Here is an update to an earlier Blog from Agnès Dumas Bonkoungou, calling us to unite in prayer for Haiti on the 12^th of each month for the next 12 months. A prayer service is available on the Taizé web-site.

Haiti – Prayer for February 12

Haiti – Oración para el 12 de febrero

Haiti – Prière pour le 12 février

Other languages are also available. May the power of prayer circling our globe help bring relief to the suffering, generous hearts to donors, and wisdom to leaders that Haiti may be built anew.

Français

26/01/2010 From Josée Dion (Quebec, Canada)

My little sister in Haiti, how happy I am to learn that you are healthy and safe. Your news is going around the Marianist world. We are deeply sorry for all that has happened in Haiti and we pray fervently, for at the present time we feel very powerless to help in any better way. Many efforts are being made to collect money but we do not know how this will get to you. There are decisions to be made by the different governments in order to assure a reconstruction of the country in its political structures as well as its social structures. The Marianist religious of Haiti also have many decisions to make.

May the Holy Spirit accompany everyone and may Our Lady of Perpetual Help watch over all of you.

I embrace you,

Bye! Josée

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30/01/2010 From Marie Roseline Rogené (Haiti)

Good evening Josée and my Marianist brothers and sisters, I have a little bit of energy in bits and pieces.

Other news: the provinces except for Léogane and the areas around Port-au-Prince have not really been touched; thus our members are perhaps touched at a distance by their relatives and those close to them but not directly. A colleague told me that Urbens Dieuveuil had called him, then logically he is alive, but I have not been able to get in touch with him and with many others. I have one piece of bad news: Brother Belemont lost his wife and only daughter. Unfortunately I have not been able to talk with him in this difficult time because of the difficulties of communication but I am going to keep on trying to find him with all my energy. I ask you to pray very much for Brother Belmont.

Brother Thomas Losier is proposing a gathering for all Marianists as soon as possible after things calm down, a proposal which I support and I propose that the members who are in communication keep on looking for as much information about all the members of the Family in Haiti in a way to get an idea of the whole situation of the members and especially to support them, affective support is very important at this time.

This afternoon there was a mild aftershock felt at Léogane, it is still important to be prudent.

Thank you Josée and united in prayer,

Marie Roseline Rogené

(In gratitude to Brother Tim Phillips, SM for the translation from the original French)

Josée Roberge, Rosaline, Marcel Dion - Québec 2007

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Español

Dear friends,

Here are recent news coming directly from Marie Roseline who is in Haiti. Thank you, Marie Roseline, for sending this message which gives us news about Marianist Family and all your dear relatives. It also gives us possible contact with Joséphine. Thank you, Agnès for having passed on the contact request with the Marianist Family and with Joséphine.

We are very close to you by prayer. Hold on!

Warm fraternal kisses.

Charles-Henri.(Rome)

Hello Dear Agnès and Christiane of the Marianist Family,

Thank you for standing firm with us in Haiti, at Léogane, the town most hit by the earthquake, with 90% of the houses destroyed and 5,000 to 10,000 dead, according to the United Nations, information that I even experience for I have lived it daily from the 12^th up to this day, in this difficult situation.

I have no information about Sr. Josephine [Joséphine Mathieu, Alliance postulant] , but I have her telephone number, try, if it is still working.

Concerning the MLC, of Port-au-Prince certainly Yvelyne André, the Morisseau family, Jocelyn Louis, Myriam Arnault, Vastie Jasmin, Jean Manson Jasmin, and 8 other members of the MLC of Carrefour have given me news.

The majority of the houses are destroyed, that of the mama of Yveline, that of Myriame and others. At Léogane, for example, the five houses which housed the different members of the Rogené family are all destroyed.  We are in temporary shelters made with sheets, with plastic tarpaulins, old pieces of iron sheets, anything we can find.  But we are all in good health except for those with slight injuries. We say thanks to the Lord, for the most precious possession we have is his presence in us and around us.  We share what we have by way of food, found under the rubble with our group, for our refugee camp in the  area where we are, has not received any help up til now.  There are still mild aftershocks which plunge the population into a lot of stress and confusion. And the negative rumors of all sorts just complicate the situation.  But we are standing firm.  We ask for your prayers day and night, especially an intention for peace for our people, for insecurity shows up under all its forms.

