St. Mary’s Haiti Ministry

 Haiti Newsletter Click Here

St. Mary’s is twinned with Our Lady of Lourdes parish in Belladere, Haiti. Belladere is located 40 miles northeast of Port-Au Prince. Fr. (Per) Duportal Michenet is the Pastor. At the heart of the Diocese of Richmond's Haiti Outreach lies its twinning program. Over 60 parishes in the Diocese of Richmond are twinned with a parish or organization in Haiti. The twinning program is based on relationship and solidarity; it is understood that each partner has gifts to share with the other and that we stand with each other as we journey forward in faith. Twinning is an active, mutual, on-going joy filled commitment between two faith communities. Twinning involves developing a friendship as well as a working relationship. The hop is that the relationship would not become exclusive, but a stepping stone to solidarity and greater exchange in the worldwide mission of Jesus.


 

What We Do

Currently, St. Mary’s Haiti Ministry sponsors two schools run by Our Lady of Lourdes—Our Lady of Mt. Carmel at Dosele and St. Joseph’s at Los Abeilles. This year, there are over 400 students , grades K-6, attending the schools. Through our Sponsorship Program Fund we are able to pay the salaries of the 7 teachers and 1 principal, pay for school  books and other materials, pay for cooks’ salaries  and spices (beans and rice provided by Mary’s Meals ) , and other miscellaneous school and parish needs. Recently, a Building Fund has been created to enable construction of a permanent primary school building in Belladere.  Backpacks for Haiti is another program that has allowed us to provide school supplies and other items to the students of our twin parish schools.  With permission of the Suffolk, Franklin, and Southhampton Public School districts, we are able to collect used backpacks and school supplies at the end of the school year.  In 2009, 24 schools participated and we filled 40 boxes with 264 backpacks and other supplies!  Items are sent in a container shipment through the Patricia Sullivan Haitian Outreach Foundation.