- Mission Trip
3 members of St. Michael's Haiti Committee have just returned from a short assessment trip to Cabaret. They were accompanied by a seminarian with structural engineering experience. The Haiti Committee is planning a special meeting at the church on March 23rd at 6:00pm to hear about their experiences. All who are interested are welcome to attend.
- Burgers for Haiti
The Burger King on South College will donate 10% of all proceeds to St. Michael's Haiti Committee on Thursday, February 25, from 5-8pm. Bring your families and support our sister parish!
- Letter from Pere Guy (1/26)
I am alright but, in shock. I am not afraid but, the situation is really difficult. Most of the time I am shaking as the land. To tell you the truth, it is a very bad time.
This is the worst time in my all life. Can you imagine, I have more than 40 people to feed, to shelter, to water and everything. I do my best, but I can not continue
because a lack of everything. Food, water, money. We can find food to buy but, it very expensive for now. If you want to send some money to help, there is
something you should do for me. Please, inform first if FONKOZE functions. Every one is afraid to go to Port-au-Prince for now. I will send you some local
pictures later.
For your coming in Haiti, if the situation is okay, you can come either at the end of February or the beginning of March. When you coming,
please bring: TENTS, FOOD, CLOTHES...
What we need more for now is "prayer". Please pray for us, for Cabaret and Haiti. We say mass out side this morning. The church is affected and can not be used for now.
Please pray for us.
May my God bless you all.
Pere Guy
- Aid For Our Lady of Mount Carmel (1/21)
Members of the Haiti Committee would like to thank everyone who donated to our recent second collection for earthquake relief. Because of your generosity, $14,920 was collected. In addition, the scheduled quarterly amount of $3,330 for teachers' salaries and $2,700 for school tuition scholarships was sent to Pere Guy. The grand total sent was $20,320. May God bless Haiti.
- O/A News Article About St. Michael's/OLMC (1/21)
Here is the link to the article about our parish twinning relationship and the situation in Cabaret.
- PTPA on the Today Show (1/18)
Click here to see the Today Show segment on the situation at the Parish Twinning Program of the Americas headquarters in Port-au-Prince.
- News from PTPA (1/19)
The first information I want to share with you concerns Fonkoze. I heard
from Ann Hastings on Saturday night and at that time, she thought they
would be able to have Fonkoze bank open in PAP on Wednesday. However, I have
received this latest information below.
“Anne and and the rest of Fonkoze’s leadership is fine. Everyone’s money
is SAFE, even though not immediately accessible. The current needs are
many, and we cannot reopen without cash liquidity, security and employees.
Also needed are internet connectivity, fuel, transportation for employees,
etc. Some branches in the provinces escaped with nary a blemish – but even
they cannot function without cash. Our clients and our employees are going
to need our support for many months to come. We hope you will be with them
in your prayers, in your solidarity, and in your giving. We will NOT give
up, and we hope that you will not either.”
I am confident based on Anne's e-mail, that you can still send your funds
to the City National Bank of New York, and just as soon as they are
operating again, your money will be there waiting to be processed and distributed
to Haiti.
For those of you who have not seen the video of Sr. Mary Finnick and
Matthew 25 House, you may go to: "Doctors struggle to save lives in Haiti" -
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/#34920786
They are extremely busy right now at Matthew 25 House treating patients in
the soccer field and trying to meet all of the needs of the moment. I
spoke with Sr. Mary at length on Saturday night and she was feeling good about
their situation in general in that they had adequate water, food and meds.
A team of 14 from Colorado arrived yesterday with supplies and will be
working at Matthew 25 and as you will see on the video, Dr. Jim Toth and his
wife from St. Monica in Duluth, Georgia managed to get across the Dominican
Border with 400 lbs. of supplies.
I regret that I don't have time to mention news on many of the different
parishes, priests and friends that you know in Haiti, but I realize with
communication improving in Haiti, that you have also been able to receive the
same news. American Airlines has continually changed their information and
I know that those of you who were planning to go down this week and next
are monitoring that situation. Two of the medical teams for this week have
canceled until a later date and one has managed to get into Haiti
tomorrow.
Hospital Corporation of America sent a plane full of supplies last Friday
and they were not able to get into the airport. Thus, the flight that
several of our doctors had hoped to be on, had to be canceled. Senator Bill
First from Nashville left on Sunday with supplies, but there was also not
sufficient time for us to gather supplies for that mission.
