Author Archives: Felician Mission: Haiti

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – Sporadic gunfire echoed through the streets of Port-au-Prince on Monday as the government remained silent in the face of protests that have paralyzed the Haitian capital and triggered rising violence.

The normally traffic-clogged streets were largely empty as schools, shops and municipal offices were shuttered for fear of more violence that has already left several people dead and an air of uncertainty hanging over the government of President Jovenel Moise.

Barricades have sprung up in some areas of the capital and other cities, as protesters have taken to the streets demanding the president step down over reports of mismanagement and possible embezzlement of development funds in the impoverished Caribbean nation.

After a quiet but tense start to the day, hundreds of youths from the capital’s poorer quarters marched toward Petionville, the wealthiest neighborhood in Port-au-Prince, throwing stones at houses until police opened fire with tear gas rounds to break up the march.

Police also thwarted an attempt to attack a bank during the demonstration, dragging away several blood-stained suspects and making five arrests. 

Since the opposition organized widespread demonstrations last week to mark two years of Moise’s presidency, smaller and more spontaneous protests have broken out in key urban centers.

In some places, young men have erected barricades and seized bypassers for ransom, while vehicles have been torched, and shops damaged and looted, creating a climate of fear and intimidation alongside the opposition protests.

Taking advantage of the chaos, there was some looting Monday — but traders still felt anger only toward the president.

“What we are enduring today is because of Jovenel (Moise)… they are hungry,” said Joseph, whose stock of fish was totally depleted, of those who stole his goods.

“By selling what they took from me, they are going to be able to relieve their families a bit.”

“We don’t have good leaders: if there was work in the country, this would never have happened,” he said.

Demonstrators are demanding Moise quits over a scandal centering on the Petrocaribe fund, under which Venezuela supplied Haiti and other Caribbean and Central American countries with oil at cut-rate prices and on easy credit terms for years.

Investigations have shown that nearly $2 billion from the program were misused.

A report released in January on the misuse of the money also named a company that was then headed by Moise as a beneficiary of funds from a road construction project that never had a signed contract. 

During his election campaign, Moise promised “food on every plate and money in every pocket,” yet most Haitians still struggle to make ends meet and face inflation that has risen 15 percent since his election.

‘A DANGER AND A THREAT’

“We call on the police to arrest Jovenel Moise because he represents a danger and a threat to the life of every Haitian,” said Andre Michel, one of the main opposition leaders.

“He no longer has any legitimacy: the country will remain deadlocked until Jovenel Moise resigns.”

A mediation group composed of a senior UN official, the ambassadors of Brazil, Canada, France, Germany and the United States, and representatives of Spain, the EU and the Organization of American States, has called on Haiti’s politicians to enter dialogue over the crisis, lamenting the loss of life and damage caused by the protests.

The US State Department expressed concern for its personnel in the country.

“The safety and security of our personnel and their families is our top priority. We are monitoring the security situation in real time, 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” a spokesperson said, declining to discuss any potential security measures.

“We are prepared to do the things we need to do to make sure we keep our people safe.”

The Haitian administration has remained mute in the face of rising unrest over the past five days, with only Eddy Jackson Alexis, the secretary of state for communication, issuing a brief statement on Twitter.

“The government recognizes the right of every person to demonstrate and exercise their rights according to the law, but looting shops, blocking streets, burning tires, smashing car windows or throwing oil on the road do not fall into that category,” he said.

While the government has offered no response to the demands of demonstrators, opposition groups have also failed to spell out any concrete solution to the crisis, beyond calling for the president to step aside. 

“We are facing the biggest crisis since 2008,” said Haitian economist Etzer Emile, recalling riots that rocked the country a decade ago.

After racking up a record budget deficit of 24 billion gourdes ($306 million) in 2018, the government can no longer fund social welfare programs without slashing spending. 

“There is no magic wand, but if we do not close the valve on government spending, we won’t be going anywhere,” said Emile. 

You may remember a story in a past blog about a man from Michigan who has a mission to send the Divine Mercy image to places in the world which are poor. We have joined him in this mission by getting the images in the churches in the Diocese of Jacmel.

