2009
- Mission trip to Cabaret
A dental/medical mission is being planned for February 2010. If you have medical training and would like to help with this mission trip, please contact the Haiti Committee.
- Pere Guy To Visit St. Michael's
Pere Guy will be visiting St. Michael's the weekend of May 16th, 2009. Please check the bulletin for opportunities to get to know the pastor of our sister parish.
- Join A Subcommittee
The Haiti committee has formed several subcommittees to help facilitate our work with our sister parish. If you have an interest an any of these areas, please consider joining one of our subcommittees. Attendance at our monthly meetings is not necessary.
1. Shipping – This subcommittee will have a period of intense activity once a year, usually around March. Work will be light for the remainder of the year.
A. Coordinate PTPA sea container shipments – This includes but is not limited to determining what items will be collected, coordinating collections through St. Michael’s church office, acquiring packing material, determining when and where the shipment will be packed and coordinating volunteers.
B. Research alternate shipping methods when items cannot be shipped through the yearly PTPA sea container.
2. Communications – This subcommittee will work to publicize the mission of the Haiti committee in general and also with specific projects.
A. Place regular OLMC updates in St. Michael’s bulletin.
B. Organize bulletin inserts on the back of the monthly church calendar when necessary.
C. Place periodic articles in local newspapers and Catholic Week.
D. Coordinate the distribution of flyers around town for public events.
E. Assist with determining what information should be placed on our website.
3. Community Outreach – This subcommittee will work with the community at large to further the committee’s work in Haiti.
A. Contact other churches in the diocese about parish twinning opportunities.
B. Inform other religious denominations in the Auburn/Opelika area about our mission.
C. Contact area service groups such as Kiwanis and Rotary about our mission.
D. Contact University organizations about our mission.
E. Present educational programs in the community when requested.
4. Parish Outreach – This subcommittee will work within the St. Michael’s and OLMC’s parish to further the committee’s work.
A. Facilitate communications with Pere Guy.
B. Organize Pere Guy’s yearly trips to Auburn.
C. Organize mission trips to Cabaret once or twice a year.
D. Organize prayer before Haiti committee meetings and possibly with other church prayer groups.
E. Submit mass intentions for OLMC through the church office.
F. Update the Haiti committee bulletin board.
G. Organize the sleep mat and other parish wide projects.
5. Fund Raising – This subcommittee will organize fundraising activities.
A. Coordinate the annual Wine and Cheese fundraiser.
B. Learn grant writing and explore grant opportunities.
C. Explore other fund raising opportunities.
6. Haiti Infrastructure – This subcommittee will look into OLMC’s parish infrastructure needs, research workable and cost effective solutions, and make short and long term implementation plans.
A. Look into Cabaret’s flooding situation and possible flood deterrents.
B. Look into power generation solutions.
C. Assess OLMC’s clean water and sanitation needs and research solutions.
D. Determine OLMC’s current and future building needs.
7. Haiti Education – This subcommittee will oversee the committees work with St. Joseph’s school in Bellanger and any future school in OLMC’s parish. This subcommittee will work closely with both the Infrastructure and Fund Raising subcommittees.
A. Compile information such as number of students, teachers, tuition costs, etc. on St. Joseph’s school and make yearly updates.
B. Make a yearly assessment of the needs at St. Joseph’s.
C. Coordinate plans to make improvements at St. Joseph’s school.
D. Plan for new schools within the parish.
2008
- 5th Annual Wine & Cheese & Buy Something Please fundraiser
The Haiti Committee's annual fundraiser for OLMC will be held from 3:00pm-7:00pm on December 6 and after the morning masses on December 7. Please come support our sister parish.
- Haiti Relief T-Shirts
The Haiti Committee is selling t-shirts to raise money for hurricane relief in Cabaret, Haiti. They are $20 each or 2 for $30 and are available at the church office.
- PTPA Conference
Members of the Haiti Committee attended the Parish Twinning conference in Indianapolis, IN in October. They came home with many great ideas to implement at OLMC.
- Pere Guy's response to financial aid from St. Michael's
We received this email from Pere Guy on 9/24/08:
"As I told you this money is using to provide food and dry food to people. It also use to buy some medicine and detergent to clean clothes. I send you some pictures. Some others are coming specially the one for the 27 funerals celebrated in a public place. Thank you very much for your economical and spiritual supports. Please keep praying for us. Share with others. God bless you.
