Where God Weeps - the suffering church in focus

Everyone knows a Haitian

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Sister Kamta and Sister Asumpta, Missionaries of Charity, Haiti ©Valerian Mazataud

"Granmèt la'konsakré-m li pran-m li mét apa
Li voyé-m di pov yo bòn nouvel la rivé"

The litany from this Creole field flies high in the air this Sunday, January 24th, higher still than the rescue helicopters ceaselessly patrolling the skies. Twelve days after the violent earthquake which ravaged the west of Haiti, the inhabitants' faith seems to have been reinforced by the disaster. Rony Gonzules, a devout 35 year old, thanks God for having saved his life. For this regular church-goer, who for the past 15 years has frequented the Montfortains' chapel which is now destroyed, "The Mass gives strength and courage to carry on."

By Valerian Mazataud, special reporter for Aid to the Church in Need in Haiti
Translated by Parissa Porter

Father Laurent, who celebrates daily Mass, calls for more solidarity. And he knows something about it, having chosen to reach out to the poor as a Montfortain, in poverty. Today the courtyard of the brothers' house, an old stone building hewn out of the rock in the Pacot neighbourhood, serves as a refuge for some 30 families, homeless since the tragedy hit.

View the country profile of Haiti.

Breaking News from Haiti

• 25/02/2011: Haiti: „The fact that I survived the earthquake shows me that God still needs me“
• 12/01/2011: Haïti: New hope, despite the many problems.
• 22/12/2010: ACN at Christmas : Tidings of comfort - for the world

Father Maurice Piquard, aged 66, the community's administrator, opens the doors to us. This man, established in Haiti since the end of his seminary studies in 1970, has experienced all the tragedies of the island, from the dictatorship of Papa Doc, to Aristide's massacre of rebel peasants, by way of droughts, floods and hurricanes. "But this disaster is the most complete of them all," he sighs in the gentle Creole accent that disguises his origins in the south-west of France. The 60-member community counts 11 victims, including 10 young students of scholasticism trapped in their minibus when the CIFORT (Centre Interconfessionnel de Formation) collapsed. For his part, Fr. Alfonse Quesnel will never forget the sight of the victims caught in the rubble of the chapel. "We were just beginning a prayer meeting," he recalls.

Today, Fr. Quesnel is "hanging in there," he says. Since the disaster, the courtyard accommodates more than 300 people, as well as a health centre. "Today, it's psychological support that we need before all else," he said. For the time being, this heavy task falls on Harold Toussaint, aged 63, professor of social psychology at the University of Haiti, and a priest. "My work is essentially to listen to people," admits the man who was struck by tragedy in the middle of class: Three out of 50 students did not survive the disaster. "Today, I look towards the future, but I really wonder how we will live in our country, now, after January 12th, 2010."

One of the priorities for Fr. Maurice, who has maintained communications and press relations since the night of January 12th, is to keep track of the sponsored children from the nursery school. "We were just finished putting in windows when everything collapsed." The children, supported by about 60 international sponsors, fled the shanty towns with their families. From Morne Hôpital to Croix des près, everything is destroyed and inaccessible, and there has been no news of them. As for the future, the priest trusts the large Haitian diaspora throughout the world to support reconstruction, and to prevent the country from being forgotten. "Everyone knows a Haitian," he smiles.

Meanwhile, Fr. Laurent paces around Mont Joie's refugee camp. Here, the people no longer have anything. After the arrival of initial emergency aid, help evaporated. A simple stretched out canvas tent packs in 27 people; people are thirsty; they have gwan gout (are hungry). Today, the priest visits the camp with Sr. Kamta and Sr. Asumpta, two of Mother Theresa's Missionaries of Charity. "Since the very night of the disaster, we have intervened, by bringing food and treating wounds," said Sr. Kamta. Today's mission hits tragically close to home for Fr. Laurent: it consists of proving to the sisters, already very busy, how needy are the communities near the Montfortains.

The latest member of the day-visit committee, Dr. Devalon, is a recently graduated young doctor. Like 350 other Haitians studying in Cuba, she was sent by the Castro government to the aid of her compatriots. She promises to return first thing the next day with a stock of vaccines to prevent epidemics, just as the sisters will return to treat the wounds newly re-infected. Wager won today for Fr. Laurent, but there remains so much to do: tents, water, food, everywhere everything is lacking.