Haiti Program

OUR MISSION

We partner with our Twinning Parish, Notre Dame de la Nativite, to keep the Catholic faith alive on the Island de la Tortue, Haiti, through our support of the ministries of Haitian Priests and Sisters.

WHY WE SERVE

The island stretches for 20 miles. Because of the location of this Island from the north shore of Port de Paix, it is a tremendous undertaking to travel to the island.

Times are extremely difficult for them. Everything must be brought out to the island, which means they must pay for someone to transport food, clothing, housing and parish materials, etc. The priests must pay for transportation to and from the mainland to the island.

The priests on the Island de la Tortue do not receive a salary from the Diocese of Port de Paix. The villages on the Island are quite poor, so it is extremely important that the priests receive our assistance.

HOW WE SERVE

Holy Rosary provides money to feed the priests and sisters, transporting goods across the ocean channel, and using money to maintain the church, living quarters for the priest and a building that serves as their Parish Hall. We entrust the Pastors of the churches to use our donations where needed.
Island de la Tortue, Haiti - image by mapbox

Holy Rosary parishioners have generously supported our Twinning Parish for over 16 years. Since our commitment to help Notre Dame de la Nativite, two more parishes were started on the island by the Diocese of Port de Paix, Haiti. As of 2019, the other two parishes, St. Theresa and Sacred Heart, had no churches twinned to them.

Notre Dame de la Nativite has a new Haitian priest, Fr. Wilson Ellucien. The neighboring hospital has a new Haitian priest, Fr. Emanes Lauriston. Both are both newly ordained priests.

We routinely send $4,000 quarterly to the pastor of Nativite. He has been sharing our donation with the other two parishes, one on the east end and one on the western end of the Island. He gives $600 to each of the other priests pastoring at the other two parish churches. He still gives the medical sisters $500 to help buy medicines for the little hospital on the Island. That leaves approximately $2,300 for our twinning parish to use. This must last them for 3 months.

God bless our faithful people who pray and provide for all those in need.

HOW WE’RE TWINNED

Through the Parish Twinning Program of the Americas, our parish is connected with a parish in Haiti. The PTPA notes, “The parishes develop a mutual and enriching relationship of sharing, solidarity and understanding. Parishes in the U.S. often raise funds and send resources to their twin parish and help with various special projects. Twin parishes in the US visit their sister parishes abroad on fact-finding trips, med mission trips, project trips, and other related trips. Since 1978, our parishes have sent well over 50 million dollars in aid to impoverished church communities in Haiti.”

"Every twinning relationship is unique and different. It is a parish-to-parish endeavor based on the needs and assets of both parishes. It is a very personal relationship enriched by visits, ongoing communication and a mutual commitment to understand one another and work together."

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See mention on the Archdiocese of Indianapolis website.

RECENT UPDATE

December 2022

Greetings to All of You!
I hope this message finds you in perfect health. I want to greet you in the name of Christ our Saviour. From our side in Haiti, the news is not too good and the situation of total crisis that our people are experiencing remains unchanged. She is getting worse.

With desolation punctuated with hope in that which has come, I write to share with you what we are currently experiencing and present to you the report for last quarter.

This trimester has been one of the most difficult quarters we have known since my arrival as pastor of this parish. Since October 2022, I have two seminarians in training in my parish: one of them is preparing to receive the transitional diaconate. This increases the number of inhabitants of the presbytery.

The high cost of products, the scarcity and high cost of fuel, insecurity and other social unrest make life in Haiti very difficult and deeply affects everyone economically.

We attend suppers where people starve, where the school only works at 40%, where people loot. It's really painful. And as a result, the national money has almost no value because the inflation rate is increased by 57%, which blocks almost everything.

However, thanks to your money, we barely manage to survive. We couldn't get much. The hospital ambulance that the parish uses in times of need broke down. I did my best to fix it.

Indeed, words fail me to thank you for your great heart towards my parish. I thank you wholeheartedly. God will reward you a hundredfold, because, thanks to your donations, I manage to guide the parish despite the situation in the country. Your generosity is to be imitated.

During this quarter, your gifts have allowed us to minister through support of these…

Saint Thérèse Montry Parish (Fr. Guenson)
Sacred Heart Parish Aux-Plaines (Fr. Mevoicy David)
Hospital Notre Dame des Palmistes (Fr. Emanès Lauriston)
The Sisters of Theresina (Sr. Clementina Lungu)
Our Lady of the Nativity Parish (Fr. Wilsonne Elucien)

For Our Lady of the Nativity Parish, we were able to purchase or share the following: Injection pump for ambulance; Life of the presbytery; Charity & Gasoline.

However, our main needs remain the same.

Electrical Energy: We preferred a solar system instead of a generator, because gasoline has become increasingly rare and expensive in the country, but even worse on the island. We buy a gallon of gasoline on the island at almost triple the normal price. We therefore need solar panels, inverters, batteries, regulators, accessories and labor for the installation of a good electrical system.
Retreat: During the Carnival period, we intend to organize the second edition of a 6-day retreat for about 500 young people who will come from all over the island. We are counting on your support for the realization of this activity so decisive for the pastoral care of the island at the youth level.

Thank you very much for always being by our side. May Christ always be with you to bless you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Father Wilsonne Elucien, Administrator
Diocèse de Port-de-Paix
Paroisse Notre Dame de La Nativité
Latortue, Haut-Palmiste

HOW TO BE INVOLVED

PRAY

Prayers are the most powerful gift that a person can give to the Haitians.
We need to continue praying for peace and order to be restored to the Haitian nation.

DONATE

Use the Yellow Envelope earmarked for “Haiti” to designate your giving through offering at Mass.
Give Online: Click here to choose a recurring or one-time donation.