With thanks to Mark Edington, who made a flyer like this for my visit with his students at Wellesley and then helped us adapt it for this event.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Thursday, March 11, 2010
prayers for travel mercies and ministry
Well, we sent Sr. Kethia, our youngest Haitian Sister, off to Port-au-Prince this morning. The two of us got up pre-dawn and zipped over to Logan Airport through the lights that were still on night-blinking status rather than regular red-yellow-green. Part of me wanted a few red lights between us and Logan; the other part of me wanted to offload a few items so I could crawl into her suitcase and go as well. No, she wasn't scared, she told me, just excited. She has a lot of energy, and I'm sure the wait up here has been very difficult for her. If my own inner first reaction was to want to find a plane to get down there immediately, what must hers have been? I'm sure she's tougher than I am, too, which will help in the days ahead. Even after a summer in Haiti, I'm still all too fond of hot showers and hot coffee in the morning. Not to mention easily accessible potable water...
And yet, for all that, for all I know how hard it will be once I finally get there, and for all I do think I need more training before I go, I'm still feeling antsy to get there. It will probably be well over a year at this point: once I graduate, I still need training in my first year of ordination. And as Sr. Kethia pointed out to me, right now they are still in subsistence mode. She kindly didn't say what she could have about how useful she can be in ways I cannot, but pointed out that there will be more opportunities later on.
I know this. We all know this.
Well - some don't.
But as Bishop Duracin pointed out, right now the need is for those with specialized skills. Mine are not the ones they need just yet. The time will come. ("The time will come," the walrus said, "to talk of many things: of shoes and ships and Sisters' packs, relief supplies and rains." OK, so maybe Louis Carroll was better at the rhyming thing...)
So we arrived at Logan in good time, all too short a journey, and more so for the conversation on the way. Following much running around looking for change for the luggage cart, as the machine didn't take fives after all, we had a quick goodbye hug, and off she went...and then returned, laughing, with her down coat, before I'd even gotten into the car. No, I don't suppose she'll be needing that in Port-au-Prince.
I suppose I've written all of the above simply as a means of saying that my heart has climbed into one of Sr. Kethia's bags and is on an American Airlines flight to Miami and on to Port-au-Prince. It's in the bag with the flashlight, batteries, and journal I gave her - and the purple Peeps. It's not a Purple Heart for her, but it's as close as she'll get for now. May God bless her with safe travel and a good welcome when she gets there, and may God bless all the Sisters, Pere Samuel, and so many others as they work to rebuild their home.
And yet, for all that, for all I know how hard it will be once I finally get there, and for all I do think I need more training before I go, I'm still feeling antsy to get there. It will probably be well over a year at this point: once I graduate, I still need training in my first year of ordination. And as Sr. Kethia pointed out to me, right now they are still in subsistence mode. She kindly didn't say what she could have about how useful she can be in ways I cannot, but pointed out that there will be more opportunities later on.
I know this. We all know this.
Well - some don't.
But as Bishop Duracin pointed out, right now the need is for those with specialized skills. Mine are not the ones they need just yet. The time will come. ("The time will come," the walrus said, "to talk of many things: of shoes and ships and Sisters' packs, relief supplies and rains." OK, so maybe Louis Carroll was better at the rhyming thing...)
So we arrived at Logan in good time, all too short a journey, and more so for the conversation on the way. Following much running around looking for change for the luggage cart, as the machine didn't take fives after all, we had a quick goodbye hug, and off she went...and then returned, laughing, with her down coat, before I'd even gotten into the car. No, I don't suppose she'll be needing that in Port-au-Prince.
I suppose I've written all of the above simply as a means of saying that my heart has climbed into one of Sr. Kethia's bags and is on an American Airlines flight to Miami and on to Port-au-Prince. It's in the bag with the flashlight, batteries, and journal I gave her - and the purple Peeps. It's not a Purple Heart for her, but it's as close as she'll get for now. May God bless her with safe travel and a good welcome when she gets there, and may God bless all the Sisters, Pere Samuel, and so many others as they work to rebuild their home.
 |
| Purple Peeps for Sr. Kethia |
Sunday, March 7, 2010
letter from Bishop Duracin, Diocese of Haiti
March 5, 2010
ÉGLISE ÉPISCOPALE D’HAITI
COMMUNION ANGLICANE
86, Rue Rigaud Pétion-Ville, Haïti
Boite Postale 1309
MGR JEAN ZACHE DURACIN BUREAU DIOCESAIN
Evêque d’Haïti Pétion-ville
‘The earthquake has not destroyed our hope in the future’
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
Seven weeks after we were hit by the 7.0 earthquake on the Richter scale, the situation is still very serious in Haiti.
As you know, many people were killed, perhaps as many as 300,000. Thousands and thousands of others have been injured. In the Church, we have lost many people. Millions of Haitians have no place to live; many are sleeping in the streets in tents, and some of them still have not found any shelter at all. All the infrastructure of the country, as well as all the key institutions of the Diocese, have been destroyed, especially in the capital of Port au Prince. The situation is very difficult.
