much for helping us keep these faces smiling 🤗.