Thank you dear sisters for your availability and care in this difficult situation.

Marie Roseline Rogené (Haiti)

Brother Michael McAward has chronicled the email correspondence from Fr. Florian Royer-Chabot (Canada) and Br. Hervé Guillo du Bodan (France) from Haiti. The letters share the personal experiences of our brothers during the earthquake, the sadness of their departures, and their on-going efforts to maintain contact with our Marianist family in Haiti. This 2^nd special edition of Via Latina is available at www.marianist.org in three languages:

ENGLISH

ESPAÑOL

FRANÇAIS

Dear friends,

I’m re-posting a comment that our friend in Rome, Charli, wrote below…

According to the very new phone call that the youngest Hervé’s sister received and transmited to us, they are in Pointe à Pitre (Guadeloupe, French Antilles), in a hostel.
They are supposed to arrive in Paris on monday, Jan. 18, morning (French time).
They = Hervé, SM, France ; Stanislas, SM, Togo ; Agnès Dumas – Bonkoungou, Haïti-France, CLM). I haven’t any recent news abour Florian (SM, Canada) but he is in good health and he is supposed to go to Canada. Wesly (CLM Responsible, Haïti), is in good health, as you know. Chevalier and Jean-Eddy (SM, Haïti) had gone to their families to confort them. It is the same for novices and prenovices. The other four scholastics from Haïti are currently studying in Abidjan. Eugène Côté has arrived, as it was expected, in Abidjan. One of the scholastics has no news about his family.
Let’s keep on praying, supporting all these poor Haiti persons in such a drama.
Thanks to everybody.
Charli.

We thank God for the safety of our SM Brothers and Agnès Dumas. (The CLM, founded by Agnès, were the first Marianist presence in Haiti.) We will do all that we can to maintain contact with our lay Marianists in Haiti, and will share all news as it becomes available. I invite you to post any messages or news on this blog, or to email me at isabellamoyer@clm-mlc.org.

Today’s gospel is the Wedding at Cana….a gospel dear to all Marianist hearts. We put our trust in Jesus. May He guide all leaders, aid workers, survivors, and generous souls around the world to work together to transform the devastation into new life. And may each of us follow Mary’s call to “do whatever He tells you.”

Curia Generalizia Marianisti

Via Latina 22

Roma

Français English Español

NOUVELLES DE NOS FRERES EN HAITI

Grâce à plusieurs messages sms, nous savons que nos frères sont tous en bonne santé mais la situation à Port-au-Prince est très éprouvante. Le Prénoviciat est totalement détruit et le noviciat inhabitable. Il faut vivre et dormir dehors. Les répliques des secousses continuent. Les secours s’organisent très difficilement.

Après discernement nos frères ont décidé de faire rentrer en famille les pré-novices, les novices et les deux profès temporaires haïtiens présents au pays (Eddy et Chevalier). Il y a dans leurs familles plusieurs blessés ou même des personnes décédées.

Les formateurs rentrent aussi dans leur pays pour un temps de repos et de reprise : Florian Royer-Chabot au Canada, Stanislas Limdeyou en France puis au Togo (si le trajet lui est accordé jusque là) et Hervé Guillo du Bodan en France. Ces deux derniers devraient être à Paris samedi vers la fin de journée.

Le Père Gustave Lamontagne qui était venu pour un séjour de deux mois en Haïti demeure à St-Louis-du-Sud où il se trouvait au moment du tremblement de terre.

