| In 1984, a young father of three who was a member of the Parish Council
at Notre Dame brought to that group a recommendation that we ‘as Church’
share our blessings with others by adopting a parish in Haiti. Like
most new ideas, it did not meet with great approval at first; but, his
unwavering belief that this was the right thing to do, finally won
the Council’s approval. We give thanks for folks like Andy
Smith who call us to look beyond ourselves, our parish, and our borders.
Here it is 2008, and our commitment to our brothers and sisters in the
Immaculate Conception de Roseaux continues.
The Haitian Parish Twinning Program, based in Nashville, Tennessee worked with Notre Dame to identify our parish in Haiti. De Roseaux is located about 30 minutes outside of Jeremie, and the parish is in the Diocese of Jeremie. If your church is interested in twinning with a parish in Haiti, go to: www.parishprogram.org . |
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This is the Church of the Immaculate Conception. The parish priest is Father Osnel Alexis. |
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A view of the sea from the front steps of the church. |
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In front of the church runs a dirt road lined with one-room houses. This is the village of Roseaux. |
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This truck is owned by the Diocese but Father Alexis has full use of it. I imagine this truck was used to pick up our past shipments of in-kind gifts of beans & rice, school supplies, hygiene supplies, etc. When Father John visited in 2006, the truck was in need of repair. Hopefully it is running by now. |
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Pictured left to right are Father Alexis, the interpreter during Father John’s visit, the Bishop of Jeremie, and Father John Appiah, our pastor. |
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Left to right are the handyman for the rectory and church, Father John, and a youth who is very active with the youth group. |
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With a matching gift grant from the Christian Self Help Inc., a local not-for-profit, we were able to send the Roseaux Project 100 bibles. |