Felician Sisters of North America Mission: Haiti

“Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be. The Father will honor whoever serves me.” The words of today’s Gospel speak so loudly on the holy ground of Haiti, here in our new mission complex. We had the help of so many as we were getting things ready, setting up, and putting away what we had stored in boxes. There are so many who are with us and who helped us. We see JESUS in them as they serve in Jesus’ name.

We thank God for the gift of Mike Edgar, who spent six weeks with us, helping us with the move and seeing to the completion of the construction. We ask God’s blessings on Eric Moyer, who gave of his time and talent to help us with the transition. And we are grateful to JetBlue for donating computers for the computer lab. We pray that the Father of all blessings will fill you and your families in good measure and flowing over.

When we moved into our new home at our new mission complex, we were very busy unpacking boxes for the convent, activity center, volunteer house, Mother Angela Clinic Pharmacy, and computer lab. This has taken several weeks; but, finally, we think that most everything is in place. We still have some construction workers here, but we will soon be able to have all the kids again.

In the meantime, everyday we noticed that a cat was hanging around. He would follow us everywhere we went. So, as good Felician Sisters, we named him FELIX. We speak to Felix in Creole and, believe it or not, he responds. He loves to sleep everywhere he can. Yes, he even catches mice. (Whenever you have construction, it seems to stir up the mice population.) We have never been cat lovers, but this little guy wants to be a part of our community. He is not allowed inside the houses, although there are times he sneaks inside. Felix is slowly but surely learning the rules. We are not feeding him, so maybe he is catching our mice and bugs…

During the week of March 5-9, students from Madonna University and Felician University volunteered their time and talents with us. One of those ways was visiting the homes of our sick people who cannot afford to see a doctor and obtain the needed medication. These home visits always seem to be the heart of the mission experience because the volunteers get to know the family life of our children and their extended families. We are so proud of the way each of our Felician-sponsored institutions have placed in the hearts of their students the Felician core values of being “Grounded in the fundamental beliefs of respect for human dignity, compassion, transformation, solidarity with the poor, justice and peace, reverence, diversity, service, and joy…”

Our kids want so much to come back to us…they are so hungry! We cannot start the Mother Angela Kitchen until all construction workers are finished. Keep praying!

Felician University nursing students, together with their professor, Dr. Kathy Vito, have been experiencing the mission of the Mother Angela clinic. When they return each day, there is always a call to respond to a medical need. We are really seeing the core values of the Felician Mission in them.

During this week, we have two different groups with us; and they have been experiencing the reality of “serve where you are needed…” As the the construction site is getting its final touches done, and we are putting things in their proper places, our volunteers have been of great help. Yesterday, Madonna University volunteers spent the morning doing just that…some were helping with setting up the gazebo for our security to be protected from the sun; some were helping to place our activity and school supplies on shelves; and others were setting up our first aid shelf. Thank you all for serving where you were needed in the name of the Lord.

On Friday, March 2, we welcomed back Sr. Victoria and Madonna University students. This time, we were able to greet them in our new mission complex. We worked so hard these last few weeks to be ready for them. They had already made plans to stay in a hotel, but they would be joining us for some home visits. Since the construction team is still doing some finishing touches, our complex is not quite ready for the kids to come for activities. Sr. Victoria always has many places to visit with her group. We are happy to welcome them once again.

On Saturday, March 3, we welcomed Dr. Kathy Vito and two Master Nursing Students from Felician University, Lodi, NJ. They are our first guests in the volunteer house. They are participating in a credited course in their clinical nursing program. They will be working with the Mother Angela Clinic for the week, as well as making home visits.

Finally, we got our electricity, using the generator. We also have solar lamps that light the property. Soon we will be using our solar-powered inverter for our electricity. We are getting closer to actually moving in and setting everything up for the mission to continue again. The following prayer has become so real in our lives…

Patient Trust

Above all, trust in the slow work of God.

We are quite naturally impatient in everything,

to reach the end without delay.

We should like to skip the intermediate stages.

We are impatient of being on the way to something unknown, something new.

And yet it is the law of all progress

that it is made by passing through

some stages of instability—

and that it may take a very long time.

And so I think it is with you;

your ideas mature gradually—let them grow,

let them shape themselves, without undue haste.

Don’t try to force them on,

as though you could be today what time

(that is to say, grace and circumstances

acting on your own good will)

will make of you tomorrow.

Only God could say what this new spirit

gradually forming within you will be.

Give Our Lord the benefit of believing

that his hand is leading you,

and accept the anxiety of feeling yourself

in suspense and incomplete.

—Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, SJ

🙏🏾🕊✌🏾

This text from Genesis has never been so true for us. For the past two weeks, we have been sending over our furniture and other boxes in preparation for the move into our new home and mission complex.

Two weeks ago, on February 4, we started to bring over our things with the help of Mike and Eric and our teenage boys and girls. The second week, our friend Dr. Jean-Paul Bonet came with his son, Ethan. We are blessed, but are still waiting for the big day of moving into our new home.