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January 16, 2010
As rescuers continue to dig through mountains of concrete to rescue survivors, and as relief supplies are slowly reaching people desperate for food and water, the picture of the devastation continues to sharpen.
The Redemptorists give thanks that, as far as we know, none of our confreres lost their lives. In the Baltimore Province, we rejoice with our novice whose family is safe in Haiti. But word from our fellows in Port au Prince is grim.
Redemptorist Superior General Michael Brehl is appealing to Redemptorist communities around the world to send aid to the Port au Prince region, calling the need "immediate."
True to their mission to preach God’s plentiful redemption to the poor and most abandoned, the Redemptorists in Haiti stand alongside the people they serve especially at this time. They grieve and rejoice, fast and feast, tear down and rebuild with their people.
If you would like to make a gift to the Redemptorists to help them with relief and recovery efforts in Haiti, please make a donation for General Ministry Support using our online donation form. Please mark the gift as in honor of Haiti. Any online donations marked for Haiti will go directly to help the Redemptorists on the ground in Port-au-Prince.
The Redemptorists’ residence in Port au Prince (Monastery of St. Gerard) is standing but damaged. The Church of St. Gerard is in ruins — some parts of walls and the sheet metal roof are all that remain. St. Gerard School, which included elementary and high school grades, collapsed, killing most of its 300 students and teachers.
The entire area surrounding St. Gerard Church has been leveled, according to reports.
In Jeremie, the home of the Redemptorist formation residence (St. Alphonsus House), west of Port au Prince, barely felt the earthquake. Damage was also reportedly light in Fonfrede and de Chateau in the Diocese of Cayes where the Redemptorists staff several missions. The effects of the quake were also light to the north of the capital where a monastery of Redemptoristine Nuns is located.
The major seminary in Port au Prince, which serves all the dioceses in Haiti, was completely destroyed. Several Catholic schools and colleges are in ruins as are the Cathedral of Port au Prince and several other churches.
Please continue to keep the Redemptorists and the people of Haiti in your prayers. Your support of the relief and rebuilding efforts is truly a gift. May God bless you for your generosity.
Mother of Perpetual Help, patroness of Haiti, pray for us!