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Bulletin
Conférence religieuse canadienne
Canadian Religious Conference
Volume 8, Number 2 — Spring/Summer 2011
CRC MISSION
In this issue:
The Canadian Religious
Conference (CRC) is both
a voice for and a service
to leaders of religious
institutes and societies
Love Is Stronger than Suffering and Death
Violence and suffering continue to grow worldwide. Given this reality, what
should be our view: withdrawal, fatalism or hope in the Love stronger than
all? Mary Finlayson, RSCJ
3
of apostolic life. The
mission of the CRC is to
encourage its members to
live fully their vocation in
following Christ. The CRC
supports its members in
their prophetic witness
International Solidarity... A New Future!
The question of international solidarity, if not universal solidarity, has become
part of the movement of humanity in search of understanding. On what
grounds should we base this solidarity so that it opens up a more meaningful
participation in the challenges facing the world? Alain Ambeault, CSV
4
to justice and peace
within society and the
Church. The CRC looks
for audacious ways of
interpreting faith and life
so as to embrace the new
vision of the universe.
A Need for Solidarity with Haiti
6
The emergence of another Haiti is based on respect for the fundamental
rights of the population. Rebuilding differently gives rise to several challenges. In this context, greater coordination among religious communities is a
necessity. Suzanne Loiselle, SA
September 2010
Haiti Emergency Relief Fund
The Roncalli International Foundation gives a brief account of money collected
to help Haitian and Canadian religious congregations working in Haiti. Eight
areas of distribution of its funds have been selected. Sophie Labrecque
EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS
One year after the earthquake, what is the situation of religious
congregations in Haiti? What are the challenges? How is the mission
progressing? CRC members recount their experiences, as witnesses to
the lives of their members and the hope that drives them.
8
10
CRC Bulletin - Spring/Summer 2011
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News Briefs
JPIC National Gathering
Editorial Team
Lise Barbeau, scsl
Jean Bellefeuille
Joyce Murray, csj
Editor in Chief
Louise Stafford, fsp
Design and Layout
Caron Communications
graphiques
For Information
Canadian Religious
Conference
2715 Côte Saint Catherine
Road
Montreal (Quebec)
H3T 1B6
Tel: 514 259-0856
Fax: 514-259-0857
[email protected]
www.crc-canada.org
“Co-Creating with the Spirit on the Cutting Edge:
Actualising a Transformed Earth Community”
A major JPIC National Gathering, organised by the
Canadian Religious Conference, will be held October 5-7, 2011, in Montreal. It is intended for
the women and men religious, their associates and collaborators, in the pursuit
of justice, peace and the integrity of
creation. We hope to bring together at
least 200 people from across Canada.
The theme of the Gathering, “Co-creating with the Spirit on the Cutting
Edge: Actualising a Transformed Earth
Community” is designed to reenergise
participants for our common mission
and to pool our resources to reach
that goal. Noted guests are Mary Evelyn
Tucker, Ph.D, Senior Scholar at Yale University and co-director of its Forum on Religion
and Ecology, and Michel Venne, founder and
director of the Institut du Nouveau Monde in Montreal. The event will be held in French and in English.
The logo was designed by two Daughters of Wisdom from Ottawa, Carmen Bussières
and Marthe Jutras. You can find the poster for the event along with the registration
form on the CRC website at: www.crc-canada.org.
The Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary
General Chapter and commemorative stamp
At an international meeting held in Longueuil, Québec, from April 7 to April 11, 24
Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary (SNJM), representing five countries
(Canada, Brazil, Peru, Lesotho and the United States) have addressed many important issues to the life of the congregation. This working session on “Leadership for
Interdependence” was aimed at completing the final preparations of the General
Chapter planned for Cornwall, Ontario, from July 7 to July 22, 2011.
The municipality of Saint-Antoine-sur-Richelieu will, next October, be the scene of
celebrations marking the 200th anniversary of the birth of their founder, Eulalie
Durocher. To this effect, commemorative stamps were issued by Canada Post and
the U.S. Postal Service to highlight this event; participants have had the joy of
previewing copies.
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Love Is Stronger than
Suffering and Death
A
s I write this, the world is still reeling with
the devastating news of the destruction
of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. More
than a year after the earthquake in Haiti, very
little progress is visible in the rebuilding of Portau-Prince. African countries and the Arab world
are erupting with protests against unjust governments. Since I last wrote in the Autumn CRC
Bulletin, much more suffering and violence has
happened in our world. I am certain that among
your families and friends, as among mine, there
has been death, illness and sorrow. However,
there is also much hope, deep faith and unbreakable love.
The Hope of Resurrection
I spent six weeks in Rome this winter doing
simultaneous interpretation for a group of thirteen of our sisters from seven countries preparing for final profession. What a privilege to be
with these young women who were burning with
the Spirit, rejoicing in God’s tender love, exploring the richness and challenges of belonging to
an international congregation, captivated by the
visible history of the Eternal City.
Halfway through that wonderful enriching five
months of formation, one of our young religious
lost her sister to a sudden, unexpected illness.
