Everyday, we have the opportunity to encounter Christ in one way or another, through our prayer and community, as well as a simple ring of the bell and knock at the gate. Every month, we get a visit from a very poor woman and her three children. Sometimes they come hungry, always in tattered and dirty clothes, and usually sick. This time it was all of the above; they were totally in need. We looked at each other and agreed: This is Christmas; Christ coming to our door and asking us to be sister and servant.
A mother with her child who is suffering from malnutrition. You can tell by the color of his orange hair.Sr. Inga prepares Christmas packages of food and treats, clothes and toys.Sr. Marilyn gives some medication for a fever and some vitamins.Please pray for this Madam who is pregnant again, with no help or means to have or take care of this child. She is a simple woman who does not know how to read or write.
It has become a tradition at the Felician Mission that, on the Sunday before Christmas, we have a special prayer and dinner for our employees. It is a joy for us to celebrate with those who accompany us in serving the poor.
On Sunday, December 20, all those who share the mission with us came for the celebration. The Mother Angela Clinic Team; our cook for the Mother Angela Kitchen; our other workers, together with their spouses and children, joined in a wonderful afternoon of sharing the meaning of Christmas.
As always, we began with prayer and the tradition of sharing the sacred Christmas Wafer. The Word of God was shared from the Gospel of Luke, proclaiming the birth of Christ! Sister Inga shared the meaning of the Christmas Wafer and how we in our Felician family share wishes of peace, love and forgiveness. Being mindful of the COVID-19 virus we broke the wafer in pieces and placed them on individual plates. After using hand sanitizer we shared the wafer taking it from each others plates.
Christmas Wafer…OplatekEnjoying a delicious dinner…fried fish from the Caribbean Sea……banan, pikles, and dire jon jon! Delicious!Enjoying some delicious homemade lasagna!Some dancing!Taking a moment to say thank you for serving the poor with with us!Now for the moment everyone waits for…the gifts!Dr. Valcin was certainly happy getting his gift.Dr. YvesFritz and his daughter, Naida, and John, our grounds keeper.
Some of you may know that, when we are in New Jersey, we are always busy anticipating another holiday feast. With that always in mind, we need to purchase things and send them in barrels to Haiti. Here we are preparing treat bags, filling them with chocolates and sweets for our kids for our Christmas Day celebration!
From December 10-13, the annual Advent Retreat–Connivance–for St. Michael’s Neocatechumenal community was held here at the Felician Mission. For all of these people, it is the only experience of taking time for their spiritual growth and health with the Lord. Centered in the Word, Eucharist and Community, our lives were able to be transformed, healed and forgiven.
Friday is a day of fast and forgiveness in preparation for the Sacrament of Reconciliation.Sharing meals together…Sr. Izzy takes a break with some participants.Preparing for Sunday Eucharist…Singing the Responsorial Psalm: My soul rejoices in my God!“Are you the Prophet?” John answered, “No.” So they said to him, “Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us? What do you have to say for yourself?” He said: “I am the voice of one crying out in the desert, make straight the way of the Lord, as Isaiah the prophet said.”
On Tuesday, December 8, Dr. Jean Paul Bonnet and Hubert (his friend who was one of the first graduates of the Madonna University Program in Haiti) made their way here to the Felician Haiti Mission. This was the moment Dr. Bonnet and we have been waiting for–the beginning of the process of giving wells which will provide clean water to us, to the new catholic school that was built behind us, and to the bakery.
Meetings were scheduled with Bishop Touissaint, Father Bertrand (Director of Caritas), and representatives from the Water for Life well-diggers for Wednesday morning, December 9. God made a shift in the plan. Since there was a manifestation on the road to Jacmel the night before, no one could enter the city. This meant the Water for Life people could not be in Jacmel for the 9 a.m. meeting.
Again, we witnessed God’s lead in all this. We had a private meeting with the Bishop and Father Bertrand. We visited the site where the wells could go, and we saw the new piece of land for the bakery and cafe. Things began to unfold quickly.
St. John Paul II School where one of the wells will be placed by Water for Life.From left to right: Fr. Bertrand, Bishop Toussaint, Sr. Inga and Jean Paul discuss the blessed place for the well.By the afternoon, the Water for Life representatives made it to Jacmel to do the measuring and calculations for the well.
From left to right: Jean Paul, Hubert, Claude (Water forLife), Fr. Lauture Jean Claude (Director of the School) and Sr. Marilyn.Sr.Izzy enjoyed meeting the school kids.New land given by the Pastoral Center for the new bakery and cafe. Here we making plans for the well.
On Friday, December 11, Jean Paul and Hubert, together with Fritz as their driver, went to Les Cayes, about a 3 1/2 hour ride from Jacmel, to see a bakery that was built by the School Sisters of Notre Dame. Land was given by that diocese and, from funds collected, they are a well-running bakery. We are getting closer and closer to the fulfillment of a dream so needed to empower women and men for jobs and, most of all, sharing a Bread for Life through accompaniment, relationships, and empowerment. As Jean Paul would say: “All good!”
On Monday, December 7, our teens were invited for our annual Advent Penance Service that was led by Father Maurice. Each year, we have our Penance Service in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. It is always a beautiful experience for us as we share Praise and Worship, silence, and God’s mercy together. After, we celebrated with PIZZA for all!
Asking for God’s mercy for our sins…Praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet…Awaiting God’s mercy…More love, more power, more of you, Lord, in our lives.Benediction…for the whole world!
On Wednesday, December 2, our newly-Baptized children and First Communion children experienced their first confession with Father Emmanuel as the celebrant. Our kids came in their white dresses and robes.After they made their First Confession, they received a candle, reminding them they are the light of Christ to the world!
For everyone around the world, 2020 has been to challenge. People around the world are in need of HOPE and looking for something to BELIEVE in. Thus, even more so this year, we wanted to light up the world.
We have a tradition here at the Felician Haiti mission–at the beginning of Advent, we put up our Advent calendar tree; and the teens help us prepare the way for Jesus’ birth by setting up decorations. Everyone here knows that “JESUS is the Reason for the Season.” And so, on Friday afternoon, December 4, the 2020 tradition began.
Cleaning the grillage for the lights.Our Advent waiting tree looks like NYC’s tree!Making sure every light works…Rockin’ around the Christmas tree…🎶Come, Lord Jesus!A wisk of stars in our tree…Teens put up MA…Mother Angela!
Faith is the gift of God by which we recognize Jesus for who He really is and call to Him. Thus, the blind men beg in faith: “Son of David, have pity on us!” When we do the same, Jesus invites us to approach, for in Him the lowly find joy, the poor rejoice, the arrogant go away, the deaf hear, and “out of the gloom and darkness, the eyes of the blind shall see.” We cry out in reverent, endless awe, certain that He will hear and answer our prayer. This is the message we heard on Friday, December 4, when Bishop Toussaint, Bishop of the Diocese of Jacmel, celebrated Mass for the Mother Angela Clinic team. Afterwards, there was shared conversation during brunch. It was like a retreat day for us all.
At the end of Mass, we showed a power point of the Mission and work of the Mother Angela Clinic.Mother Angela Clinic TeamGreat moments of evangelization!
Felician Sisters of North America Mission: Haiti 