Many of our famous churches are gone, especially Holy Trinity Cathedral, which was not only a place of worship, but a place of culture. The Cathedral was a very important institution for the whole country. Yes, it has been physically destroyed, but our faith is still here and our communities are still alive. The earthquake has not destroyed our hope in the future. Despite the difficulties we face, many of our parishes have grown larger since the earthquake, because more and more people trust our Church and are turning to us for help spiritually, socially and morally.
We are still a strong Church and we will continue to work with you in partnership to be able to build up the Kingdom of God on earth through evangelism, education, health care and our development programs. We will work together to preach a holistic Gospel so that human beings may become more fully human in the face of God.
We will have to rebuild all of our communities. We in the Diocese are working very hard to have a Master Plan to replace the physical structures of the Church, so that we may continue to serve Haitian people with the same love, the same care, and the same support that we have always shown. Our mission will not change. We pray that God will continue to give us strength to do all this work despite so many difficulties. We ask you to please be patient and wait for our guidance as we put together this plan so that we can determine how our resources can be used most effectively. Once we have made our decisions, we will announce the plan. To assist us in using all of our resources in the best possible way, and to provide the best accounting of donations, I ask all of our partners in traditional programs to resume sending donations through the Partnership Program. The fastest and safest way to do this is by wiring the money into the Partnership Program account; the Rev. Kesner Ajax, Partnership Program Coordinator, can provide that information to any who require it.
I am grateful for all of the support and assistance of The Church Center and especially of the Presiding Bishop and Primate, The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori. Her visit to us in February, even though it was short, gave us great strength here in Haiti, and I am deeply thankful for our time together. We appreciate very much the willingness of The Church Center to continue to work with us in the Master Plan to rebuild the Diocese.
In addition, I give thanks for the visit of The Rt. Rev. Pierre Whalon, Bishop Suffragan of the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe, who is visiting right now on the Presiding Bishop’s behalf. I also give thanks to all of the bishops and dioceses of The Episcopal Church for their prayers and support, and for telling our story. Some of them have been directly involved in supporting me and my wife, Edithe, during our difficult time; all of our family is especially thankful for this.
Special thanks must be given to Episcopal Relief and Development; all of us are grateful for its assistance and work in providing us food, shelter, water, medicines and all other forms of support to help us survive these difficult times.
In addition, it was very good to receive The Most Rev. Thabo Cecil Makgoba, Primate of Cape Town, and The Rt. Rev. Laish Boyd, Bishop of Nassau and The Bahamas, who are visiting at this moment. I also give thanks to all other bishops and archbishops of the Anglican Communion who have expressed their support to us.
The earthquake of Jan. 12 was our baptism; now is our new creation. In this new creation, we pray to all work together, and we ask that you give us the time we need, first to care for our people, then to rebuild the Kingdom.
In this Lenten season, the season of repentance, conversion and intense prayers, we ask you to remember our Diocese and all the people of Haiti in this difficult moment. We also ask you to continue to support us by your prayers and your gifts, so that by Eastertide, we will be able to sing together with great joy, “Alleluia! He is Risen!”
I bid you my blessings for this holy season.
Faithfully,
Mgr. Jean Zaché Duracin
Evêque d'Haïti
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
happy dance
In the midst of ashes and earthquakes, I'd like to share my good news: I passed all my GOE's (ordination exams). And there was much rejoicing! Maybe I really will be getting ordained in June. Next step, get that autobiography updated, bring the materials in to the diocese tomorrow when I meet with the canon to the ordinary, and pray that the Diocesan Standing Committee approves us all!
economics tied to politics: Haiti's history with France
Well, well, after over 200 years, the French president has finally shown up in Haiti. I have to say that this truly astounds me. Does anyone know how long it took before the US and UK officials started visiting back and forth? I'm glad to hear it has happened, though. And better, much more impressive news: France has forgiven Haiti's debt! That's what I call putting your money where your mouth is. Anyone else out there???
But as the article points out, it's not entirely without reason, sheer grace, so to speak. It traces Haiti's history, beginning with the 1804 Revolution through which Haiti won its independence from France, and including the story of the astronomical sum they had Haiti pay them - "pay them back," that is, including the price of the slaves! Did the US have to do that for England? The article explains:
"In 1825, crippled by the U.S.-led international embargo that was enforced by French warships, Haiti agreed to pay France 150 million francs in compensation for the lost ''property'' -- including slaves -- of French plantation owners.
By comparison, France sold the United States its immensely larger Louisiana Territory in 1803 for just 60 million francs. The amount for Haiti was later lowered to 90 million gold francs.
Haiti did not finish paying the debilitating debt -- which was swollen by massive interest payments to French and American banks -- until 1947.
But Haiti's wealth already was destroyed. It had been the world's richest colony, providing half the globe's sugar and other exports including coffee, cotton, hardwood and indigo that exceeded the value of everything produced in the United States in 1788.
By the early 1780s, half of Haiti's forests were gone, leading to the devastating erosion and extreme poverty that bedevils the country today."
The article says, "With an eye on that old grievance, France has already said it was canceling all of Haiti's 56 million euro (US$77 million) debt to Paris. The aid package also will include reconstruction money, emergency aid and $40 million in support for the Haitian government's budget."