Prions pour nos frères, prions pour nos candidats, prions pour le futur de notre fondation en Haïti, rendons grâce aussi pour la protection accordée. Prions bien-sûr pour tout le peuple d’Haïti et invitons à la générosité pour l’aider à se relever. Faisons monter intensément cette intention en ce temps de célébration de nos Fondateurs, tout spécialement ce 22 janvier, fête du Bienheureux Guillaume-Joseph Chaminade.

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NEWS OF OUR BROTHERS IN HAITI

Thanks to several SMS messages, we know that all our Brothers are in good health, but the situation in Port-au-Prince is very difficult.  The Prenovitiate house is totally destroyed and the Novitiate uninhabitable.  They must sleep outdoors.  The aftershocks continue.  Emergency services are being organized, but with great difficulty.

After careful discernment, our Brothers decided to send the pre-novices, the novices and the two Haitian temporary professed in the country (Bros. Eddy and Chevalier) home to their families.  In their families there are several injured and even some dead.

The formators are returning to their own countries for a time of rest and for restoration of their strength:  Father Florian Royer-Chabot to Canada, Brothers Stanislas Limdeyou to France and then to Togo (if he can get there) and Hervé Guillo du Bodan to France.  The two latter should be in Paris Saturday by the end of the day.

Father Gustave Lamontagne, who had gone for a two-month stay in Haiti, is remaining at St-Louis-du-Sud where he was at the time of the earthquake.

Let us pray for our Brothers, for our candidates, for the future of our foundation in Haiti, and let us be thankful for the protection they have already received.  Let us pray also, of course, for the people of Haiti and invite the generosity of others to help them recover.  Let us put that intention foremost in our prayers at this time of celebration of our Founders, especially on January 22, the feast of Blessed William Joseph Chaminade.

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NOTICIAS DE NUESTROS HERMANOS EN HAITÍ

Gracias a varios mensajes sms sabemos que nuestros hermanos están bien, pero la situación en Puerto Príncipe es desastrosa. El Prenoviciado está totalmente destruido y el Noviciado ha quedado inhabitable. Hay que vivir y dormir en las calles. Se siguen produciendo réplicas del terremoto. La organización de las ayudas está resultando muy difícil.

Tras considerar atentamente la situación, nuestros hermanos han decidido que los prenovicios, los novicios y los dos profesos temporales haitianos que están en el país (Eddy et Chevalier) vayan con sus familias. Entre sus familiares hay varios heridos o muertos.

Los formadores van a volver también a sus respectivos países para pasar un tiempo de descanso y recuperación: Florian Royer-Chabot a Canadá, Stanislas Limdeyou a Francia y después a Togo (si consigue un pasaje hasta allí) y Hervé Guillo du Bodan a Francia. Estos dos últimos posiblemente llegarán a París el sábado por la tarde.

El Padre Gustave Lamontagne, que había ido a pasar dos meses en Haití, se queda por el momento en St-Louis-du-Sud, en donde se encontraba en el momento del terremoto.

Recemos por nuestros hermanos y por nuestros candidatos, recemos por el futuro de nuestra fundación en Haití, demos gracias también por la protección que les ha salvado. Y, por supuesto, recemos por todo el pueblo de Haití. Hacemos un llamamiento a la generosidad de todos para ayudar a su reconstrucción. Tengamos presente esta intención de manera muy particular en este tiempo de celebración de nuestros Fundadores, especialmente el próximo día 22 de enero, fiesta del Beato P. Guillermo-José Chaminade.

Wesly Etienne, CLM Haiti (National Responsible)

Susan Vogt shares the following message she just received from Wesly Etienne, CLM National Reponsible for Haiti and delegate to our Nairobi meeting. He thanks us for our concern and prayers. He appears to be unhurt. It is still too soon to evaluate the number of vistims, only that it is severe. He joins us in prayer

Chere Susan

Je te dis un grand merci pour les mots de reconforts,Port au prince est ravage par un seisme c’est un coup dur pour Haiti,jusqu’a present on peut pas evaluer la quantite des victimes. La maison des frere est brisee(le prenovicia).Unions de priere ma soeur.

wesly.