Author Archives: Felician Mission: Haiti

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.

The engineer from Poland, Karolina, showed us the new John Paul II school for kindergarten and primary grades that is still under construction. Foundation Polska Haiti is funding the project that is taking more time than expected. But this is the reality of Haiti. Architects and engineers from other countries are not able to perceive what it is like to build in Haiti. The cost is more than the Foundation funding the project expected and projected. This is a challenge.

Our friend, Dr. JeanPaul, who has been engaged in our Felician mission in Haiti from the beginning, visited our home in Jacmel from November 7-14. This was the first time he has been back to Haiti in two years. Everyday he accompanied our doctors and nurses in the clinic and visited people in their homes. JeanPaul knows French so this made it a little easier for him as he made his visits. His love and compassion for the poor was seen in everything he did. He was especially touched when he visited a single mother with three young children who live in the bushes without running water and electricity. To get them some help has become one of his goals as he returns back to the States.

Ten years ago, St. John Paul II approved the statutes of the Neocatechumenal Way when he wrote: “I recognize the Neocatechumenal Way as an itinerary for Catholic formation, valid for our society and for our times.”

Yesterday, the Responsible, Cuquito, from the Dominican Republic was invited to present the Way before the priests who gathered for a meeting with Bishop Launay Saturne. He shared the purpose of the Way and the invitation to come to a personal renewal of faith and renewal of the faith community, the Church. This can only happen through evangelization. The Way stands upon three legs: Word, Eucharist, and Community.

After the meeting, the group visited our home.

Today we celebrated Blessed Mary Angela with our kids and their parents. It was truly a celebration with the poor. Everyone came dressed very nicely, and we could not recognize them. We were in shock knowing the conditions in which they live.

The altar was prepared by some of our teens who picked beautiful flowers. The chairs and other liturgical item were set up by many helping hands.

The liturgical dance was beautiful, and Fr. Elicien’s homily amazed us as he shared the charism of Mother Angela and her love for the poor as she served all who were in need. He found her life and charism on the internet in French!

Before the Mass began, Sr. Marilyn spoke about the Congregation and our spirit, after which Sr. Inga shared the life of Blessed Mary Angela. We did a reading and intercessions. All was done in Creole. The children sang beautifully, especially Beni Angela limye ou nou vle ye, Blessed Angela, your light we want to be! We know Mother Angela was rejoicing in Heaven!

After Mass, we invited everybody for popcorn, chocolate cupcakes, ice cream and soda.

It was a month ago that we began our preparations for the feast of Mother Angela. We asked our teacher Omanie if her daughter, Deborah could teach 4 of our young girls liturgical dance. This is very common here in Haiti whenever there is a big celebration there is always dance for the Kyrie, Gloria, and Thanksgiving after Communion. Thina, Edwina, Fabiola and Mona worked with Deborah for weeks learning 3 dances to praise God. Omanie, made their white robes out of white sheets.

Omanie spent time with our kids preparing them for the liturgy teaching them new songs for the Mass. Fr. Elicien taught our boys how to play the tambou (drum).

Truly the spirit of Mother Angela was experienced in the preparations.
“To love is to give.” MM Angela