She returned to her country to be with her family
for a time, then came back to make her final
vows with the rest of the group. She was sad,
aching with the loss of her little sister who left
behind children, but completely convinced that
love is stronger than death. Her whole being
spoke of the hope of resurrection. Why? What
had so filled her with hope and new life in a very
tragic event? Her family experienced deep love
and communion in their grieving. They turned to
the God of life and resurrection for consolation.
They embraced each other in mutual support.
And their love, their faith, their hope brought us
to tears.
A solitary suffering or grief is a terrible, destructive thing that saps the life out of someone.
Jesus’ friends reacted to his violent death in
different ways. Some ran away; some clustered
together. All needed his love to unite them, to
strengthen them, to move them out in mission.
We know that Jesus rose from the dead, proving
that God — Love — is stronger than death. Do
we believe that Love is stronger than suffering?
In the face of great suffering do we live united,
being love for one another, sustained by that
love which moves us out in mission?
Called to Have Global Hearts
Technology virtually obliges us to live a global
reality. We see history unfold around the globe as
it is happening. Sometimes it is heart-breaking,
almost paralysing to witness the suffering, the
tsunami washing away a community of people,
guns firing on a crowd. I believe that the immediacy of events makes us participants and calls us
to have global hearts, to live it, and sometimes
suffer it, together as “one human family and one
Earth community.” (Earth Charter Preamble) As
religious in Canada, together we witness to the
faith, hope and love that we receive as gifts and
that make it possible to endure, to be love with
and for others.
Mary Finlayson, RSCJ
CRC President
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International Solidarity...
A NEW FUTURE!
The world is a global village: an all too familiar expression of our times. We observe it, we
deplore it, or possibly, we rejoice in it. From
the moment someone else’s ways of being and
doing intersect our lives more and more, very
closely even, that person ceases to be a stranger
and profoundly challenges the way we look upon
him or her.
Every international
meeting of our congregations, chapter s or
other, always ends by listing
a few priorities. They are proposed to all our
religious families as necessary avenues for
updating our faithfulness. Nowadays, the question of international solidarity, if not universal
solidarity, has become part of the movement of a
humanity that, seeing what is happening, is not
quite sure where it will lead. The consequences
are staring us in the face and the means seem
to have slipped through the hands of our leaders. While we cannot change the reality of the
global village, we can certainly promote values in
which the future belongs to those who choose to
welcome it as anything but inevitable.
Awakening to the Inculturation of Life
The successive tragedies and calls for aid are
conveyed through the channel of solidarity
between humans so that the results are not
temporary. Let’s keep our cheque books in hand,
some say. “The whole issue of solidarity has a
strong scent of cash, does it not?” they add. So
we have no choice: what do we cut back on in
order to give more?
Adopting this perspective on the call for greater
solidarity is to place oneself in the logic of need:
a call, a response. The rules are clear: a donor
and a recipient; those who dare to seek aid and
those who agree or not to respond. And what if
the call to develop universal and international
solidarity made us transcend the level of needs
and solutions to enable us to awaken even more
to what is implied by the inculturation of the
gift of life in a broader reality, that which goes
beyond our immediate, all while including us!
Doesn’t inculturation represent the meeting of
different cultures, a reciprocal movement, an
exchange, a sharing?
We can rephrase the challenge of solidarity by
saying that it is to develop a sense of responsibility that draws on a larger sense of belonging and generates, therefore, a different way of
addressing all of our needs and providing appropriate solutions.
It is, ultimately, the discovery of a new form of
belonging. The same as before but now with a
broader sense, all protective barriers lifted. A
whole without distinction? Certainly not! But a
whole with different characteristics, organised,
functional, for which we all bear a common
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God’s plan in it. Thus, a fruitful dialogue and
healthy confrontation that foster mutual growth
are established. The result is enrichment for
us and for the world to which we are sent. This
type of recognition changes, by definition, the
position of the entities and creates a partnership that can no longer withstand classification
into superiors and inferiors. One’s experience
is renewed through contact with the energy of
others and hope is gathered as a gift that opens
hearts and renews our mission.
Thinking of international solidarity in terms of an
interrelation where people are subjects, actors
and leaders allows each person to support,
ask, give, and receive. The result is an altruism assured of the contribution of others. Oneway solidarity is domination, it is imperialism.
Conversely, receiving is first being prepared to
give. Mutual recognition is the birth of an egalitarian interrelationship and opens us to a closer
reading of the signs of the Spirit, of its action in
our world and the calls it sends us. These are
the challenges of international solidarity!
responsibility. Consequently, human and financial resources are shared. The discovery of a
new form of belonging and connectedness is the
expected result.
The Foundations of
Universal Solidarity
This call for greater international solidarity calls
into question our perception of ourselves: Is the
world community nothing more than the sum
of its parts? Should it not rather be described
as a dynamic space, a movement from which
emerged much needed support and an overall
responsibility in relation to the gift of life and its
riches embodied in various cultures?
International solidarity is based on recognition and it establishes an interrelationship
that places each person as subject and actor
in charge of our loyalty to the collective future.
