Haiti has been hit by more than just the pandemic, hurricanes and earthquakes have also affected the country. Submitted photo

REGION —Parishes across Maine have found ways to lend a helping hand to Haiti, support and care that has extended nearly 2,000 miles over many years and into the hearts of thousands in need.

For over 15 years, St. Joseph Parish in Farmington and St. Rose of Lima Parish in Jay have been paired with St. Laurent Parish in the Diocese of Les Cayes, Haiti. The parishes were connected through the Parish Twinning Program of the Americas (PTPA).

“The opportunity was introduced to us by Fr. Roger Chabot, who was our pastor at the time. We reached out to St. Rose of Lima Parish and invited them to join us. Since then, participation and members have come from both parishes,” said Janet Brackett, chair of the parishes’ Haiti Ministry Committee and a parishioner at St. Joseph.

At the start of the initiative, once a month, volunteers collected donations for their “sister parish” in Haiti as parishioners left Mass. Soon, interest in offering aid grew and the parishes’ commitment evolved into a monthly second collection in the pews. Regular visits to St. Laurent began in 2008 as parishioners paid their own way to make the journey (funds collected for St. Laurent are never used for the travel of organizers). During their time in Haiti, the Maine parishioners would purchase Haitian crafts to sell at holiday fairs, community events, and even local galleries, with the proceeds benefiting the Haitian parish. As the donations continued to grow in size, so did the list of ideas to help.

“A couple from St. Rose sponsored an annual breakfast with all of the proceeds going to St. Laurent,” said Brackett. “For several years, the youth ministry at St. Rose raised money as part of their Lenten program. After the Haitian earthquake in 2010, we partnered with the local rotary club to do a dinner and silent auction event and after Hurricane Matthew, we raffled a handmade lap quilt and sold direct trade Haitian-grown coffee as part of a fundraising program.”

The ministry even has its own Facebook page (www.facebook.com/StJoesStRoseHaitiCommittee). In 2013, the Jay and Farmington parishes started to utilize a container shipment program offered by PTPA. Parishioners

“The first time we did this, we collected items to furnish a small community clinic that we had financed; we sent exam tables, scales, file cabinets, office chairs, crutches, canes, blood pressure cuffs, a hand-held fetal sonograph, and lots of over-the-counter medicines,” said Brackett. “I love the fact that we can see the difference our parishes are making in St. Laurent with a clinic that is operational, run by Haitian health care providers, and the parish and schools thriving.”

“When you go down there, you can see the improvements that the money and support brings about,” says Paul Anderson, who traveled to Haiti from Farmington seven years ago. “I think that’s why the people in the parish continue to donate so much. They see concrete evidence.”

During the pandemic, the needs have shifted, but the support from Maine has been solid as a rock.

“All parents and students did not hide their feelings of gratitude towards God and towards you, for having thought about them at this time when everything is going wrong in our country.”

The words of Fr. Frede, pastor of St. Anthony the Hermit Parish in Lori, Haiti, to the parishioners of St. Thérèse of Lisieux Parish in Sanford are equal parts heartwarming and heartbreaking. They convey gratitude for the support received at the parish from their friends in Maine, this time, donations from parishioners in Sanford helped start a daily school lunch program for 400 children in Lori.

“Haiti has exploded with gang violence, political instability, and a severe food shortage,” Fr. Frede wrote in a recent letter to St. Thérèse of Lisieux Parish. “May Christ, the Risen One, be a blessing and a blessing to you in this noble task of helping the needy. I, as the director of this said establishment, am very grateful to you.”

“For many years, the parish has helped St. Anthony the Hermit Parish through financial assistance ranging from rebuilding a church after a hurricane to building a pedestrian bridge over a river that enables people in the poor area to reach town. It’s incredible,” said Fr. Bill Labbe, pastor of St. Thérèse of Lisieux Parish. “It’s a devotion and commitment that is clearly rooted in a very deep faith.”