Author Archives: Felician Mission: Haiti

Before the great feast of Christmas, there was much to do in order to get ready. Sr. Francis stepped right in to walk the way of preparations and, at the same time, she had a few art classes with the kids.

On Christmas Eve, our Felician family has a beautiful tradition of sharing the Christmas wafer, asking for pardon and wishing blessings for the new year.

On Saturday, December 13, Sr. Victoria arrived in Jacmel, with two students and one professor from Madonna University, Livonia, Michigan. They are interested in collaborating with the Nursing Program of Notre Dame University, Jacmel. The group stayed at Sacred Heart, about 15 minutes from our mission. During the week they visited the University, the local hospital, and a few clinics in order to get a better understanding of the health system here in Haiti. They also visited us a few times during the week. We thank them for all the things they bought for the clinic and for our kids. The week went by quickly, and they left on Friday, December 19. And, on that same day, we welcomed Sr. Francis who will be with us for the Christmas holiday.

On Thursday, December 11, our Mother Angela Clinic team responded to a request to bring the clinic to St. Etienne. First we had to travel by car for an hour, going through a few rivers. Once we reached the place where we could park the truck, we loaded our medications on a horse, while a few of the village people carried the rest of the boxes up the mountain. It was a 2 1/2-hour walk up the mountain to get to St. Etienne’s, and we arrived at our destination after sunset. We slept overnight with the family of the person who had asked us to bring the clinic to this location. Our team had plenty of fruit and fresh vegetables to eat; these are grown up in the mountains. Because the height of where we were it was not hot nor were there any mosquitoes. There was a room for Sr. Marilyn, which she shared with Clara, our nurse.

The team woke up at 5 a.m. to prepare for the day’s work. The people prepared a tent, and the clinic opened at 7 a.m. We were able to receive 109 patients, ranging from babies to children and teens, up to adults and the elderly. We had to turn away over 50 people, with the promise we would return. Our hope is to return in February.

The people in St. Etienne have no access to any medical care or medications. The spirit of the Mother Angela Clinic team was a “Response to Love,” and to “Love is to Give.” They certainly gave their all to the community of St. Etienne,

We started walking down the mountain at 4 p.m., after a delicious dinner prepared by the community. At 5 p.m., it was already dark, and it was a 2-hour walk down the mountain. Thanks be to God, all arrived safely! Then began the hour drive back to Jacmel.

We want to let you know what happened to Wilnor after his Friday accident. You may recall, in our last blog, we shared with you our trip to the city hospital in Jacmel. Wilnor got an x-ray but no doctor was there to read it. The poor are at such a disadvantage since they have no money or means to get the assistance needed when it comes to illness and accidents. His mother, Francine, said she would look for someone to help him. The weekend passed by and still no word, so we knew we had to do something today. With the help of our creole teacher, Madam Omanie, we found someone.

Dr. Paul is a Haitian orthopedic surgeon who lived and studied in New York for 38 years. He read Wilnor’s x-ray and said it was definitely fractured but Wilnor needed the other arm x-rayed to compare the two. So we did what we needed to do and, after three hours of waiting, he received his cast.

Francine is a young mother of two boys. Her husband is dead, and she is illiterate. Francine works in a restaurant 12 hours a day, 18 hours on Saturday. She earns $50 a month. She is not able to pay her rent nor send her kids to school. They live near us in a shack with one bed for the three of them. Francine is allowed to eat in the restaurant, but her kids eat in our Manman Angela Kitchen. She is very depressed. Both of her boys failed to pass school last year, and she is not able to help them. They participate in our Pay-it-Forward Program. The boys are dirty and do not have clean clothes. They often ask us for soap. We try to help them as much as we can. Now Fenol, the oldest of the two boys, is doing well in school. He is second in the class with the help he is getting. We have been able to give them clothing and shoes with the donations we have received.

Today, Wilnor, her youngest son, who is 8 years old, came to our door early in the morning before prayers. His arm was in a sling. It seems as though he and his young friend had a fight the night before and Wilnor fell and hurt his left arm. We took him to the hospital here in Jacmel. We got him registered, and he needed to wait for an x-ray. After he finally got the x-ray, the doctor said it did not look right–maybe it was dislocate–but he could not do anything. Not even an ace bandage was given to Wilnor. Our doctors from the Manman Angela Klinic are on a retreat weekend with Caritas so we need to wait for them to return on Monday to see what we can do to help Wilnor.

Please pray for Wilnor and continue to pray for Christella. We still have not heard anything about where she could be, and she also needs medical assistance!

Every Thursday evening, twelve of our young kids and teens gather for catechesis as they prepare to receive the sacraments. Every Saturday afternoon, these twelve young people, with some of the other children, gather for the Eucharist in our chapel. Once a month, on a Sunday, those preparing for the sacraments attend a special Mass at St. Michael’s Parish. Today, on the Feast of Christ the King, we took our group, which is preparing for the sacraments, to the celebration at St. Michael’s. It was a privilege for us to be asked to help distribute Communion.

After the Mass, when we all returned home, we had a small celebration with croissants, peanut butter and jelly, and ICE CREAM!

Happy Feast of Christ the King!

Many of you wrote to us today asking about Christella and assuring us of your prayers. Today we did not hear good news about her situation. We know that a few days ago she ran away for the first time and was found by the police. She was returned to her aunt’s home in Jacmel, but then ran away again. No one seems to know where she is now. It has been said to us that she has been diagnosed with AIDS and did not want to go to the hospital. She is very scared. We also found out her real age is 15. Please keep praying that she will have the courage to return home to get the medical help needed at this time.

In the town of Jacmel everyone knows everyone’s business and everyone is talking about it, even the children are making comments. It must be very difficult to return to a place where everyone is judging you.

“God has entrusted to your care the souls of those simple folds, so do not desert them, do not be deterred by any hardship from saving their souls.”
Mother Mary Angela
Blessed Mary Angela, pray for us!

Christella is a young teeneager that joined our community last summer. For two days now, she has been missing. She did not return from school yesterday. Christella, the cousin of one of our kids, came from the mountains to continue schooling in the 5th grade, even though she is 14 years old. This was the first time she had been in the city. She lives with her aunt here in Jacmel. During the summer, she earned money for school by selling food in the market that her aunt had cooked. This was very difficult work, having to walk all day in the sun. We bought Christella’s books for school and some other needed school items.

In the first photo, where the girls are learning liturgical dance, Christella is in the white t-shirt. In the second photo, she is wearing the red t-shirt. Please pray with us that she is found and that she is okay.