If you are not familiar with Haiti's history or the story of the relationship between these two countries, I'd suggest this article, as it covers a lot of ground. You can read the full story about President Sarkozy's visit and the background to it here: French President Sarkozy Arrives in Haiti - NYTimes
The photo here is of the Neg Mawon, a famous statue of a revolutionary blowing on a conch shell to signal others. I found it here: http://students.depaul.edu/~jallonce/History.html
But as the article points out, it's not entirely without reason, sheer grace, so to speak. It traces Haiti's history, beginning with the 1804 Revolution through which Haiti won its independence from France, and including the story of the astronomical sum they had Haiti pay them - "pay them back," that is, including the price of the slaves! Did the US have to do that for England? The article explains:
"In 1825, crippled by the U.S.-led international embargo that was enforced by French warships, Haiti agreed to pay France 150 million francs in compensation for the lost ''property'' -- including slaves -- of French plantation owners.
By comparison, France sold the United States its immensely larger Louisiana Territory in 1803 for just 60 million francs. The amount for Haiti was later lowered to 90 million gold francs.
Haiti did not finish paying the debilitating debt -- which was swollen by massive interest payments to French and American banks -- until 1947.
But Haiti's wealth already was destroyed. It had been the world's richest colony, providing half the globe's sugar and other exports including coffee, cotton, hardwood and indigo that exceeded the value of everything produced in the United States in 1788.
By the early 1780s, half of Haiti's forests were gone, leading to the devastating erosion and extreme poverty that bedevils the country today."
The article says, "With an eye on that old grievance, France has already said it was canceling all of Haiti's 56 million euro (US$77 million) debt to Paris. The aid package also will include reconstruction money, emergency aid and $40 million in support for the Haitian government's budget."
If you are not familiar with Haiti's history or the story of the relationship between these two countries, I'd suggest this article, as it covers a lot of ground. You can read the full story about President Sarkozy's visit and the background to it here: French President Sarkozy Arrives in Haiti - NYTimes
a small warning about scammers using the Bishop's name....
HAITI: Scammers continue to solicit donations fraudulently
By Mary Frances Schjonberg, February 12, 2010
[Episcopal News Service] For the second time in the month since a magnitude-7 earthquake decimated parts of Haiti on Jan. 12, evidence has surfaced of fraudulent emails soliciting money in the name of Episcopal Diocese of Haiti Bishop Jean Zaché Duracin.
The Rev. Lauren Stanley, an Episcopal Church-appointed missionary to Haiti and Duracin's liaison in the U.S., told ENS Feb. 12 that she learned of the latest scam from the Rev. Chris Dobson, ecumenical and global partnership officer for the Church of England's Diocese of Bristol. He reported receiving an e-mail that he suspected was not from Duracin because it listed a slightly different e-mail address than the one Dobson understood to be correct....
As most people who use e-mail know, fraudulent solicitations for money abound. Also on Feb. 12, the Rev. Pedaculi Birakengana, provincial secretary of the Province of the Anglican Church of Burundi, and Rosemary Cottingham of the provincial communications office warned of e-mail purporting to be from Diocese of Buye Bishop Sixbert Macumi and Diocese of Muyinga Bishop Eraste Bigirimana.
The e-mails have errors in the addresses and text, the provincial officials said, and claim to be arranging care for Macumi's supposedly sick wife. They request between $2,800 and $3,950 to cover medical fees in Burundi or Uganda.
-- The Rev. Mary Frances Schjonberg is national correspondent for the Episcopal News Service and Episcopal News Monthly editor.
The full article may be read here: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81803_119415_ENG_HTM.htm
By Mary Frances Schjonberg, February 12, 2010
[Episcopal News Service] For the second time in the month since a magnitude-7 earthquake decimated parts of Haiti on Jan. 12, evidence has surfaced of fraudulent emails soliciting money in the name of Episcopal Diocese of Haiti Bishop Jean Zaché Duracin.
The Rev. Lauren Stanley, an Episcopal Church-appointed missionary to Haiti and Duracin's liaison in the U.S., told ENS Feb. 12 that she learned of the latest scam from the Rev. Chris Dobson, ecumenical and global partnership officer for the Church of England's Diocese of Bristol. He reported receiving an e-mail that he suspected was not from Duracin because it listed a slightly different e-mail address than the one Dobson understood to be correct....
As most people who use e-mail know, fraudulent solicitations for money abound. Also on Feb. 12, the Rev. Pedaculi Birakengana, provincial secretary of the Province of the Anglican Church of Burundi, and Rosemary Cottingham of the provincial communications office warned of e-mail purporting to be from Diocese of Buye Bishop Sixbert Macumi and Diocese of Muyinga Bishop Eraste Bigirimana.
The e-mails have errors in the addresses and text, the provincial officials said, and claim to be arranging care for Macumi's supposedly sick wife. They request between $2,800 and $3,950 to cover medical fees in Burundi or Uganda.
-- The Rev. Mary Frances Schjonberg is national correspondent for the Episcopal News Service and Episcopal News Monthly editor.
The full article may be read here: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81803_119415_ENG_HTM.htm
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