Hope for Haiti

Haiti __ people may differ about the pronunciation, (Hay-tee or Hi-itee, Port-o-Prince or Port au Prance). There are divided opinions about who is to blame for the endemic poverty, but no-one argues about the magnitude of the problems that now confront the stricken country.

There is the immediate crisis - the dead and dismembered bodies, the wounded in makeshift hospitals, (amputations the norm!), the endless queues for basics, the fear of further shocks and of human violence, the hordes of lost and bewildered children .... the desperate poverty of families where parents would hand over their children to outsiders in the hope of their having a better future abroad. No wonder there is an international tsunami of aid for the stricken country.

Our Justice and Peace Group has been supporting a well-established foundation in Haiti, ‘Our Little Brothers and Sisters’, which has been running orphanages and hospitals there since the 1950’s. Many people will remember the vivid account of their work which was given two years ago in St. Mary’s by one of their Irish volunteers; Adele tells us now about the heart-breaking losses they have suffered through the earthquake. The proceeds of our recent Bring-and-Buy event will help to feed and provide basic care for the crowds of orphans that they look after; we are assured that every cent contributed goes to the needy.

This weekend the national Church collection takes place during all the Masses; the proceeds will be distributed by Trocaire who are working directly with Caritas International in Haiti __ it is also hoped to be in a position to help some of the Irish religious orders who are working in the parishes in Haiti. Even before the earthquake, it was not easy working in Haiti, in spite of the beauty of the scenery and the natural warmth of the people; poverty and unemployment bred violence, lack of investment made for lack of basic amenities, historic wrongs produced distrust of some other races. With God’s help, out of the ruins and the response of the world to the current tragedy, a new understanding will come, and a new Haiti will emerge.

St. Mary’s Justice & Peace Group