Basically, this solidarity challenges our traditional ways of doing things by recognising from
the outset every human community, its history,
culture and the mystery of the inculturation of
After all, if we put away our check book and
allow ourselves be moved by the principles
of international and universal solidarity, we
realize, then, that it offers us a new future. It
encourages the creation of a network of aware
men and women, responsible and determined
disciples, willing to work closely with others,
who are different, to build the Kingdom of God.
Is that not a fruit of Christian unity? Well beyond
the review of our methods, although unavoidable, international solidarity is a privileged path
to conversion and human maturity in view of an
even more meaningful participation to the challenges of the world.
If a link exists between us and others, it is by
choice that we call it solidarity and by conviction that we make it a place where the future is
possible.
Alain Ambeault, CSV
-6-
A NEED for
Solidarity with Haiti
Since the massive earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12, 2010,
several reports have been published on the extent of the devastation, the countless casualties, the massive property damage and the
displacement of many people, both within the country and to other
destinations. To this dismal record, we add more than 300,000 families
forced to live in unsanitary makeshift camps, inside which there have
been many reported cases of sexual violence. And as if that were
not enough, there has been, since the earthquake, Hurricane Tomas
and the outbreak of a cholera epidemic. Nothing to aid the quick
reconstruction of the country and putting it on track to development!
T
he task of “lifting up” the country
is daunting, especially since even
before the earthquake, Haitian society was one of the most unequal in
the world, with 5% of the population
holding 50% of national wealth and
55% living on less than a dollar a day:
a true social apartheid in a two-tier
state The vast majority of the population survives by farming on arid soil,
struck by overexploitation, deforestation and erosion. Illiteracy was around
50% and only 10% of schools were
public.70% of the urban population
lived in slums, only 29% of urban
households were connected to a
sanitation system and only 21% were
supplied with drinking water.
Respect for Human Rights,
a Challenge to Overcome
In this extremely difficult context, the construction
of a new development model, based on respect
for the rights of the population, represents a
major challenge to the forces of change in Haiti.
We must end the exclusion and marginalisation
of large segments of the population, with unequal
social relationships and concentrations of power.
Ensuring full citizenship to Haitians, the emergence of another Haiti inevitably involves the
schooling of all the children of Haiti, administrative decentralisation, land reform to benefit the
peasant majority and the end of blatant injustice
and dependencies of all kinds.
-7-
During his recent visit in March, the
UN Independent Expert on the human
rights situation in Haiti, Michel Forst,
hoped that solemn commitments be
made in the field of human rights and
that the signals be sent for a greater
respect for human rights, judicial
reform, the fight against impunity and
access to basic services for all... Water,
housing, health care access are not
only humanitarian needs. They are
mandatory rights. We must now commit
ourselves to the necessary paths to
guarantee, beyond this humanitarian
crisis, that these rights be protected by
the Haitian State.
Rebuilding on
New Foundations
However, since the quake hit, the
Haitian population has been faced with
a State unable to secure its rights and
public institutions that have collapsed
for the most part. It is the same for
religious institutions. Among these are
the Villa Manresa, the headquarters
of the Haitian Religious Conference
(CHR), the Inter-Institute Centre for
Religious Formation (CIFOR), several
schools, clinics and training centers.
Weakened as agencies of civil society,
religious communities, both indigenous and foreign, are questioning the
conditions to rebuild their institutions
on new foundations. Rebuild what?
How? With which partners? How to do
things differently and sustainably? For
a number of them, rebuilding exactly
as before is out of the question.
While some activities in education and health have resumed their
normal course, new forms of service
to the Haitian people are emerging:
pastoral care in displacement camps,
caring for orphaned children, refugee assistance, support for abused
women, creating a counselling service
for people who have been traumatised, new
relocations in areas remote from Port-au-Prince
or bordering the Dominican Republic. Training
in project management, learning to work in
networks, building venues, such as the CHR, are
all areas that deserve greater support from the
religious institutions from other countries, including Canada. Faced with such challenges, greater
coordination among religious communities is
necessary, as is increased support for communities that are hard hit by the earthquake.
What about the Church?
It is worrisome to note that the Church, at least its
official bodies and sectors once socially engaged,
was quite discreet in defending the interests of
the excluded majority in the reconstruction plans,
mostly concocted abroad. As stated by the Haitian
Jesuit François Kawas, it took more than eight
months after the earthquake for the large meeting to take place, which brought together in Miami
representatives from Bishops Conferences from
various countries and the Conference of Bishops of
Haiti, members of the Executive Board of the CHR
and other Church leaders in Haiti. Unfortunately,
the discussions focused on restarting the internal
structures of the Church and not the reconstruction itself.
Signs of Hope
However, commitments for Haiti’s recovery are
taking shape today. The interventions of the Task
Force for National Action, the National Commission
on Justice and Peace and the Ecumenical Centre
for Human Rights and the initiatives proposed by
various social networks, to name but a few, show
a reflection and a commitment to ensure equal
opportunities to all Haitians.
These are all much needed instances of solidarity
on a small scale in Haiti’s long road to achieving
social equity, inclusiveness and sovereignty.