On Monday, January 21, we were able to help place the image of Divine Mercy in our Cathedral Church. Jean Philip was awesome, as he knew exactly how to hang the large image perfectly.

Of course, we finished after dark so it got very tricky to see. So, on Sunday, we will take a photo again!

For the sake of His sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

Jesus, I trust in you!

We have our own cotton trees! So many new things to learn!

“In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit; he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” Jesus rebuked him and said, “Quiet! Come out of him!” The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him. All were amazed….”

As we continue to live each day in the mess of the repairs, it is so easy to get discouraged; and the feeling of being destroyed can get overwhelming. I thank God for the gift and grace of the Word of God and the Blessed Sacrament in our midst. Since our convent is in repairs and the chapel covered in plastic, we made a small chapel in the rooms of the Volunteer House. Here we can have our meditation and prayers and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. It is here that we can put all of this disruption into perspective.

The devil is always trying to get the best of us, but the power of Jesus Christ is greater and victorious. Discouragement and frustration is a great tactic of satan. Today we choose Christ who lives with us and among us. Jesus lives in us here and is stronger than satan.

The work continues…

In the midst of all this work in the convent, our little community takes time to make ji maniok, a juice made from the root of a yam, milk, sugar and cinnamon.

This is what it feels like…demolition time. With cracks coming from the ceiling and around the windows, construction people are repairing walls in every building. They started with the convent on Friday, January 11. Little did we know about what it meant to repair walls and all the dust it entails. Thank God this is all in a year warranty of construction!

When everything is repaired, it will need to be re-painted. This is just the first of five buildings. All our activities are at a standstill due to do the process.

The day finally arrived, the Nativity of our Lord, the birthday of Jesus. Our kids have been preparing all month for this special occasion of our salvation. First, it was preparing the food and decorations, then practice for the plays and the choir.

The choir and Christmas pageant was ready and, as the children gathered, the excitement filled the air.

The story of Birth of Jesus was told, and the children listened intently.

The kids prepared the story of the Good Samaritan and a modern-day version of welcoming the stranger and caring for one another.

After, there was some singing and dancing…

Then it was time for Christmas dinner, Christmas cookies, and soda.

All were so anxious for the moment when St. Nick would arrive with his gifts for all.

We are so grateful to the many people who helped us make this day a glorious celebration…our benefactors, Sisters, and friends. Thank you, Sr. Victoria, for sharing this Christmas with us here in Haiti. Thanks to Eric and his girls, Abby and Kaitlyn, for being with us to celebrate the real meaning of Christmas. And thanks to our teens, our youth group here in the Felician Mission, who gave of themselves the whole day in service.

After the kids left, the teens had their Christmas dinner and helped to clean up a bit. We ended this glorious day with the Celebration of the Eucharist with Fr. Dickenson our newly-ordained priest.

For days in advance, we prepared the traditional foods and anxiously awaited the moment when the first star, that appears in the eastern sky on Christmas Eve. For that was when the feast to commemorate the birth of the Christ Child began. Our little community gathered around the table.

There is always a thin layer of hay under the white tablecloth in memory of the Godchild in the manger. Before sitting down at the table, everyone broke the traditional wafer, or Oplatek and exchanged good wishes for health, wealth and happiness in the New Year. The Oplatek is a thin, unleavened wafer similar to the altar bread in the Roman Catholic Church. It is stamped with the figures of the Godchild, the blessed Mary, and the holy angels. The wafer is known as the bread of love…

The dinner itself differs from other evening meals in that the number of courses is fixed at seven, nine or eleven. A lighted candle in the windows symbolizes the hope that the Godchild, in the form of a stranger, may come to share the Wigilia and an extra place is set at the table for the unexpected guest. This belief stems from the ancient Polish adage, “A guest in the home is God in the home.”

The Wigilia is a meatless meal, no doubt the result of a long-time Church mandate that a strict fast and abstinence be observed on this day before Christmas. Although the Church laws have been revised and permit meat to be eaten on this day, the traditional meal remains meatless. Our traditional Wigilia menu included mushroom soup, boiled fried fish, pierogi, barszcz with little dumplings, dried fruit compote, poppyseed cake and pirnik , platek, and fruit salad.

After the meal gifts were shared with our guests.