News from Haiti

One of the many challenges the people of Haiti face is securing clean water for daily living.  Without clean water, many get sick and some may die from water borne diseases such as cholera, yet the incidents of illness are lower in Bouzy because of the work we are doing.  We are teamed with an organization called Gift of Water to help provide water filtration systems to the people of Bouzy.  Since the start of the water program in 2012, we have invested over $66,000 into the program.  We covered the costs to install 700 water systems in Haitian homes. We have also provided repair parts, and over 800,000 Aqua-tab chlorine tablets used to sanitize water.  To sustain the program, we have trained several technicians over the years and currently employ 5 Haitians as water technicians.  These technicians are local people that help educate the community on how to use and maintain the water systems after they are installed.  Supporting the water program yields  benefits beyond healthy water including providing jobs for the technicians and better health for all. 

Bonjou Friends!  Good day.

An exciting opportunity is coming together for our sister parish, for St Catherine's partially completed new church, and we need your help. 
But first we want to say Thank you. Because every call with Fr. Claude of St Catherine's begins and ends with his profound thanks and his prayers and good wishes to you for all you've done these past 15 years for our sisters and brothers in Haiti.  We are so grateful for your sustained life-giving gifts and prayers which we use to bring food, safe water, education and more to the people of our sister parish in Bouzy, Haiti.  Mesi anpil. Thank you very much.
Sustaining these essential everyday programs is so important that we hesitate to ask for one more thing. But, our brothers and sisters of St Catherine's have been worshiping outside, under a partial, temporary tin roof since the old church collapsed in 2019.  Thanks to you, the shell of the new church is finished. If we can send another $45,000 soon, they will install doors, windows and electricity, which will enable them to worship inside the brand new Church of St Catherine of Alexandria.  The engineer and his construction crew are ready; materials are available. We have $20,000 now; so if we can raise at least $25,000 soon, they will promptly complete this phase so the people can celebrate the feast of St Catherine in their new church on November 25.  Please help make this dream of our Haitian sisters and brothers a reality if you can  Make electronic contributions or checks payable to St Joseph the Worker, noting Haiti Church on your gift.
If additional church funds are received, they would go toward interior paint, tile floors, pews and other final interior finish work.
These remain desperate times in Haiti. Your love and support truly do bring life and hope to our sisters and brothers there.  Thanks for all you do.

Bondye avek ou. God be with you.

Deacon Kevin, clergy representative
Dave and Lori Henke, co-chairs

Gang violence in Port au Prince, continues to displace people in Haiti, forcing many to move into the countryside to seek shelter and assistance. Fr. Claude says Bouzy has seen an influx of families to their community. They bring very little with them, and come to him asking for food or assistance, and want to send their children to school. We recently sent extra funds in response to the additional burdens on the parish. Fr. Claude used these funds to purchase food staples including rice, ground corn, beans, spaghetti, and oil, which they portioned into bags to distribute to those in need. He sent us photos of the food distribution at the parish. Fr. Claude expressed their gratitude  saying “Thanks be to God for your 15 years of support, for your understanding and response to our needs, and for your prayers.”

Why our Haiti Ministry is important for our Parish?

The reason for our partnership goes beyond responding to their lack of basic needs. We go to
share God’s love and build friendships. This relationship also creates an opportunity to see poverty through someone else’s eyes.

One of the things that we try to understand is why is poverty so hard to overcome? Haiti has experienced many corrupt dictators, political turmoil and disastrous outside interventions throughout their history. This has led to systems that are unfair to most Haitians and the root cause of corruption and poverty. The tragic gang violence we now see in Haiti is a response to poverty. The country has installed a new transitional government and is working toward free and fair elections in the future. Fr. Claude asks us to pray for an end to the violence and a just new government.

Reflecting on the relationship over 15 years, we can better understand their culture, and we have experienced their joy and felt their suffering. Our Haiti mission changes us, so that we can see more clearly and work together for a better world.

It’s been 15 years since we established a relationship with our sister parish St Catherine’s in Bouzy Haiti. Over the next few months we will be celebrating our 15th anniversary by sharing with you the many blessings we’ve received, and how through this relationship we have strengthened  our faith and brought hope and joy to both St Catherine’s and St Joseph the Worker community. As part of this celebration you will hear from fellow parishioners and our friends in Haiti.  You will learn why this relationship is so important and how it has grown over the 15 years. We will conclude this anniversary celebration with a special social hour the weekend of Nov 23-24 which is the Feast of St Catherine’s of Alexandria.