I hope to have some photos of the damage at Matthew 25 House on Thursday
when I return, so if you are interested, please let me know. Many people
have asked about Domond and he is busy helping where he can. The homes of
his family in PAP were destroyed, so he has approximately 15 family members
staying at his house (in spite of some damage to the second floor in his
house). Domond is hoping to have his daughter, Ketnie, on a plane today or
tomorrow to be with her mother, Claudette in North Lauderdale, Florida.
Ketnie's school was completely destroyed.
Blessings and thanks to all of you for your prayers, concerns and gifts,
Theresa Patterson
Parish Twinning Program
Visitation Hospital Foundation
- Special meeting of the Haiti Committee
There will be a special meeting of the Haiti Committee Wednesday January 20 at 6:00 in the church library. This meeting is open to all those interested in assisting St. Michael's Haiti Committee meet the needs of our sister parish in the aftermath of the earthquake.
- WFP Earthquake Damage Map
Click here for a map of potentially-affected areas outside of Port-au-Prince, including Cabaret.
- More from Pere Guy (1/16)
I am safe but many of my parishioners die. I already contacted my brother in
Atlanta. That all I can say now. It is not too safe to stay too long where
the computer is. I will e-mail you when I can.
God bless you all.
Père Guy
- Photos from Cabaret
The Jacksonville Baptist Association runs an orphanage in Cabaret and have posted these photos from the area.
- Latest from the Parish Twinning Program (1/15)
Dear All Concerned,
The outpouring of concern, love and support has been phenomenal. Many
thanks to all of you who have responded with offers of help.
I want to share in this message to you news about the status of medical
support. We explored the possibility of transporting a medical team composed
of those of you who have offered your services for immediate care. Given
the problems at the airport in PAP and the fact that 4 medical teams
composed of 63 people are planning to go to Haiti on January 21, 22 and 23, we
are not planning to organize another medical team or effort. I have
suggested several places to work including the University la Paix Hospital you
might have seen on CNN and Centre Saint Joseph. Our concern for now is getting
medicines to Haiti for both Port-au-Prince and for Visitation Clinic. It
may be impossible to purchase medicines in PAP in the coming weeks. The
medical teams will be able to bring in supplies for immediate needs in PAP,
but I am concerned about getting enough meds to Visitation Clinic. If any
of you are still traveling to Haiti in the next few weeks or month and can
carry a bag of medicines for us, please let me know. We hope as funding
comes in for VHF that medicines can be purchased here in the U.S.
I have also been in communication with Hospital Corporation of America
(HCA) and they are sending a jet to Haiti within a few days out of Nashville.
I am working with them on the logistics. They will be using our
facilities at Matthew 25 as will the medical teams. We are hoping that Dr. Tom
Grabenstein and several of our medical folks are possibly going to be part of
that contingent.
I will try to be back in touch with you tomorrow with some updated news
from Sr. Mary Finnick and Matthew 25 House. Thank you again for such a
tremendous outpouring of concern for the people of Haiti.
Blessings,
Theresa Patterson
Parish Twinning Program
Visitation Hospital Foundation
- News from Pere Guy (1/15)
We received this email from Pere Guy.
I am alive but, I could hve died as thousand of thousands of people did. Our archbishop and many priests died. There are no more church buildings in the Capital, all collapsed. The situation is worse than it appeared on TV. The church at Bellanger needs some repairs, fortunately it did not collapse. The same case for the wall that is severly affected. I cannot really explain for now. I will write you later.
Please keep us in your prayer and share this news with others.
May God bless you all.
- No news (1/14)
Still no news from Pere Guy.
- News from the Parish Twinning Program of the Americas (1/13)
Dear All,
Thank you for your concern for Sr. Mary, Pat, Vivian, Domond and his
family and the clinic at Petite Riviere de Nippes. I received news early last
evening that Domond and his family were okay, but was not able to get any
word from Matthew 25 until very early this morning. Gras a Dieu, thanks to
God, everyone is safe and well. I am going to copy below some of what Sr.
Mary has written. I am communicating with Dr. Gil Irwin in Manassas, VA to
see if there is a way that we can mobilize medical people to go into PAP,
such as through the military. I have had many calls from medical personnel
offering to go to Haiti, but the first obstacle to hurdle will be how to
get into the country in these next few days. Sr. Mary has indicated that
they could potentially have visiting medical personnel sleep in the soccer
field and the land behind Matthew 25. She said that they are in great need of
medical supplies, bandages, betadine, analgesics, etc. Just as soon as
I have any information, I will share it with you.
