I am an Island girl in two ways. I was born on the Islandof Manhattan and grew up, went to school on the Island of Hispaniola, in Haiti.
The Haiti of my childhood is one filled with laughter, storytelling at night and a number of “no batteries required” games. I listened to “L’Orchestre Sainte Trinité,” Episcopal Church Orchestra. I went to the Art Museum sponsored by “College St. Pierre” before I went to the Brooklyn Museum.
The Episcopal Church was and continues to instruct the majority of classically trained Haitian artists and musicians. I enjoyed going to the concerts, the park and the museum. Out of all those, the best was February 22nd Baden Powell’s Birthday, founder of the modern scout movements, on the grounds of the Cathedral Complex.
Boys and girls dressed in uniform khaki with short pants for boys, long pants for young men, dresses for the older girls and jean-wash-colored dresses trimmed with yellow, red and green, with dark blue socks and black shoes for the girls. And bows and barrettes in the younger girl’s hair. It was like a field of colors a sea of chatter and laughter.
We sang as loud as we could. Among other songs, one of them reminded the community to assure that the kids are happy “Pa kite timoun yo tris” (Strive for no sadness among kids).
St. Trinity cathedral complex is not only the spiritual seat of the diocese of Haiti. It is a place where kids come for classical academic formation. It is where all social classes meet and have fellowship, where the vendors come give thanks to God before
continuing to peddle their merchandise to earn enough for food and school. Where all are welcome regardless of their religious or socio-economic status.
In my Haiti, the scouts are where I first learned to respect the dignity of every human being. On the grounds of the Cathédrale Sainte Trinité, I saw it in practice.
Like Connecticut, Haiti is a Diocese of the Episcopal Church. It is our most populous diocese, with about 80,000 people, and it is our poorest.
Its Cathedral in Port-au-Prince was a cultural center for the nation, a place of pride and beauty for all Haitians.
In 35 seconds on Jan. 12, 2010, it fell.
People still flocked to its grounds and its ruins for food and shelter. Absent a working government, the church has always been a place to find schools, clinics, and other social services we take for granted. And thanks to Episcopal Relief and Development, as well as many other agencies and churches, the Bishop, school staff , and sisters of St. Margaret, were able to offer short-term employment, provisional homes, and sanitation systems in addition to other community-focus recovery programs.
Even in the midst of the deep human need and suffering in Haiti, the people seek to worship God together. And while there are agencies who will rebuild schools and clinics, only the church will rebuild a church. Please join in supporting the rebuilding of the Cathedral complex in Port-au-Prince by making a donation this Lent.
“In 1983 and 1984 I was blessed to work as a Volunteer for Mission in L’Eglise Episcopale d’Haiti (Th e Episcopal Church of Haiti) where I helped develop a partnership program between Episcopal schools in Haiti and parishes, dioceses and schools in the United States. Whenever I entered Holy Trinity Cathedral, I was moved by the palpable presence of God in that place. With its incredible frescoes by the Haitian masters and joyous music by the choirs and orchestra of Holy Trinity Music School, the Cathedral manifested Haiti’s artistic beauty and the deep faith of the Haitian people.” -- The Rt. Rev. Ian T. Douglas, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut
Nou ave'ou! - We're with you!
This appeal in the Diocese of Connecticut is part of an Episcopal Church-wide appeal this Lent coordinated by the Episcopal Church Foundation. In Connecticut organizers are asking that donations be made to the local parish, which will then forward them. For more information see the “Rebuild our Church in Haiti” page on the diocesan website, www.ctepiscopal.org. The Rev. Rachel Thomas is the coordinator of the appeal for the Diocese of Connecticut. Contact her at rwthomas55@att.net.
No comments:
Post a Comment