Suzanne Loiselle, SA, Director
L’Entraide missionnaire
-8-
Haiti Emergency Relief Fund
News from the Roncalli International Foundation
Amounts Collected
Like the rest of the Canadian population, the
Roncalli International Foundation has been overwhelmed by the magnitude of the earthquake
that hit Haiti on January 12, 2010, and chose to
show solidarity to the people and the religious
congregations who work there by creating the
Haiti Emergency Relief Fund.
This fund is intended for, among other things,
infrastructure needs (water, health, education,
housing, etc.) of Haitian and Canadian religious
congregations, who are a strong presence there,
as well as partners who have been supported and
known for over 30 years. The Foundation is not
involved in assistance to basic needs, as other
organisations are better equipped for this type
of response.
In these circumstances, the Foundation has called
and continues to call for solidarity and generosity
from our collaborators. As of December 31, 2010,
donations had reached the sum of $1,067,819
with pledges for future years of $1,400,000, for
a total of $2,467,819. If we take into account the
requests for assistance received throughout the
year, the amount required and requested by the
organisations is, for now, a total of $22 million!
A first needs assessment mission was conducted
from July 8 to 15, 2010, by the executive director
of the Roncalli International Foundation. Upon her
return from the mission, a committee was formed
to evaluate different scenarios in order to help
prioritise, support and implement projects that
meet the objectives that were the basis for the
establishment of the Haiti Emergency Relief Fund.
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Moreover, in addition to these sums, 15% of our
annual aid budget has been allocated to Haiti
and the Caribbean for 30 years. We intend to
maintain our commitment to regular and annual
contributions. In 2010, more than $291,395 was
granted to 16 projects, which places Haiti among
the five priority countries supported.
It has been difficult, as it has been for many
Canadian organisations, to obtain specific information from the Haitian government, particularly
with regards to the standards required for reconstruction. Political instability does not make it
easy to set up the required assistance. In addition, there is currently an oversupply of materials
and services, making it very difficult to assess
actual projects submitted.
Selected Avenues of Contribution
The Foundation has proposed eight budgetary
envelopes with clearly identified sectors, endorsed
by the Board of Directors. Having received more
than a hundred aid requests, some very ambitious, we determined directions and avenues of
contribution, which were unveiled during the evening of the 30th anniversary of the Foundation on
December 9, 2010. The 2.5 million dollars will
be allocated as follows:
• 78% of the Haiti Emergency Relief Fund will go to
the Haitian and Canadian congregations that are
present and working in Haiti; the Little Brothers and
Little Sisters of St. Teresa of the Child Jesus will be
supported, of course.
• 8% of the money will go to the Haitian Religious
Conference, in line with the support from other partners, including Development and Peace. Currently,
another fundraiser is being developed in parallel.
• 8% of this sum will go to the development of support
strategies and follow-up projects in the service of
religious congregations in Haiti. This project will be
in collaboration with the CECI based in Haiti and
Development and Peace. Other collaborators will join
us. To establish a management office in Haiti, the
directors of organisations are working together to
establish a Memorandum of Understanding. Already
avenues of intervention have been identified.
• 6% of the Haiti Emergency Relief Fund will also go to
special projects conducted with well-recognised NGOs
such as Terre sans Frontières, Oxfam, the Institut de
formation intégrale de Montréal (IFIM) for psychological support, and many others.
Several congregations have expressed a wish to
make donations dedicated (affected) to targeted
projects through us. The Foundation will issue
instructions to that effect shortly.
The Roncalli International Foundation is also challenged by the results of the mission of Major
Superiors of Canadian religious congregations
in Haiti, to be held in May 2011, to establish
a dialogue and collaboration on joint projects.
A mission of the Roncalli executive will set out
in June 2011 to finalise the details of some aid
projects and quickly set up teams that will serve
our partners and congregations.
Making a Difference Together
Haiti is a challenge rooted at the core of our
mission, that of showing God’s compassion and
providence to the poorest people in developing
countries to alleviate the suffering caused by injustice and disasters. Its action lies in developing a
partnership with communities and local churches
to help them maximise their resources, improve
their living conditions and stimulate growth.
Given the magnitude of the task and demands, it
is only fitting to say how much the Roncalli International Foundation needs your help to make a
difference and maintain the hope for a better
world.
Today, as in the past, we move forward the grand
design of Providence, and still have many plans
for the future. Thank you for traveling this path
with us.
Sophie Labrecque, MBA
Executive Director
EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS
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From Bethlehem... To Haiti…
LIKE A GIFT...
Visit to Haiti after the earthquake, December 2010
Following my Christmas letter in which I wrote that Jesus was born in Haiti
in 2010... because I saw Him when I went there two weeks after the earthquake. I have seen Him in people who give first aid, in the heart of old men
who pray for the survivors, in families in search of their own, like Mary and
Joseph sought Jesus in the temple. I refer, of course, to the earthquake of
January 2010!
L
ooking through the devastated city, I made
my own Stations of the Cross embodied in
reality, from the 1st to the last station. At the
twelfth station, Jesus dies on the cross, I prayed
before this huge cross in front of the shattered
cathedral. It stood as on the Calvary as if to say
to the people: “I also carry my cross, I am with
you, we will hold on together, do not be afraid.”
