Felician Sisters of North America Mission: Haiti

On Sunday, April 3, the Universal Church celebrated Divine Mercy Sunday. Here in Jacmel, we, too, wanted to enter into this holy day of grace and mercy to listen to the words of our Holy Father who invites all in the world to make a pilgrimage of mercy to a designated Church in the diocese. After Mass today, we went to the Immaculate Conception Church in Zoranje, which has been designated by our Diocese to be the Holy Door of Mercy.

“The practice of pilgrimage has a special place in the Holy Year, because it represents the journey each of us makes in this life. Life itself is a pilgrimage, and the human being is a pilgrim traveling along the road, making his way to the desired destination. Similarly, to reach the Holy Door in Rome or in any other place in the world, everyone, each according to his or her ability, will have to make a pilgrimage. This will be a sign that mercy is also a goal to reach and requires dedication and sacrifice. May pilgrimage be an impetus to conversion: by crossing the threshold of the Holy Door, we will find the strength to embrace God’s mercy and dedicate ourselves to being merciful with others as the Father has been with us.” No. 14 Misericordiae Vultus, BULL OF INDICTION OF THE EXTRAORDINARY JUBILEE OF MERCY

Be assured that we carried each of you in our hearts and remembered you in our prayers.

On Friday, April 1, Sr. Adrianna had the experience of what it is like to purchase medications needed for the Mother Angela Clinic. It is a three-hour journey through the mountains to Port au Prince and then to TiGroave. We left at 6:30 a.m. and returned to Jacmel at 3:30 p.m. Dr. Wanitha, one of our clinic doctors accompanied us. We were blessed to get everything we needed for the clinic in order to provide medications for our people for the next two months. 

Thank you and God bless you to all of you who support the Mother Angela clinic in Haiti!

  Even though at times we don’t have electricity, we never need to worry about having an alarm clock to get us up in the morning. Living below us are a turkey and a rooster that are now “cock-a-doodle-doing”  every hour on the hour for these past few nights. They especially begin their shrill-singing at 4:30 a.m.

Yesterday we shared how our girls had some activities. Today, with the help of one of our teens who organized them, our young boys did some”spring” cleaning in our compound. After some hard work, they enjoyed a cold glass of water and, of course, some Easter chocolate!

The kids are still on Easter vacation so this morning our young girls came to make bracelets. Sr. Adrianna helped the girls with choosing their colors and got involved in bracelet making. I helped some of our boys paint Mickey Mouse Easter cards. And, of course, we needed to have some fun with the famous parachute games. 

  
Holy God, give peace and hope to our fractured world. May the risen Jesus breathe on our minds and open our eyes to know Him in the breaking of bread and to follow Him in His risen life. Amen!

 
  
 Today we had our Easter Mass at 3 p.m. The young people helped to prepare the altar and did the readings for the Mass. Some of our teen boys, who were baptized and received Holy Communion last year at the Easter Vigil, have been preparing to be altar servers, so today they served the Mass.

  
  
After Mass, through the generosity of one of our Sisters, the kids were given Easter cupcakes and Coca Cola! May God bless you and thank you for helping us to celebrate the Risen Life of Christ in our midst!
  
  
  

Święconka meaning “the blessing of the Easter baskets,” is one of the most enduring and beloved Polish traditions done on Holy Saturday. 

Our Felician community, which was founded in Poland, keeps this special tradition. Every Felician house around the world celebrates Święconka. The foods have a symbolic meaning:

* eggs – symbolize life and Christ’s Resurrection

* bread – symbolic of Christ

* lamb – represents Christ

* salt – represents purification

* ham and kielbasa – symbolic of great joy and abundance.

The blessed food remains untouched according to local traditions until Easter Sunday morning.

Even here in Haiti, we keep the tradition. Today, our Father Mise blessed our Easter food.

On Good Friday, it is holy tradition in Jacmel that the people gather at 6:00 a.m. to walk the Way of the Cross. Thousands of people gathered to pray and to stop at each Station that people in different neighborhoods had created. The youth of the city re-enacted each moment of Christ’s Way of the Cross. The service finished at 11:30 a.m., after which all then prepared to go to their parishes for the 3:00 p.m. Good Friday services.

On Thursday, March 24, in the morning,  the Diocese of Jacmel gathered to celebrate the Chrism Mass. It was during this special celebration with the Bishop that the oils to be used for the Easter Vigil and the sacraments were consecrated and our priests renewed their commitment to the Bishop and the Diocese.

   
In the evening, we participated in the Mass of the Lord’s Supper at Sacred Heart Church in the next town. This was the Parish where we stayed for a month when we first came to Jacmel. It was a beautiful service that lasted three hours. The reverence and the call to servant leadership was an invitation given to all of us. As we celebrated the gift of Eucharist, we then entered these solemn days of the Lord’s suffering and passion.

  
Lord Jesus, help us to respect the dignity of each person we meet…even amidst the face of the world’s terror and violence which we experienced this week in Belgium. This Triduum help each of us — especially those who are victims of terror — to trust in God’s boundless mercy, to reach out to all those in need, and to open ourselves to the goodness of one another. Thank you for the gift of Eucharist. May our families, neighbors, friends, our church community each be united as members of your body. Help us, Lord, to recognize and revere your presence when people reach towards others and seek to include them in the benefits of our community. May we help to build and support and celebrate the community that you would have us become. 🙏🏽🍞🍷Do this in remembrance of me!

On Saturday afternoon, May 19, our young people gathered to commemorate the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem with blessed palm branches, the reading of the Passion, and the Celebration of the Eucharist. With the help of our young people, we prepared the palms, while others prepared the readings.