Monthly Archives: September 2016

Every year we have new kids that appear in our neighborhood and come to our home. The reason for this is that the mothers come from the mountains and look for a place to live, so they can send their children to school. They may not have the money to do so, but they try. This year we met Monachka. She is 4 years old. She came to us with sores on her head, an extended belly, no shoes, and hardly any clothes. We first gave her some flip flops and our famous pillow case dresses. She loved how pretty she looked. Then we went to visit where she lived and met her mother, who is sickly. We sent them to the Mother Angela Clinic to see the doctor and to get some medication. Monachka now comes everyday to eat and joins in our activities. Now she even comes for catechesis.

One day, we visited the neighborhood and visited the school in the area. We saw a little girl facing the wall and crying. It was little Monachka. We were told she was interrupting the class and was being disciplined. She did not have a notebook, backpack or pencil with which to write. She now has the supplies she needs because of you who have donated school supplies for our children. May God bless you! 

Many of our readers help to send our kids to school. Our children cannot afford school, but, with your help, we can do so this year. On Wednesday, September 28, we went to visit one of the schools where one of our kids attends. You may remember Donaldson. He has a chronic case of psoriases. At times the sores bled, and he was not been allowed to go to school for the past year. This year, we found a school that accepted Donaldson. The classes take place in a Church, and we asked the director if Donaldson could wear long sleeves and long pants. The problem was solved and now he goes everyday. After school, in the afternoon, he attends our after-school program to continue learning and to do his homework.

On Saturday, September 24, Toni-Ann Russo, our Felician Associate and a benefactor of the Haiti Mission, came to Jacmel to volunteer and learn about our mission. As for everyone who comes here, our kids right away are welcoming and they embrace our visitor as a sister in Christ. Toni has been busy giving water to the children everyday since she arrived.  She says: “I will never hear the words of scripture, ‘give me a drink’ the same way again without thinking of the hungry and thirsty children of Haiti.” Byenvini, Toni! Welcome, Toni! 😊

Praise God from whom all blessings flow! Thank you for allowing Jerry to work on his dream to study. He will be able to begin his studies in November. We appreciate your response. 🙏🏾

Today, September 13, we celebrate our 4-year anniversary of the Felician Haiti Mission. We are grateful to our Felician family, friends, and benefactors who walk the mission with us in so many ways. 

“He who is mighty has done great things for us, and holy is his name.” Luke 1:49

On Monday, September 12, Chris Herlinger visited our mission. He is a contributing writer to Global Sisters Report and also writes on humanitarian and international issues for the National Catholic Reporter. Chris has reported from South Sudan and Darfur, Sudan, as well as numerous other locales, including Haiti, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Israel and the Occupied Territories, Kenya and Ethiopia and Liberia. He is the co-author, with Paul Jeffrey, of books on Haiti and Darfur, published by Seabury, and a third book, on global hunger.

Chris visited the Mother Angela Clinic, the Pay-it-Forward and Food programs. It was a grace to have him with us for the day.

We just blogged this morning about a young man’s dream…and we have received some responses and questions about how and where to send a donation to help Tchery go to the university. If you feel moved to help, you can do the following:

Write the check out to:

Felician Sisters of North America

In the memo put: School for Tchery

Mail it to:

Sister Marilyn Minter

260 South Main Street

Lodi, NJ 07644

Working together, we can unlock potential. Together, we can provide hope. Together, we can provide education. Together, we can put the poor on the road to independence and self-sufficiency. 😀

Everyone has a dream, especially our young people. Tchery (pronounced Jerry) is a young, 21-year-old who has been working with us the past 3 years, tutoring our children. He has a dream. He dreams of one day being a medical doctor to help his people. Tchery has just finished his high school and wants to begin studies for medicine. He was one of five who were able to pass the exam in his class. He wants to continue his education by going to the University located in Port au Prince. Tchery’s family is very poor, and there is no possibility for them to even begin to pay the entrance fee of $120, then pay $360 per semester three times a year. Would you want to help us help Tchery’s dream come true?

On Friday, September 2, the Mother Angela Clinic went to a new chapel in the mountains called St. Andre. Every first Friday of the month, we visit the zone area of Decouze, where we bring medical care and medication to the poor. We are blessed to be able to meet the medical needs of the community in these poor places, as well as to provide continued care to them monthly. We had to travel on some difficult roads. We thank all of you who assist us in various ways to make this possible. 😊

Today, Sunday, September 4, Mother Teresa of Calcutta was declared a Saint of the Church. Everywhere throughout the world, there were celebrations marking this great grace for the Church. We, too, had the opportunity to join with the Church here in the Diocese of Jacmel to thank God for the gift of Mother Teresa with her sisters who serve in Jacmel. In Immaculate Conception Church in Zoranje, we gathered for the Eucharist and united our voices with heaven in thanksgiving for the canonization of Mother Teresa of Calcutta.

In Rome this early morning, in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Francis prayed in his homily, “May this tireless worker of mercy help us increasingly to understand that our only criterion for action is gratuitous love, free from every ideology and all obligations, offered freely to everyone without distinction of language, culture, race or religion. Mother Teresa loved to say, he recalled: ‘Perhaps I don’t speak their language, but I can smile.’ Let us carry her smile in our hearts and give it to those whom we meet along our journey, especially those who suffer. In this way, we will open up opportunities of joy and hope for our many brothers and sisters who are discouraged and who stand in need of understanding and tenderness.”