NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER BRING VISITORS AND NEW RESIDENTS TO HAITI
From November 20 – 29, Diane Fortier, RJM from the Province of Canada visited our sisters and communities in Haiti. Diane knew about possible funding for and interest in special needs children and wanted to visit the St. Joseph Workshop in Port-au-Prince to explore the number of children served and their needs. She met with Leide Philocles, toured the workshop, and spoke with staff about their work with these children.
In Port-au-Prince, Diane also met Magda Brochetti who has a small center for special needs children in the town of Marouj, located in northwest Haiti, and with whom she had hoped to visit. Diane then embarked on the journey north to Gros Morne, to Jean Rabel, and finally arrived in Marouj where she had the opportunity to spend time with Magda and to see the work she is doing with the children and with their mothers. Diane was pleased with her visit, with the opportunity to see other parts of Haiti, to visit our sisters there, and to determine whether there are possibilities to fund services for a special population of children.
We are grateful to Diane for her visit and to everyone who ensured that Diane was able to visit many places in Haiti!
Warm Welcomes to the RJMs arriving from Spain, Argentina, and Pakistan who will inaugurate one of the projects of solidarity for our bicentenary year in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. They are
- Josela Gil, RJM from the Province of Spain who arrived in Port-au-Prince with Nazareth Ybarra on Wednesday, November 29;
- Soledad (Sole) Moya, RJM from the Province of Argentina who will arrive in Port-au-Prince on Saturday, December 2; and
- Alejandra Diaz, RJM and, hopefully, Farzana Philip, RJM from the Province of Pakistan who will arrive on Sunday, December 3.
Bienvenidas todas! Welcome!
Toward the end of December, Vivian Patenaude, RJM will travel to Haiti to join Srs. Josela, Soledad, and Farzana in Gros Morne for an intensive two-month course in Creole as well as the history, geography, culture, and customs of Haiti. They will live at the Guest House near Alma Mater Hospital for the month of January and will then move to our house for the month of February. Hopefully these months will provide them with time and space to learn Creole as well as practical experiences of life among the people of Gros Morne.
We thank Vivian for her willingness to share her love of language, teaching, and learning with our sisters who have recently been missioned to Port-au-Prince!
From Middia Doute, NJM
Middia wrote last week sharing that, this fall, she has been busy with classes, activities at school, final exams, and adjusting to life in Mexico and the novitiate. She was also able to participate in a Jesuit led workshop on human development which she found both interesting and personally enriching.
The novices, directed by Celina Segovia, RJM, their novice director, began their thirty-day retreat on November 22 and will conclude it on December 22.
In her email, Middia asked to thank sisters who have written to her; to ask for prayers as she enters into the retreat; and to assure us that we are remembered in hers.
