From the Provincial

“And let them make a sanctuary that I may dwell among them.”

(Exodus 25:8)

The temporary chapel being used by the Daughters of Charity in Haiti. Note the statue of Out Lady of the Miraculous Medal on the right.

Dear Friends in Christ,

Just over five months have passed since I was installed as Visitor of the new Western Province. Over the course of those few months many of my activities have focused on visiting my fellow Vincentian confreres throughout the province and beyond. I recently had the privilege of visiting our confreres living in Haiti. While there I was shown both the destruction left by the January earthquake and the relief efforts being made by the dedicated Vincentians and Daughters of Charity who serve there.

I witnessed, first-hand, the great destruction that befell the city of Port-au-Prince. As we drove through the city I saw countless buildings that had collapsed – the rubble and debris of many of them still spilling onto the sidewalks and into the streets. I saw multi-story buildings so heavily damaged and leaning to one side they seemed on the verge of toppling over. I saw the once-magnificent cathedral lying in ruins.

Of all the images I brought back from my visit to Haiti, one that I found to be the most striking was that of a single “tent”. There are literally tens of thousands of tents erected throughout the city to house the masses of people left homeless by the earthquake. But of all those tents scattered through the city there was one tent in particular that captured my attention. It was one of the tents erected on the grounds of the provincial headquarters of the Daughters of Charity in Haiti.

After the earthquake struck on January 14, the provincial headquarters with its residence and chapel was demolished. Now in a corner of this same property the sisters had set up a small outdoor chapel space, complete with religious statues retrieved from the ruins of their mother house, where they gather each day for prayers. In the front of the worship space the sisters set up a small tent that houses the Blessed Sacrament. A blue tarp is stretched above the rows of folding chairs facing the small tent, serving to shelter the sisters from the scorching equatorial sun and the rains as they pray. Next to the chapel the sisters have their dining space – two rows of folding tables and chairs in the open covered by a tarp. And next to it are rows of tents where the sisters themselves live.

The image of the Blessed Sacra-ment dwelling in a tent…in the midst of the Sisters, who for months following the earthquake were still dwelling in tents…who serve among the masses of humanity in the city of Port-au-Prince dwelling in tents…caused one of the priests in our company to draw a beautiful parallel between the Children of Israel who dwelt in tents as they wandered in the wilderness on their way to the Promised Land and the suffering people of Haiti.

The tabernacle, according to the Hebrew Torah/Old Testament, was the portable dwelling place for the divine presence from the time of the Exodus from Egypt through the conquering of the land of Canaan. The symbolism is rich: God is dwelling among his people. “And let them make a sanctuary that I may dwell among them.” (Exodus 25:8)

What the Jews immediately saw was that God was living in a tent like theirs. They were instructed to encamp around the tabernacle of God. Yahweh resisted the overture of David to build a more permanent structure (a temple) where Yahweh might be worshipped, preferring to accompany the Children of Israel on their journey. Together they would journey to the Promised Land.

In some ways I see the present suffering of the people of Haiti as a type of wandering. As a result of the earthquake – an event so psychologically jarring that many refuse to allow themselves to say the word “earthquake” in reference to their tragedy – their lives have been turned upside down. And that’s saying a lot given that for the vast majority of Haitians life before the earthquake was no picnic. Following the earthquake they wander to a future that is filled with uncertainty.

The earthquake killed more than 220,000 people and injured more than 300,000. Approximately 1.3 million people are living in tents and other temporary shelters in and around Port-au-Prince while another 500,000 have migrated to others parts of the country in search of shelter, food, and work. At least 1.5 million people have been directly affected by the quake.

I was very proud to witness the commitment of our Vincentian confreres and Daughters to walk with the people of Haiti in this wilderness. In the days immediately following the quake, the courtyard of the Miraculous Medal Parish, our Vincentian parish in Port-au-Prince, was filled to overflowing with victims who were seeking shelter. There our confreres provided pastoral and material comfort to the victims. At another Vincentian site one of our confreres has coordinated the erection of a small village, complete with a dozen or more small wooden two-room apartments and a community center for displaced victims. Our confreres there continue to journey with the suffering people of Haiti. I felt very privileged to witness their faith and the faith of the people they serve.

Before returning to the United States, I was able to celebrate Sunday Mass with the parishioners of Miraculous Medal Parish. At the end of Mass I was given the opportunity to say a few words. I shared with them how privileged I felt to participate in their Spirit-filled liturgy. I assured them of my prayerful support. Lastly, I expressed my desire to explore with them ways in which the confreres and our friends in the Western Province of the United States can accompany them on the road to recovery.

Yours in St. Vincent,

Father Perry Henry, CM
Provincial Superior

To view additional pictures from Haiti visit www.vincentian.org…

Help for Haiti

In 2009, the international leadership of the Vincentian Family, which encompasses all those who find inspiration from the life and the legacy of St. Vincent de Paul, joined Haitian microfinance institution Fonkoze to initiate a pilot project to fund sustainable economic development in Haiti. Zafen.org enables people worldwide to loan or donate to businesses in Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and one of the poorest on earth. Visit www.zafen.org to find out more.