Felician Sisters of North America Mission: Haiti

Everyone has a dream, especially our young people. Tchery (pronounced Jerry) is a young, 21-year-old who has been working with us the past 3 years, tutoring our children. He has a dream. He dreams of one day being a medical doctor to help his people. Tchery has just finished his high school and wants to begin studies for medicine. He was one of five who were able to pass the exam in his class. He wants to continue his education by going to the University located in Port au Prince. Tchery’s family is very poor, and there is no possibility for them to even begin to pay the entrance fee of $120, then pay $360 per semester three times a year. Would you want to help us help Tchery’s dream come true?

On Friday, September 2, the Mother Angela Clinic went to a new chapel in the mountains called St. Andre. Every first Friday of the month, we visit the zone area of Decouze, where we bring medical care and medication to the poor. We are blessed to be able to meet the medical needs of the community in these poor places, as well as to provide continued care to them monthly. We had to travel on some difficult roads. We thank all of you who assist us in various ways to make this possible. 😊

Today, Sunday, September 4, Mother Teresa of Calcutta was declared a Saint of the Church. Everywhere throughout the world, there were celebrations marking this great grace for the Church. We, too, had the opportunity to join with the Church here in the Diocese of Jacmel to thank God for the gift of Mother Teresa with her sisters who serve in Jacmel. In Immaculate Conception Church in Zoranje, we gathered for the Eucharist and united our voices with heaven in thanksgiving for the canonization of Mother Teresa of Calcutta.

In Rome this early morning, in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Francis prayed in his homily, “May this tireless worker of mercy help us increasingly to understand that our only criterion for action is gratuitous love, free from every ideology and all obligations, offered freely to everyone without distinction of language, culture, race or religion. Mother Teresa loved to say, he recalled: ‘Perhaps I don’t speak their language, but I can smile.’ Let us carry her smile in our hearts and give it to those whom we meet along our journey, especially those who suffer. In this way, we will open up opportunities of joy and hope for our many brothers and sisters who are discouraged and who stand in need of understanding and tenderness.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/spanish-missionary-who-devoted-life-to-poor-killed-in-haiti/2016/09/02/f4b14174-7163-11e6-993f-73c693a89820_story.html

Lk 14: 25-33:

“Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: […] Whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. […] In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.”

Through the generosity of some people in Poland, we were able to put new table cloths in our kitchen for the kids and in our home. Thank you and God bless you for making our tables beautiful and welcoming!

…but I am loving being a part of their lives.” 

Delia, our Felician Associate, who is spending two weeks with us in Jacmel, is busy being present to our children and teenagers all day. She has cleaned our laptops, is teaching computer and, most of all, is providing joy to our children.

On Sunday, August 28, we went to the property where the new Felician convent is being built; and, to our surprise, we saw great progress. The wall is up and surrounds the property, and the stakes in the ground have marked the places where the buildings will be. It was a joy to see the men at work. We continue to pray through the intercession of St. Joseph for the safety of our workers and the construction project. 😊

Finally the day has arrived when we are returning home to Haiti! It has been a blessed, beautiful pilgrimage and visit with community, family and friends. Today, Friday, August 26 (feast of Our Lady of Czestochowa) we will return with our Felician Associate, Delia Chamora, who will join us in our Felician Haiti mission for two weeks.

On July 19, we left Jacmel, Haiti, together with Wanitha Ceus, Omanie and Debora Scutt for Lodi, NJ. Wanitha and Debora were chosen to participate in WYD. Sad to say, only Wanitha received her visa for Poland. Debora, being a minor, was rejected at the last minute. It was not all sad; Debora did have a visa for the USA and came with us to visit family in Connecticut for the first time. We had only two days to get ready to begin our pilgrimage.

On July 22, we made our way to JFK airport and boarded a plane with hundreds of other pilgrims for Warsaw, Poland. It was in Warsaw we met with the other 45 pilgrims participating in the Felician Youth Pilgrimage, WYD Kraków 2016. The excitement was high and the energy contagious.

The pilgrimage began in Warsaw, walking in the footprints of our founders Blessed Mary Angela. Then it was to Czestochowa, Kraków, and the home of St. John Paul II, Wadowice and Oświęcim.

For Wanitha, our doctor who works in our mobile clinic, it was a life-changing experience. Her most touching transforming moments were walking in the footprints of Blessed Mary Angela, especially before the Blessed Sacrament and Divine Mercy Sanctuary. She also shared how profoundly she experienced the universal church and its embrace from everyone participating. 

We all were encouraged and filled with hope for our young Church, as Pope Francis reminded us all to “be living writers of the Gospel.” 

Haiti is famous for its delicious mangos.  We have mango trees everywhere. We have learned to use them in a variety of ways: mango parfait, mango bread, mango bars, and now, mango custard pie. 😋