Under the Tent...
Last December, I returned with a friend of mine
for another visit to our sisters and experienced
the Christmas Mass under a huge tent. It was
for us a real Christmas stripped of all commercialisation. The tent was surrounded by smaller
tents where people still live, even after a whole
year. I could see the solidarity of the people
and their strength to take up the “good fight”
for justice and peace. Without belittling my other
EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS
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extremis. In a second home, an 83-year-old sister
escaped by a huge crack in the wall and another
was propelled outside the 2nd floor. She escaped
with fractured ribs and vertebrae and her pelvis
was damaged. She was in pain but gave thanks to
God for the life He has given her. She is currently
on track for recovery at our Motherhouse in Laval.
Most of our sisters who lived through the earthquake were able to take leave to recuperate and
then resume their activities.
Messe de Noël sous la tente
Christmases, I can admit that this one was the
nicest, and the same goes for my travelling
companion, Sr. Véronique; it was a Christmas
celebration without pomp or luxury but of great
dignity, as in Bethlehem 2,000 years ago.
A team from French Christian Radio (FCR) was
on hand to broadcast this Christmas mass live
to Belgium and France. Thousands of people
were able to attend and experience from afar the
Eucharist on Haitian soil.
Magnificat!
I stayed a while and visited our six missions
while bringing the sisters a bit of comfort. This
time with Sr. Véronique, meetings and community prayers were wonderful gifts from the Lord. I
express to Him my gratitude and to the Virgin,
my Magnificat! I thank the Lord for the courage of
our dear sisters and the people we encountered.
Their resilience and confidence in the future are
life-giving. These qualities help them to stand up
despite the shock of the earthquake.
We have had two houses completely destroyed
including our provincial house where four sisters
were present; they came out of the rubble in
In another of our missions, our sisters have
lived in tents until last November, but now a
small temporary house, pink all over, shelters
them, while awaiting a permanent home within a
few years. Our novitiate was also, in part, badly
damaged. Our Provincial House in Port-au-Prince
is being rebuilt to earthquake resistant standards and will be characterised by its simplicity.
We had to temporarily rent a residence in order
to house members of the Provincial Council and
the students.
Like a Gift
All across the country, there is still much to do in
the way of cleaning up debris, the reconstruction
of buildings, and especially for the treatment of
traumatised people, hundreds of handicapped
and orphans.
As a gift... I experienced these gestures
of sharing, solidarity and compassion.
This led me throughout this journey.
I offer thanks once again to the Lord for allowing
us this precious time with our friends despite
the unstable political climate and the cholera outbreak. As our beloved founder, Mother
Frédérica Giroux, said in 1936:
“You have to walk... walk... always go farther...
and always better.”
Claudette Morin, MCR, General Superior
Missionary Sisters of Christ the King
EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS
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ONE YEAR AFTER
the Earthquake in Haiti
S
ince the earthquake of January 12, 2010, I have made
three trips to Haiti, in March, August and December,
to visit our sisters in Pétion-Ville. Our region in Haiti
is comprised of fifty Haitian sisters and two Canadian
missionaries. They are divided into nine towns in the south,
west and north. We work in schools, clinics, home economics centers, orphanages and a home for elderly women.
Even though our house and a regional nursery school were
destroyed in Pétion-Ville, none of our members or employees died in the earthquake. However, we lost nineteen of
our students who perished in their homes.
“I Saw Extraordinary Things”
You can see, like me, that the changes are too few and too
slow to truly relieve a suffering people from the aftermath
of this terrible earthquake. However, during my visits, I
have seen extraordinary things, especially among the
Haitian people.
I saw our schools reopen in tents, allowing students to
return to a more or less normal life, and our faculty and
staff earning a much-needed salary. Many children, teachers and employees have lost loved ones and their homes,
but they came to work in tents throughout the summer
under the Haitian sun, to finish the school year. All the
students passed their exams at the end of the year!
I attended graduation ceremonies for kindergarten and
primary schools. Children and their teachers had prepared
a recital for their parents and guests. This show included
over two hours of dances, recitations and songs. They all
said: we cannot allow these events to destroy our lives; we
will live and do everything so that our children can live too.
God Draws Close
I was in Haiti for Christmas and New Year’s Day, and I
experienced some very special moments. On Christmas
Eve, I attended a Eucharist in a large tent, because our
church, St. Thérèse de Pétion-Ville, was destroyed. There
was a pageant prepared by our sisters and produced
by children. The very dynamic choir performed beautiful
songs and the liturgy was vibrant. The celebrant wished
us “Merry Christmas anyway!” Here in our humble tent,
we felt closer to Jesus in the manger. Yes, God is with us!
A week later, on New Year’s Eve, we found ourselves at
St. Peter’s Church in Pétion-Ville for the celebration of the
Eucharist at midnight. As there was a Marian Hour before
the Mass, we arrived a little after 10 p.m. and the church
was already filled. At midnight, by the sound of bells and
procession, arrived the image of Our Lady of Perpetual
Help, patron saint of Haiti. Everyone sang and danced,
which lasted for quite some time. What an atmosphere
in this church! I thought of Jesus who came in procession
to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.
