Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

By now you all know what happened in Haiti and to us. You all know that our convent is destroyed, one of the Foyer Notre Dame buildings is destroyed, and the other one is damaged. But we are alive. Sr. Marjorie Raphael and Sr. Marie Therese are in Boston to prove to you that we are alive. We were not missing either. The Lord led us out of our crumbling convent without a scratch. We sing praises to him and laud him for giving us life, another chance to renew our commitment to him. So many others were not that lucky. I am taking this opportunity to thank you for myself and in the name of the community for your concern, love, prayers and generosity.

Our God still reigns.
His love never fails.
When the storm is raging
Our hearts are sorrowful
But God leads us into port.

Our God still reigns.
His love never fails.
What He promises to us
Stays for ever true.
Our God still reigns.

On January 12, 2010, we sent the seminarians home early. We did not plan to do that but we did. They barely got home and the convent started shaking and crumbling away. While upstairs, we could not understand what was going on but we got down on our knees. By the time we decided to get downstairs, the stairs were filled with rubble. We walked on them, over the door that was already down on the floor and went outside the convent. At the bottom of the stairs we met with our cook covered with dust yelling, "The Sisters! The Sisters!" After we got out of the house, we looked and there was no Holy Trinity Cathedral, no Holy Trinity Music School, the Trade School was gone, the Primary School was still standing but badly damaged and ready to fall down. We sat in the parking lot of the Cathedral being careful not to be too close to the building behind us nor the church's office nor the trees. Pere David Cesar came and informed us the Bishop's House and College St. Pierre is destroyed. Then came Pere Sadoni Leon with a couple of children from St. Vincent's School for the Handicapped and informed us that that school is also destroyed. As they are pulling children from the rubble they are coming to us. In no time we had all these people seeking our help while we were so helpless and powerless facing this disastrous earthquake. From time to time there were aftershocks. We wish it would stop but we cannot make it stop. Whiles I was praying and wondering what do we do, where do we go? People are heading to the Chaps-de-Mars (a public place). Maybe we should do the same? Some one said, "Why don't we go to College St. Pierre?" I said, "It is destroyed." The person said, "There is the soccer field." So we went with our group that includes St. Vincent's children, some badly injured. We made several trips in order to take every one. Our chauffeur spent the night taking people to the hospital until the next day. We had no gas and no money for refill. There was no gas to be found any way. For a couple of days we were on both sides of the fence. We were the helpers and the helped. It was very humbling the next day when one of the young women that we usually help gave me a bottle of juice that I gave to Sr. Marjorie Raphael. "Our God still reigns. His love never fails. When the storm is raging, our hearts are sorrowful. He leads us safely into port. What He promises to us stays for ever true."

Mrs. Edith Duracin, Bishop Duracin's wife, was badly injured. She joined us at College St. Pierre the same night. The Bishop came the next day. He spent the night on the street in front of his destroyed house. First we were on the food committee. The seminarians cooked rice and Mrs. Oge Beauvoir provided hot dogs. So we fed all at the College St. Pierre site. More injured people keep coming. Some we sent to the hospital nearby and some to Cange. Our doctor seminarian (Dr. Pierre Wilnique, whose note to Sr. Marjorie Raphael is above) worked without stopping all night and all day. "Our God still reigns. His love never fails. When the storm is raging, our hearts are sorrowful but God leads us into port. His love never fails. What He promises to us stays for ever true. Our God still reigns." This is why He sent us some good-hearted people to help, to comfort, such as our faithful Associates and friends from Haiti as well as from the United States, the Dominican Republic, SA and Paris, etc. Some made the trip just for that. We were very much honored by the visit of the Presiding Bishop.

At the end of January we moved into the house of one of our Associates. We are still sleeping in tents in the yard because of the aftershocks. We are close enough to go easily to the residents at Foyer Notre Dame and continue our ministry among the people at College St. Pierre. Fortunately none of the residents at Foyer Notre Dame were hurt. The first building where we had the staff and our one male resident is destroyed. The second building is damaged but they can still live in it until it can be repaired. For a couple of days we took them to College St. Pierre to sleep. But that was too much for them. Sleeping just on sheets on the ground is not for older people. So we left them home to sleep in comfortable beds. We were afraid the damaged house might fall down. So far nothing happened. In March our only make resident, Frederique Jean, died. We had a nice burial service for him under the shed behind the destroyed Cathedral.

