Author Archives: Felician Mission: Haiti

Last September, Maria de Lurdes Castanheira met our Sister Mary Timothy Ruszala (NJ) in the bank and asked her how to get a statue of Our Lady of Fatima to Haiti. Sister Timothy was surprised and said: “It just so happens that we have two sisters beginning a mission there.” That is when Maria told her about the organization to which she belongs, promoting devotion to Our Lady of Fatima. It is their hope that a statue of Our Lady of Fatima will be sent to every country in the world. In December, when we were preparing the container to be sent to Haiti, Our Lady of Fatima was ready to go. She traveled in the container and made it to Jacmel. Last night we presented the statue to Bishop Launay Saturne who was delighted to receive this beautiful image of Our Lady of Fatima from Portugal.

Now is the season for mangos and, on the property where the Bishop has his home, there are 27 different kinds of mango. We understand that there are 155 different kinds of mangos in Haiti. We went home with two bags full of mangos. Right away we tried both kinds of mangos we had received.

Today we had the grace of our monthly retreat day in our new home. Everyday we have a number of visitors that come during the day so we needed to put a note on the door saying we are having a day of prayer. It was a much needed time of solitude. After our Evening Prayer we shared our reflections of the day and noticed that the Lord spoke to us in similar ways. Now that we have a home to live in it is time now for us to walk the streets, visit the markets and be among the people.
“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?” Is. 43:19

We are inspired and encouraged by our new Pope Francis to be among the people. Through him the Lord is doing something new. His simplicity, humility and compassion reflects God’s closeness to His people. We thank God for our new Pope.

We have a Pope! Today, with the whole Universal Church, we waited for the white smoke to tell us we have a new Pope. At first we could not connect on the internet to watch it live. Finally, we were able to watch the announcement of the new Pope with the help of a friend from Poland who shared the transmission from her TV through FaceTime. We were happy to hear that Pope Francis I is from the Americas and was humble enough to ask us first to pray a blessing over him before he gave us his first apostolic blessing.

On Monday, March 12, we were blest to have Mass celebrated by Fr. Kontan in our chapel, praying for the Cardinals as they gathered for the Conclave in Rome. It was a joyous moment of prayer for the universal Church, as we prayed with those who come to visit us. They brought such beauty to the Mass with their singing in Creole.

On Friday at about 3:00 p.m., we heard music and prayers through a loud speaker. We looked out from our balcony and saw people gathering with chairs in front of our house. We learned that the Stations of the Cross would take place at 4:00 p.m. People came from everywhere. The Stations lasted about two hours with singing, prayers and reflections. This was our first Friday during Lent here in Jacmel. We now know that every Friday during Lent the people gather for outdoor Stations in different parts of the town. This weekly gathering leads up to Good Friday when everyone gathers in the center of town for outdoor Stations of the Cross with the Bishop.

From first thing in the morning until evening we have someone knocking at our door. Some of our guests are regulars who come to us everyday. We are happy to have space to welcome them and very soon our chapel will be ready to have them come to come to pray with us.

Here in Haiti we notice that everyone has curtains. They are the cheapest way to substitute for walls, doors, and shades. We thought that we would try to do the same thing in covering our bars and having shades, and to cover our sink pipes in the kitchen. Not all of our inventions are doing well.

On Saturday, March 2, we returned to Haiti. Thank you for your prayers for Sr. Marilyn’s mother, Elizabeth Minter, who is still recuperating after congestive heart failure. Please continue to pray for her healing.

During our visit to New Jersey, we met with a few groups who share the Felician mission in Haiti. On Friday, February 22, we met with SM Christopher and the provincial council. It is a blessing to receive their support and to know that they believe in this mission among God’s first love–the poor. On Saturday, February 23, we went to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Central Convent to share with the sisters about Haiti. The sisters showed great interest in knowing about the mission and surprised us with a generous donation.

On Tuesday, February 26, we were invited to visit Bishop Ahr High School, Edison, NJ, by Felician Sister Sr. Cynthia Marie, campus minister. For the past two years, the high school has had the “Dime-a-Day” Program and have collected approximately $2,000 each year. This year, the money being collected for the “Dime a Day Program” will be given to the Felician Sister Haiti Mission Fund for the education of young people in Haiti. Every day the members of the school community are asked to contribute a dime, penny, nickel, etc. into the Dime-a-Day Container. We had the opportunity to visit many classes and to express our gratitude. As we entered each classroom, we noticed our Advent Haiti poster; and next to that poster was one created by BAHS, continuing the theme that “God so loved the world.” We invited them to come and volunteer in Haiti, and we look forward to seeing the Bishop Ahr High School community share the Felician Mission in Haiti.

In one of the religion classes, the students were having their own conclave for a new Pope. The students researched all the voting cardinals and then made their choice. It seemed like Cardinal Timothy Dolan was a popular choice. Let us continue to pray to the Holy Spirit for our new Pope.

On Thursday, February 28, we met with Msgr. Frank DelPrete, pastor of St. Gabriel’s Parish, Saddle River, NJ, and his pastoral associate Sister Esther. The parish is interested in twinning with one of our parishes in Jacmel. Msgr Frank, as well as a few other parishes, have donated many church vestments and vessels needed in Haiti. We are so grateful to them all.

The day before we left, we received prayers and donations from our sisters in Our Lady of Lourdes Care Center in Lodi. That evening we updated our sisters in the central convent in Lodi from whom we always receive support in whatever we need for the mission.

Please pray for us. We are in Port au Prince now because tomorrow we need to see about the process of the car that is so needed for the mission in Jacmel. Having the car serves not only us but people who are in need of transportation to clinics and hospitals, as well as visiting mission chapels in the mountains. Our Lady of Perpetual Help, pray for us.

As we traveled through the mountains this morning on our way to the airport in Port au Prince, our driver stopped and showed us the place where the four missionaries from Grand Rapids, MI, lost their lives in a tragic car accident last month. We stopped and prayed: “Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace.”