This demonstration of faith, trust and love touched me
deeply. We saw tears of pain mixed with tears of hope and
trust in God who is there for them. The celebrant began
his homily by inviting us to “give thanks to God for the
blessings in 2010!” After the year that people have lived
and the trials that are still part of their daily lives, they
were able to give thanks to God and entrust their lives to
Him with confidence and love. I was moved. Throughout
this year I was asking myself: “Where is God in all this?” I
believed He was there, but where and how? That evening,
I saw and I understood that God is truly present in the
poor; God is there with his suffering people.
Yes, there are still far too many people who are suffering
and the process of rebuilding is too slow, but people are
standing upright. They have decided to live. They need
us, our support, our solidarity and our respect. They will
share with us their faith, experience, courage and joie de
vivre. And we will be enriched and perhaps even converted.
Diane Beaudoin, SCSH
General Superior
Sisters of Charity
of Saint-Hyacinthe
EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS
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REHABILITATION
in the Wake of Trauma
F
rom June 24 to
28, 2010, on the
initiative of the Sisters
of Christ the King,
together with the Jesuit
Refugee Service-Haiti
(SJR-Haiti), a psychotherapy session was
provided for 65 people
from several camps
in the Haitian capital
where SJR-Haiti operates (Parc Colofe,
Henfrasa, Palais de
l’Art, Automeca). This
session was moderated by a team from
the Institut de Formation Humaine Intégrale
de Montréal (IFHIM),
under the direction of a
Congolese nun, Sister
Jeanne Bashigue.
Three Key Elements
The objective of this activity was to support those
perturbed and traumatised by the terrible earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12, 2010, to
help them out of the crisis they experienced. This
tragedy that left an estimated 300,000 dead, an
equal number of wounded and 1.5 million homeless has produced huge traumas. Thousands
of families are in mourning, while thousands of
handicapped people and orphans are struggling
to accept their new situation. It was an opportunity to train rescuers to rehabilitate using an
alternating approach of individual interventions
and group sessions.
The method has three key elements, namely: get
people to regain joy in life, teach them how to
manage the stress associated with fear, and help
them reclaim their charism and their human vital
forces. At the end of the session, the organisers
and participants expressed their satisfaction with
this approach.
Testimonials
“I became aware of my potential. Now I feel ready
to work to help others,” said one participant,
called Wesley.
“I liked the method because I drew answers from
deep within myself. I did not like my father. I would
not talk to him until now. But a change has taken
place in my heart and I called him on the phone
after the meeting on Saturday”, says Martha.
“What impressed me most during these five days is
this: now I know where I am, who I am and where
I want to go,” said Erline.
Sister Jeanne Bashigue was satisfied with the
progress of the session. The secret to success,
she said, lies in the fact that the participants
were able to draw on their inner wealth to cope
with the tragedy they experienced. She admitted
to having been particularly impressed with the
commitment and enthusiasm manifested.
IFHIM students have facilitated several more
sessions in Haiti for various groups including
priests, religious, and elder members of a congregation. An evening of sharing took place around
the theme “Haiti standing tall, experiencing hope.”
The Haitians’ internal reconstruction is of paramount importance, even before the rebuilding of
the Haitian capital. It is about restoring people’s
will to live and providing spiritual and psychological tools for better living and fighting for life.
Jéruscha Vasti Michel
SJR-Haiti
EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS
- 14 -
Presence of the Sisters of St. Francis
of Assisi from Lyon in Haiti
T
he Congregation of Sisters of St. Francis of
Assisi, founded in Lyon in the 19th Century,
expanded to Canada in the early 20th Century and
has continued its mission in Haiti since 1943.
Our charism calls us to manifest the love of the
Father in the footsteps of Anne Rollet, our foundress, by dedicating ourselves to work for education and charity.
Currently, 97 Haitian sisters located from north
to south in 14 houses, are working in:
•e
ducation: primary, secondary schools;
•h
ealth: clinics;
•p
resence in society: abandoned children;
•p
resence on the farm: animal and crop
production.
The January 12, 2010, earthquake has affected
many of our homes, even outside of Port-auPrince, but especially the St. Francis of Assisi
College in Port-au-Prince (approximately 1,300
students) which has collapsed completely, including the formation house.
On site, the elderly or sick sisters in need were
immediately transported to a house in the South,
La Ferme, which was able to accommodate them.
Note that we have recorded no deaths, either
among our sisters or staff members. However,
some were injured, and two even survived for 24
hours under the rubble.
A Very Concrete Solidarity
Moral support was provided by regular telephone
communications, and the periodic presence and
collaboration of French and Canadian sisters.
On both sides, they have applied themselves to
collecting donations, a visible sign of solidarity.
We funded three weeks of sessions organised
by the IFHIM for the rehabilitation of traumatized people. These sessions were open to all
communities, native or not. They brought together
60 to 70 people each week.
