“The last four years have been extremely difficult, and the situation continues to be very difficult.” Political turmoil, violence, and now kidnappings have been a daily occurrence in Haiti over the past years. Western countries, including Canada, are well aware of this crisis that affects the Haitian people as a group and as individuals. In …
By Sister Clara Soza, AMICO “This school makes us dream of things we would never have dreamed of before.” — A Faith and Joy teacher in Canaan In 2010, Haiti had just experienced the tragedy of an earthquake that devastated the capital. We, the Sisters of the Amistad Misionera en Cristo Obrero (Missionary Friendship in …
Dreaming of the future and building the present at Faith and Joy Read More »
By Jean Pierre Paul Durand, SJ Strictly speaking, Collège Saint-Ignace is the only Jesuit school in Haiti. Founded in 2003 by the late Fr. Claude Souffrant, SJ, and directed since 2019 by Fr. Achange Simeus, SJ, the school welcomes approximately 550 students per year. It is there, on a few square metres of concrete in …
Seeking peace and opportunity: The Ignatian Youth Ministry in Haiti Read More »
Levelt Michaud, SJ, National Director of the Jesuit Service for Migrants Haiti is part of the Jesuit Province of Canada The Jesuit Service for Migrants/Solidarité Fwontalye-Haiti (SJM/SFw-Haiti or SJM-Haiti) is a social apostolate of the Society of Jesus in Haiti. Its threefold mission is to accompany Haitian compatriots who have been turned back at the borders, to …
By Jean Denis Saint-Félix, SJ, Superior of the Jesuits in Haiti Haiti is part of the Jesuit Province of Canada For some time now, Haiti has been in the midst of an accutely worrying sociopolitical crisis. There is a collective sense of frustration among the people whose desire is to stand strong and resilient in the face of a terribly harsh and disturbing reality. The people who have attempted to preserve their dignity in spite of the extreme ugliness of their situation that has been witnessed across the …
Following the earthquake in Haiti on August 14, 2021, a network of Jesuit international development organizations and mission offices has launched a global fundraising effort to support Jesuit relief efforts in the country.
“The severe crisis that has affected Haitian society for several decades has now reached unimaginable dimensions. It feels as though we are living in total chaos, at the bottom of an abyss with no prospect of escape. Uncertainty and suffering seem to have taken away all hope. Our nation is slowly collapsing, and with it …
The Crisis in Haiti: A Statement from the Jesuits in Haiti Read More »
“Sometimes I find it hard to look at the deforested mountains in some departments,” says Br. Marcel Charélus, SJ, director of the Centre de Spiritualité Pierre-Favre in Port-au-Prince. Fortunately, Haitian Jesuits such as Br. Marcel and Br. Mathurin Charlot, SJ, are involved in some reforestation projects. The latter, an agricultural technician and one of the oldest Jesuits in Haiti, works in the Artibonite Department with the Project to Support Reforestation and Agricultural Development (PAREDA). Br. Marcel describes their …
The Ministry of Fresh Mangoes, Meaty Coconuts and the Shade of Trees Read More »
The Support Group for Rural Development (GADRU) is a nonprofit organization founded on November 16, 1992, by Fr. Jean-Marie Louis, SJ, not only to oversee and promote the rights of those living in rural communities but also to participate in the construction of an inclusive, fair, and democratic society. According to GADRU’s founding philosophy, the …
Multidimensional Development: Empowering Haiti’s Rural Communities Read More »