Our Associates, Pere Fritz LaFontant and his wife Yolande were kind enough to have Sr. Marjorie Raphael at their home in Cange. Sr. Marjorie Raphael in her young years endured hurricanes and revolutions. But the earthquake on January 12, 2010 was too much for her at 86 years old. She is a good soldier, a good missionary. At Cange, all was well. But she was isolated from her community. So early in February she left Haiti with the military and from where they left her she went to Chicago, then Miami, then Boston. It took her more than 24 hours to get to Boston from Haiti. We tried to find other means but we did not succeed. She was the most deprived. She left in her summer habit and sandals without socks. The library were she put so much time and energy, and her room, went down first in the earthquake. We were lucky to rescue her passport. We do not know how long it will take us to demolish the remnants of the convent and the Foyer Notre Dame before we can think about construction. We need money and time. We cannot take big machinery in there for fear of breaking down our fences. We need the fences for security.

They are trying to open school. I have seen some of our children, others they told me that they are doing fine. I am not sure that all the schools are ready to open yet. Holy Trinity School is getting ready. I will know soon if the other schools, which concern our children, will be open next week.

Again THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! I hope you had a JOUYOUS EASTER DAY and wish you an Eastertide full of Blessings. ALLELUIA, ALLELUIA, ALLELUIA, HE IS RISEN! OUR GOD STILL REIGNS.

Sr. Marie Margaret, SSM

April, 2010

I am very slow in writing. I am trying to do my best to bring you up to date if we have electricity.

Sister Kethia and I are well. We are sleeping in the tent. We go in the house (loaned to the Sisters by our Associate, Dr. David McNeely) to bathe and sometimes to eat, and to sort out things and find places for them. When we go to the convent area we bring things that emerge from the rubble as the demolition continues and that need to be in a secure place. I already told you that we have all the files out, thanks to Carlo (our faithful yard man and guardian). Sr. Marjorie Raphael's room and the libraries are the only places where we lost all the furniture and furnishings. We rescued some books, some were rescued before the rain. The others are wet, but we are drying them and trying to save what we can. Our engineer is still trying to demolish what remains of both buildings. He has not touched the newer building yet. We have saved a lot from there. He did stop demolishing the front house at Foyer Notre Dame but since there is no danger now at the convent, I have asked him to go finish at the Foyer. On Wednesday night there were two strong repeats. Elange (chauffeur who lives at the Foyer) told me the house trembled a lot and he is afraid that what remains may fall on the ladies. We are back to only ladies since Frederique's death. We had a nice funeral for him in the Cathedral shed. Holy Week and Easter services were grandiose. We blessed the palms on Holy Trinity School grounds. You would not believe it: just the shop is standing. The Ministry of National Education and USAID are making sheds so that they can open school. They put two or three schools together. They were hoping to open schools last Monday but it did not work - maybe next week or next month.

Sister Kethia and I went to the Diocesan Synod at Cange with Pere Beauvoir, and drove back with Pere Ajax and two girls from Cayes. The Synod started with Evening Prayer and Eucharist. The service lasted from 3:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. All of the delegates came. Pere Cole was too busy to be there. It was a nice atmosphere. Pere Fritz Lafontant (priest in charge of the church at Cange and co-founder of the whole hospital/education complex) felt very proud. We were well received. The food was good and plenty. We slept in Jackie's room in the shop. We even had hot water to shower. They are working on the road going all the way to Hinche. On Palm Sunday the Orchestra gave a beautiful concert. Janet Anthony, Jean Montes, Pere David Cesar, and Pierre Leroy conducted. Jane Pocius was soloist for flute. Valerie Brutus, Nicole St. Victor, and another girl sang. It was free but they collected some money during the intermission. The concert was arranged by Nicole St. Victor at St. Vincent's Church at Thomassin.

Sr. Marie Margaret, SSM

March 15, 2010

From Dr. Pierre Wilnique, medical doctor and seminarian in Port-au-Prince:

Dear Sr. Marjorie,

In the name of all seminarians, I am very happy to write you this letter. In the name of Jesus, we are fine and I think you are fine also. After earthquake, Jesus continue to support the Haitian people. And we continue to pray to God for the people. In this season of Lent, we continue to pray. Prayer is the arm of the Christian. Together we remain soldered (glued together) in Jesus Christ our Savior. God bless you and God bless Haiti.

Dr. Pierre

March 13, 2010

There are so many important things to do. There are so many people suffering physically, mentally, emotionally. There are so many people who are hungry, without a tent to live under. There are so many people who have to stay up until the rain is over, to sleep. Babies born January 11th and 12th are sleeping in this condition.

You should see the different places where people are living. People are living in the street, not just the poor but people who used to be well to do before January 12. So many people are being laid off. Can you imagine the suffering of the people of all classes? Even the people who have a good house are afraid to sleep in it.

Sr. Marie Margaret, SSM