Haiti opened a new political chapter with the installation of a transitional council tasked to prepare for eventual presidential elections. The newly installed council chose Fritz Bélizaire as Haiti’s new prime minister on Tuesday April 30th as part of its monumental task of trying to establish a stable new government. The council also seeks to end the gang violence that continues in Port-au-Prince after the installation. More than 90,000 people have fled the capital looking for safety in other communities, and more than 360,000 people have been left homeless in recent years as gunmen raze communities in rival territories. 

The transitional council will work to gain international support to help them as they lead the country to peace, economic recovery and social stability. They will also function as the country’s presidency until it can arrange an election some time before it disbands, which must be by February 2026.
Please pray for their new leaders and continue to pray for our dear friends in Haiti.

Friends of Haiti,

This year continues to bring challenges to our brothers and sisters in Bouzy. The lack of a government and gangs controlling the Capital, roads, and ports have made getting supplies and food more difficult and caused prices to double.

Even with the inability to travel to Haiti for several years we have been able to regularly send funds to: support the schools, the clean water program, and obtain medications thru our trusted friends there. We are also planning to continue to work with them to complete the church so they can begin to use it for worship soon.

Your prayers and support have been vital to keep all our programs going. Our spring Haiti 2nd collection is this weekend. Anything you can contribute is important. They count on our help and prayers. You can give to Haiti thru the SJTW website or by cash or check in the collection baskets with Haiti in the memo line. 
 

Easter Greeting from Fr. Claude
Happy Easter and greet for us all our brothers and sisters of Saint Joseph. Tell them we love them.
We had a very beautiful Holy Week. First the Kindergarten children had an Easter party.
During the final three days, we organized a retreat followed by mass for the faithful and without forgetting confession. On Thursday, as always, we had the foot washing mass. This year we chose boys from the chapels of Langlois and Pochette and from Bouzy. Both on Good Friday and Saturday evening we had a large gathering. On Sunday we had the Mass of the Resurrection of Christ. 
We took time to not only pray for the healing of Mgr. Dumas (their Bishop who was severely burned in an explosion), for the blessing of the faithful of Saint Joseph the Worker, and for peace and serenity to reign in Haiti. Thank you for praying for us. We are counting on your prayers.                
Fr. Claude Telemaque

Haiti Sister Parish Ministry
Supporting families at St. Catherines Parish in Bouzy Haiti: Answering God’s call to mission.
Relationship and Prayers: Sharing our love and faith with the people of Haiti; giving them hope thru solidarity. Praying with them and for them.
             
                         
School Support: Catholic Education from Kindergarten-High School for over 500 students, 
many who could not afford an education without our help.
New Church Construction: A place for families to worship, nourish and share their faith.


    
Funding Clean water Filters for their homes: Water filtration systems for 590 families, and a new solar pump and cistern to have a reliable source of water near their homes.
Support for Medical Care: Medicines to treat illness and disease; and vaccines for children.  
Thank you for your on-going prayers and support.

Sowing the Seeds of Justice
Looking at it through the eyes of Haiti.

(Haiti Formation without travel)

As St. Joseph the Worker continues to review and discuss the Catholic Social Teachings, we would like to apply them to our work in Haiti. It is important to learn about the struggles of people in different circumstances. Although we will focus on Haiti, this formation is centered around community and understanding; how we each have a part to play in serving others. If you have been curious but couldn't travel to Haiti this is an opportunity to understand this ministry and feel the joy and resilience of our relationship in Bouzy and at home. Outreach ministry is fundamental in helping this community seek to be the hands and feet of Christ.

The training and discussion is designed around the book Slow Kingdom Coming, (books will be provided at the first meeting)

4-5 Sessions starting October 12th, with the group to decide the other times.

Session 1 - each person will introduce themselves and share what brought them to this discussion (more information to follow).

Session 2-5 - discussion around the book.

More information about Haiti will be shared in partnership with the series on Catholic Social Teachings. If you are interested or want to hear more, please contact Suzanne Koenigs at suzieq_k@hotmail.com