With a full set of liturgical books in French finally available in Haiti (something which our Anglophone churches didn’t have available until just the last three or four years), the real work of building a liturgical life has just begun… but it has been well begun. This life must be built against a four-fold background: formalist Roman Catholicism now become popularist folk-worship masking the liturgy, with the pope far away; straight-laced preacher-centered classic Protestantism; wild (and Haitians can be really wild!) enthusiast Pentecostalism; and, inevitably, the ritual-rich, fear-centered infinite variants of vodun. All are about equally distant from authentic Orthodox worship. The one thread which is common to all, and which provides the strongest pathway from them to Orthodox worship is music… rich, powerful even to overwhelming, often heart-breaking in its intensity. Sadly, it is a road we are as yet poorly equipped to pave. At moments, it happens… an overwhelming of the Haitian musical spirit with the music of Orthodox worship, and those moments are enough to last for days and weeks. But it is only moments. It will require a musical genius, whether arising from within the Haitian Orthodox community or coming from outside, to fully open this path. May the Lord provide!
Each visit that I make, I try to be here for three Vigils and Divine Liturgies (two Sundays and a great feast). For the Vigils, I usually do not serve, but help at cliros and observe closely, making notes of problems to be resolved (a pocket dictaphone is immensely useful). The Vigils are properly served, with progressively less direction and interference. At Divine Liturgy, I normally do serve… and it is often I who have the most problem making my way through the unfamiliar layout of the French liturgical books. It is evident that Fr. Jean, Fr. Grégoire, and those who sing know their way well. There are minor glitches, but they would probably be noticeable only to liturgical specialists… who know French.
Each visit, the clergy, the principal readers (not yet ordained) and I meet for liturgical training sessions… comments on the services past, and preparation for those to come. Progress is steady and rewarding. One of the greater obstacles is that the two most critical references (the Liturgical Calendar and The Order of Divine Services) are available only in English. However… not a few of us, years ago, had to make do as best we could with such resources only in Russian, aided by occasional phone calls. The newly established e-mail service should help a lot!
The greater obstacle to be confronted is that the vast majority of Haitians (90%+) understand French poorly or not at all. Unless the Orthodox Church in Haiti is to be a church only of the well-educated (and therefore by definition the less impoverished) Haitian, it is imperative that a steady transition be made to Créole. At present our only resources to this end are a Créole translation of the Holy Scriptures (Protestant in origin, therefore lacking a number of books, and with possible mis-shadings in translation I am incapable of evaluating), and Fr. Jean’s ability to preach in Créole (which he normally does). The Epistle and Gospel at Liturgy are currently read in Créole, as is Psalm 50 at Vigil. Other transitions are to come, in accordance with our abilities.
Generous gifts from our benefactors
have made possible a steady improvement in the physical environment of
the church building itself, with salutary effects for the services. A
new set of liturgical vessels donated by the parish of St. Juliana in
Santa Fe NM have replaced their battered predecessors, and a large
number of spiritually pleasing icons now adorn the church. A kind
donation from the Monastery of the Glorious Ascension has provided
glasses for oil lamps (to replace highly problematical and costly
candles) before the icons and in the altar. More hanging lamps are
badly needed. I brought with me on this trip 30 litres of olive oil
(insanely expensive in Haiti), carried as excess baggage (the excess
baggage charge almost as great as the cost of the oil). We hope that
one of our Orthodox Syrian friends here (whom we also hope will in time
come to regular Church attendance!) will in time be arrange for a more
economical method of import… but until then, excess baggage it shall
be. Dedicated donations are of course welcome… the total cost is about
$5/litre.