Père Guy"
The photos above were sent by Pere Guy. Thank you all for your generous support of the Haiti Committee and OLMC.
- Haiti Devastated by Hurricanes
Haiti was hit hard by Hurricanes Gustav, Hanna and Ike. We received this email from Pere Guy on September 10:
"From now, according to the municipality 63 people died. What we are affraid of is the deaf from hunger and sickness. Countless the other places where people are staying, more than 200 in daytime stay in Bellanger. They are in needs of food and medicine. At least, if we could provide food to them for 2 or 3 days, that can avoid the worse. H$40 or US$5 will be enough per person a day. In addition, we need some antibiotics. Several countries plan to send some help but, meanwhile people are dying. There in no way for TALK but ACTION. It is very urgent! Do what you can.
God bless you all. Thanks to eveyone who writes me. We keep praying and doing what we can.
Père Guy."
Read more about the devastation here:
ReliefWeb Haiti
ReliefWeb Fact Sheet
Miami Herald
- Looting Hits OLMC Sea Container
The Committee received the following email from Pere Guy on 7/24/08:
"Effectively the sea container arrived in Haiti and the boxes destinated to Cabaret were received. But, ten of them were wide open and almost empty.
In my name and in the name of the parishioners I thank you for your spiritual and material supports. I can imagine how much time and money you spent to send those boxes. Thanks very much. May God give you the hundreth of what you have done for us. Knowing the money for the altar is available at Fonkoze, we will start working on it in few days.
One more time, thank you for everything. Please pray for us. On the top of our economical situation, we have a severe political problem. For more than six months we have not yet a government. Instead of making laws, our representatives are always fighting for their own interest.
Thanks again. Pray for us. Please share this e-mail with others."
- A Good Plan
We have heard from Pere Guy that he has a plan to begin to address the hunger crisis in his area. He has located a soils specialist who will work with a group of 50 people to teach them farming. Pere Guy has asked that we send enough money to provide these 50 with basic food staples like rice, beans and sugar. Meanwhile the specialist will work with them to farm and produce food for themselves as well as others. These 50 will then begin to teach others and definite progress will be seen. Also, through the help of one of our parishioners here at St. Michael's a new church bell for the village church in Bellanger will be hung. Other donations from St. Michael's will provide an altar for that smaller church. Your continued prayers and monetary support are the foundation of a vital lifeline for our brothers and sisters in Haiti.
- Sleep Mat Project Update
Thanks to Kae Varma and a group of wonderful volunteers we have another 28 sleep mats ready to send to OLMC. If you are interested in participating in this ongoing ministry, please contact Kae. Only basic sewing skills are needed.
- Food Riots and Looting in Haiti
The situation in Haiti due to the severe floods of October 2007 and rising food prices worldwide is very bleak. Please click here to read more.
- Sea Container Shipment on it's Way
Thank you for your generocity with items for our annual sea container shipment to Our Lady of Mount Carmel. A special thank you goes to Collin Yoxall for collecting school supplies in conjunction with his Eagle Scout project. We sent 70 boxes of much needed supplies to Nashville (thanks to Jerry and Mark Hankes for the transportation) to be sent through the Parish Twinning Association of the Americas to OLMC. Please continue to support this mission by praying for the cargo's safe delivery (see the prayer on our home page).
- PERE GUY IS COMING TO AUBURN!
Pere Guy will be visiting St. Michael's March 7-9. He will be at Stations of the Cross and the Lenten supper on Friday. He will be celebrating all the Masses through 5pm Sunday and will concelebrate the 9pm Mass with Father Bill. He will be the guest speaker at Didache on Sunday and also be at the Coffee Social after 10:30 Mass. Please come take this opportunity to meet the wonderful pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
2007
- Cabaret was hit by devastating floods in October 2007. Our Lady of Mount Carmel sustained major damage. We received an urgent message from Pere Guy on October 11, saying that the town had been hit with torrential rains and flooding. He said the rectory felt like Noah's ark. At one point he "thought the rectory was going to fall down and kill everyone...one-third of the rectory was filled with water." "I am in shock," he wrote, "but still I can control the situation because God is with me." We hope to hear from Pere Guy again soon so we will know how best to help OLMC through this most recent crisis.
- Our Lady of Mount Carmel celebrated their Centennial on July 16, 2007. Parishioners Kae Varma and Mark Hankes made the trip to Cabaret to participate in the celebrations.
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