I have received a lot of inquiries also as to how one can help. As I have
done on many other occasions, such as with the hurricanes in Gonaives, I
directed money I received to the Bishops or sources where I thought the
funds would be utilized best. For now, I feel medical needs are going to be a
priority. Long-term, we will also need to make repairs to Matthew 25
house. As Sr. Mary has indicated in her e-mail below, the upstairs of the house
has been damaged and we cannot have people stay in those rooms. A lot of
reconstruction and rebuilding, particularly in Port-au-Prince, is going to
be a necessity in the aftermath of the earthquake.
My word from Petite Riviere de Nippes is that the clinic essentially
withstood the major quake and tremors. Our Clinic Administrator writes today
that fissures or cracks have occurred in numerous places in the clinic as a
result of all of the aftershocks. Otherwise, all of the employees are fine
physically, but very disturbed emotionally. Most of them have families
back in Port-au-Prince. The medical personnel living at our staff house
spent the entire night outside for fear of the building collapsing from the
aftershocks. They are prepared today to treat anyone needing medical
assistance.
I will stay in touch with Sr. Mary and others in Haiti to assess where we
can help most. And, I will also keep you apprised of any information worth
sharing. If you know of anyone wishing to make a donation, they can
direct it to Parish Twinning Program and put on the memo line for "earthquake
relief" -- or if you are able to assist with medical treatment and repairs at
Visitation Clinic, you would make a check out to Visitation Hospital
Foundation with the same information on the memo line.
Please keep the people of Haiti in your prayers.
Blessings,
Theresa Patterson
Parish Twinning Program
Visitation Hospital Foundation
FROM SR. MARY FINNICK IN PORT-AU-PRINCE:
We are all OK physically at the house. We were home when it hit. The
downstairs part of the house stood up well, does not appear to be any serious
structural damage. But, there has been some considerable damage upstairs.
Matthew 25 cooked up 4 big pots of soup for the people coming for treatment,
and we served as a triage and treatment center. We were able to climb over
the fallen bookcases and shelves and retrieve a lot of meds and supplies
we had in our depot.
Sr Mary, Vivian and our 6 guests performed superbly in treating many
injured. Eventually, 3 Haitian doctors showed up, I think when they heard we had
supplies. Worked til about one in the morning. We were also one of the
few houses to have power with our inverters and batteries, so we set up 3 or
4 lights on the soccer field to help with the treatment. The hospitals are
either badly damaged or destroyed and have stopped taking patients as they
are overwhelmed.
Pray for our sisters and brothers.
Pat, Viv, Sr. Mary
It is morning and I can give you a better assessment of the house. The
first floor is covered with all the things that came out of the closets but
there isn't any big structural problem. The divider between the depot and the
store fell in as did most of the other book cases in the office and in my
room. The 2nd floor is different The side facing the soccer field has
more damage and the cement walls and some of the boards have been knocked
around. The 3rd floor stairs are just hanging there. The cement in front of
the bathroom is badly damaged. On the other side the bathroom wall on the
outside is damaged but there doesn't seem to be as much structural
problems. The wall between us and the neighbor has quite a large hole. I don't
know yet what to tell folks about coming but I don't think we can use the
rooms upstairs. I've been trying to answer and reassure folks we are ok.
We used everything I had as I triaged along with 3 MD's and our guests.
Vivian and Pat had the important job of getting to our supplies as that
whole area is under debris; making pots of soup etc. We finally cut up pillow
cases for bandages. I think planes are flying out today but I haven't
heard from the folks who are in country and supposed to return to PAP. Our
electricity continues but the container holding 12 of the batteries is
damaged. All the cars survived.
Domond just came over and said his house is not safe because of the damage
upstairs. He did ask to have you contact any medical groups planning to
come to see if they still planned to and then ask if they would stay in PAP
as this the most needy place right now. We can use the soccer field and
out back for sleeping area and the kitchen for cooking in the back is OK.
But there is a great need for medical supplies, suturing, betadine,
analgesics...everything... and personnel to bring it.
- Major Earthquake Hits Haiti
No news is available currently on the situation in Cabaret (still listed by it's former name 'Duvalierville' on some maps) and we are not able to contact Pere Guy due to the loss of communications in Haiti. Please see the BBC, ReliefWeb or the Miami Herald for general information about the effects of the quake in Haiti. We will post more information here about Cabaret as it becomes available.
- Mission Trip Postponed
Our mission trip to Cabaret has been postponed due to the earthquake in Haiti.
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