The General Council, beyond its moral support,
is financially committed. In order to protect our
sisters, the choice was made to prioritise repairing
or even rebuilding the homes, if necessary.
NGOs have helped the collapsed College in Portau-Prince to function by installing tents, school
desks and bathrooms on lands that we own.
Students were able to normally attend examinations.
Later, the tents were replaced by hangars, safer
and more comfortable for students and parents
who dread the cement.
Challenges and Prospects
• Help sisters to achieve financial independence.
• Prepare formation team and facilities for the
future.
• Move towards intercongregational collaboration.
This is all a long process and requires trust and
collaboration.
Suzanne Bridet, SFA
General Superior
EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS
- 15 -
Coming back from Haiti
on February 8, 2011, after
spending a month in
Cap-Haïtien, in the hills of
St. Raphaël and Dondon,
home to the Sisters of St.
Joseph of St. Vallier, after
a few days in Port-auPrince, what is there left
to say about the plight of
this country that has not
already been described…
commented... analysed…?
HOPE… in Haiti
Where is the Hope?
A Flickering but Invincible Hope
At the end of this visit, a question yet torments
my mind, torments my heart: Where is the hope?
In the rumours that make people flee and that
often feed the fear? In the insecurity that is
rampant day and night? In the tents beginning
to show wear and tear from sun, rain, wind, dust
and that provide “temporary” shelter to thousands of people living in dangerous proximity?
In the white jeeps marked UN that protect... or
threaten… with armed men prepared to shoot? In
the NGOs that are deployed across the country?
In the many churches that have set up in the
streets? In the religious communities suffering
from the extreme poverty that spreads everywhere...? Where is hope when a Haitian man tells
me: “Haiti is dead... we are no longer a republic...
we are a country besieged by the international
community...” Where is the hope?
During my stay, I saw children going to school
and parents who travel many miles to safely bring
them to these places of learning... that may be
places of hope; I have seen clinics where people
flock and are welcomed by staff who still believe
in the value of humanity... and I saw Haitian
men and women sing of their faith, cry out their
distress, their suffering...
In Cap-Haïtien as in the hills where the sisters
had to work to rebuild schools weakened by the
earthquake, they have welcomed and continue
to accommodate people displaced by this event.
With cholera, many patients are likely to seek
help for drug procurement.
And I, who am not Haitian, but love this country
and the people who live there, do I have hope?
And my answer is yes, because I carry in my heart
a “little hope flickering in the breath of sin, trembling in the wind, anxious at the slightest breath,
a little hope, faithful, right, invincible and immortal,
and impossible to extinguish. It was the grace of
Péguy and it is mine also on my return from Haiti!
Louise Gauthier, SSJ, General Superior
Sisters of St. Joseph of St. Vallier
EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS
- 16 -
The Redemptorists in Haiti
Narrowly Saved
We have lost virtually all our possessions inside
the two residences. However, our community
did not suffer any loss of life. One father was
seriously injured, but the quake came very close
to claiming more lives. Two members of the Provincial Council of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré left the
country about thirty minutes before the earthquake. Both confreres had spent the week at a
special assembly with all the members of the
Region, in a room of the scholasticate. Typically,
our seminarians had the habit of watching TV in
this room before going to evening prayers.
http://my.opera.com/cssrhaiti/albums/
I
n 1929, Belgian Redemptorists landed in
Port-au-Prince, in the area that is now the
parish of St. Gérard. Subsequently, the Redemptorist Province of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré took
over from their Belgian confreres, in 1980.
On January 12, 2010, an earthquake ransacked
all of our infrastructures in Port-au-Prince. The
Church of St. Gérard was heavily damaged. As
for St. Gérard School, it completely collapsed
on top of the two hundred students and twenty
teachers present during the afternoon. Temporary shelters will eventually be built to ensure the
continuity of courses at St. Gérard.
Part of the monastery that housed our Haitian
brothers and that was built in the 1930s by the
Belgian Fathers was so weakened that it had to
be demolished. The newer part, built in 1980
by our Canadian confreres, remained standing
but had to be reinforced. A temporary shelter
will eventually be built at St. Gérard to host our
theology students. The seminary, located on
Bois Patate Street, was crushed. The old part
remains but is dangerously cracked, while the
newer part, built in 1996 and completed six
years later, came down like a house of cards.
A catastrophe was narrowly averted: the afternoon
of January 12, most confreres were attending a
meeting chaired by a Brazilian sister, at the Interinstitute Centre for Religious Formation (CIFOR).
The same sister and 10 Montfortians perished,
crushed by the building that collapsed during the
earthquake. At that moment, our seminarians
were either returning or already back and were
on the roof and at the upper level of the seminary. They had time to jump down and join people
who were in the yard. The Regional Superior and
a seminarian were trapped in their rooms, but
they managed to emerge and escape unharmed.
Making Way for Reconstruction
The clean-up period of devastated sites is over.
The reconstruction of buildings is under way.
The Redemptorist Province of Sainte-Anne-deBeaupré welcomed three young Haitian brothers
to continue their studies in theology. Finally, we
have witnessed a truly international Redemptorist solidarity, noteworthy and exceptional.
