Mid-Lent 2006; finally back to Haiti after an unwanted absence from my second family of six months. Not “fixed”, but functional — though driving under Haitian conditions remains out of the question. In Haiti, one needs an extra eye or two, not just one sort of working! Mercifully, calm came over the country a week or so before my arrival, which we feared up until the last days might yet have to be once again postponed because of the unstable conditions in the country.
One of the first things to strike me upon arrival: much less trash and garbage on the principal streets than I have become accustomed to, though huge mounds remain in many places. At least somebody is doing something! The UN forces remain, but now there is only an armored vehicle here and there; in September, in Port-au-Prince one couldn’t travel more than a few blocks without encountering a heavy vehicle festooned with grim-looking men in uniform, bristling with automatic weapons. Thanks be to God!
I remained only briefly in Port-au-Prince, tending to essential errands, before flying to Jacmel for weekend services at St. Augustine’s, Cyvadier. On arrival, I found that basic construction work on the new building, which will serve for some years as the church, had been completed — but only just barely. Construction trash still lay throughout the building and grounds, and although the iron doors which enclose the sanctuary were on site, they had not yet been installed. Astonishingly, by time for vigil on Saturday, most of the work had been completed, but the service began (somewhat late) with materials still scattered around and the workmen standing aside during the service. As soon as it was completed, they went back to work, continuing well into the night (thanks to the remarkable luxury of having essentially full-time power there, so far as I know the only region in Haiti so blessed). By Sunday morning, for liturgy the building looked presentable, although still rather barren and unadorned, apart from the few icons temporarily placed here and there. Fittingly, Fr. Grégoire, the appointed pastor, served the first liturgy in the new temple. Since my departure, work has continued, and it is to be hoped that by the time of the temple feast in June, all will be in good order.
The following day, I flew back to Port-au-Prince (Haiti now boasts a rapidly developing internal air service, with several lines serving all the principal towns regularly with nice “modern” tiny aircraft — mostly 7-15 seaters), had a two-hour respite at Maison Mission before returning to the airport to fly with Fr. Grégoire to Les Cayes. Fr. Grégoirre had warned me that I would be astonished at what I found there, and indeed I was.
After years of services in “chapels of occasion” — mostly rooms in private homes or classrooms — last year the budding mission finally found a stable meeting place, a roomy classroom which was theirs every weekend to convert to a usable space. But in January, Fr. Grégoire arrived for the monthly vigil and liturgy only to find the building locked up tight. A space was found, the vigil and liturgy served, and only later on Sunday did he find the explanation: the school which had leased the building, from which we rented the room, had failed to pay its rent over a considerable period of time, and thus had been expelled. Negotiations with the proprietor led to the Mission leasing the entire building for three years. By the time I got there, the partition wall separating the previous chapel from the adjoining room had been torn down, more than doubling the space. As soon as funds are available, a masonry wall will be removed and remade into an iconostasis, providing access to yet another room which will serve as the sanctuary. The resulting space is certainly sufficient for as many as 100 worshippers, with a spacious sanctuary. Not permanent, but adequate for the foreseeable future. Fr. Grégoire served vespers the evening of our arrival (Monday), with a substantial congregation.
The following day, we set out to examine the parcel of land for which he had been negotiating since soon after my departure in September. The section originally offered proved to be impractical, but another, a few hundred yards down the road (and closer to the main crossroads and city center) was soon found. It is on the edge of the city, on the main highway from Port-au-Prince to Port-Salut further west, a very short distance from the crossroads with the city’s principal thoroughfare and the “highway” (gravel soon deteriorating to boulders and mud) to the airport and on to Jérémie in the northwestern part of the southern peninsula. At present, it looks like just what it is — a piece of ground. The entirety is one huge rice-field, table-top flat. Fortunately, water in the area is easily controlled, so converting the currently periodically inundated ground to dry land will pose minimal difficulties. About a half-mile from the sea, and significantly elevated, it should not be at undue risk from hurricanes (at least on the scale of risk availabilities at Les Cayes!). Currently, there is nothing but open land behind it all the way to the beginnings of the mountains, and nothing but low buildings and trees between it and the sea, so the area is pleasantly ventilated. Thanks to some very generous donations for the purpose, funds have been found for its purchase, which may indeed have been completed (which means begun in Haiti; it’s likely to be a year or so before we see a title) by the time you read this.
In the course of the visit, the choice of a patronal saint for the community was finally made (by lot), later submitted to Bishop Gabriel for ratification. No longer nameless, it is now the Mission of St. John of San Francisco at Les Cayes.
Later in the day, back to Port-au-Prince (with an unexpected five-minute stopover at the Jacmel airport) — one day left, time enough for yet another surprise. I had been told on arrival that it was necessary to plan a trip to Léogane (in time, about half-way to Jacmel by car) to meet with a group of “interested” people there. Little did I suspect!
Before my time, there had once been an Orthodox chapel at Léogane (at which Abp. Hilarion had served during his visit there), later closed in the course of the “difficult” years which led to my appointment. Only a very few of the people who had been involved there occasionally appeared for services at Nativity in Port-au-Prince, certainly in considerable measure due to the length and difficulty and cost of the trip. Last summer, Fr. Jean’s son Martin undertook (at the age of 17) to try to re-establish contact with some of those people and to rekindle an awareness of Orthodoxy in the town. He distributed flyers, held catechetical meetings and common prayers — and met with much interest. So it was that we went (about 2 hours each way, under normal travel conditions), found our “guide” standing at the side of the highway, and finally penetrated to the side yard of a house at the back of the settled area, which had been prepared as a makeshift meeting space. At first there were only a handful of people (nothing ever happens “on time” in Haiti), but before long the space was packed — at least thirty people, probably more. A number of people (a few of them already baptized but lapsed) spoke of their interest, posed some good questions to which Fr. Jean & Fr. Grégoire spoke (the meeting was largely conducted in Créole) — and then Martin arose to make his presentation. At great length and in considerable detail (in French, fortunately) he spoke of the history of Orthodoxy at Léogane and of what he had found when he began visiting there regularly last summer — and assured me that it would be a great lapse in my duty if the Mission failed to respond appropriately. He was right. Already, they had chosen their patron, praying that the mission might be dedicated to SS Peter and Paul.
So what can we do? Already we have four functioning missions (plus the Chapel of St. Moses the Black), with only two priests and one deacon. For the present (experimentally), we decided to provide charter tap-tap (pickup truck with benches) service for Sunday liturgies from Léogane — very costly, but necessary. At present, we can’t offer any hope of regular services there (though I’ve just received word that a suitable building has been found for lease at an affordable price for a chapel), though from time to time Fr. Grégoire and I both pass through the city (once I can drive again, that is) en route to Jacmel and/or Les Cayes, so an occasional vespers or molieben can be arranged.
So — in one visit, two new missions established (Vladyka Gabriel also ratified the choice of SS Peter & Paul) — one of which (it appeared) just popped out of the bushes. Glory be to God!
Home again safely, and
now eagerly anticipating the forthcoming return for St. Augustine’s
feastday in June. What wonders God works!