The three Haitian students in Montreal
Jean-Marie Bontemps, C.Ss.R.
Jean Carlo François, C.Ss.R.
Alain Waterman, C.Ss.R.
EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS
- 17 -
HAITI...
A Few Experiences
On January 12, 2010, I had been a member of the General
Council for 14 months and I had visited Haiti twice. At that
time, there were 37 sisters of Sainte-Anne (including 2 from
Quebec). In Port-au-Prince itself there were 20 professed
sisters and 6 novices.
A
fter three days without news, our community learned that the earthquake had robbed
us of a sister, left behind many injured, and
destroyed a college, a secretarial school, two
primary schools, a clinic and two convents. The
damage to other buildings was considerable.
During the next four months, I had the privilege,
along with our General Superior, of talking daily
with the Provincial Superior. Subsequently, we
posted this news on our community site.
At each visit, we met the sisters in small groups
where they live. Those located outside the capital
were also affected.
“Sisters”, Closer Together
From Visit to Visit
In August 2010, my 4th visit after the earthquake,
all the sisters in Haiti met for the first time in
Port-au-Prince, repairs of homes having been
completed. We had a large gathering to listen to
each other and to share our personal journeys of
mourning. We reiterated that the mission is not
in buildings but in people.
In this context, I returned to Haiti for the first time
on February 23, via Santo Domingo. From there
to Port-au-Prince, a day by bus: a long and difficult
journey which had the advantage of introducing
me gradually to images of horror.
Where are we today? “Temporary” structures
serve as schools, a mini-clinic is deployed in the
yard of a residence and a new charitable organisation was born in the North. Life is stronger
than death.
At age 66, I experienced sleeping under a small
tent with no electricity and little water to wash
myself. The second time, I slept in a small wooden
house, built in the courtyard, and the third time
in the home, still without any electricity. But how
does all that compare to the plight of the sisters
who live there for seven months, including the
rainy season?
While this tragedy has caused much suffering
and anxiety, it has also strengthened the bonds
between the provinces of the congregation. We
are even closer as “sisters”, from one country
to another. Solidarity is experienced in concrete
projects.
The physical destruction is visible; the internal devastation is felt. All the sisters had lost
members of their families. Also missing were
members of the staff, faculty, students... A huge
void!
One of the most moving moments for me was walking in silence, on the grounds of the Quisqueya
University, to the place where our sister Odeline
is buried along with other students.
Rebuilding everything that was built over 66 years
is impossible! We look at the future differently...
“with” these strong and courageous women, in
the footsteps of Esther Blondin, our foundress.
Monique Prud’Homme, SSA
General Assistant
EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS
- 18 -
FROM CHAOS TO HOPE
T
he reality, after the disaster of the earthquake
on January 12, 2010, in Haiti, is varied and
complicated. It can be analysed and discussed,
commented and described, interpreted and
misinterpreted. It is economic, physical, political
and spiritual. My confreres mobilise their energy
to cope with its evolution on a missionary and
charitable front. Being with the victims, they are
developing projects to rebuild works despite the
many potential challenges.
On the pastoral level, our confreres are dedicated to building faith in the camps threatened
by proselytising intruders, apparently motivated
by a spirit of competition to attract a considerable
number of followers. Everything seems to indicate
that the Catholic Church should be more visible
in the camps through its pastoral mission beyond
its charitable and social presence, giving people
the material donations required for their survival.
Official data indicates that the January 12,
2010, earthquake caused the deaths of at least
300,000 people, left more than 180,000 injured
and 300,000 homeless. Over 50% of individuals
are psychologically traumatised. A year later,
most of the population remain in the camps with
poor infrastructure.
Faith Transcends the Ruins
Religious institutions have been seriously
affected. The Montfortian family mourned the
loss of their own, which includes father JeanBaptiste Henri-Fils, SMM, ten scholastics and
six Daughters of Wisdom. Material losses are
enormous. Schools, charitable and social work
organisations, churches, rectories, seminaries,
and religious houses are mostly in ruins.
Helping People to Regain
their Autonomy
The Montfortian family has preserved, despite
everything, the full meaning of Charity by rescuing the wounded and displaced. We strive to
first rebuild the person in helping them acquire
autonomy so they can build lasting relationships
with their environment. The Monfortian pastoral
ministry is evidence. Building reconstruction
projects are awaiting funds to better meet seismic standards. We trust in Providence by calling
on people of good will.
In a tangible way, the earthquake of January 12,
2010, has not weakened faith in the Church of
Haiti. Hope is in the heart of those who believe
in the immeasurable love of God. The dynamism
shown by men and women religious in the eyes
of the faithful testifies that faith transcends the
ruins through the existing communion in Christian communities, grouped in tents where the
liturgies are celebrated. Faith therefore triumphs
over chaos.
I conclude by asking Jesus, through Mary, Our
Lady of Perpetual Help, patron saint of Haiti,
to watch over every Haitian man, woman and
child, while giving strength and courage to rebuild
that country in implementing our motto “Unity is
strength.”
Joseph Larose, SMM
Shrine of Mary Queen of Hearts, Montreal

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