Part Seven of Seven

Pray for us, we pray for you. Priye pou nou, nou priye pou ou

Please do not forget us.

Those two things are what we hear each year when we visit Haiti.

Our first two goals for the next Twenty years of our sister parish relationship are to keep the people Notre Dame de Lourdes in our prayers and in doing so REMEMBER them.

The third and equally important goal is to continue our support of the 24 chapel schools.

One certainty is that Education Support will be the primary focus of our sister parish relationship for as long as it exists. Through four Haitian pastors and twenty years the answer to our first question is always the same: What do you think is the most important thing we can do to help our sister parish? Provide for the education and faith formation.

Over the last two decades your support of education in Notre Dame de Lourdes has made attending school possible for approximately 15,000 children.  There have been teachers available for grades one through six. There have been school supplies available for those who could not afford them. There have been uniforms and backpacks available for those who did not have them. The Take Away Hunger food packaging events that you have supported helped families with food when droughts or heavy rains destroyed food crops. This helped families maintain a focus on education in the midst of other life challenges.

Another strong goal is to visit our sister parish each year. This annual joining in fellowship and faith creates the relationships that carry us through the difficult times. As we are experiencing during this time of Social Distancing communication can be accomplished without being physically together, but in-person communication is enriching on many more levels. Being physically present for our sister parish communicates how much we care through our willingness to set aside our personal lives and the comfort of our home to travel to be with them at Mass, in the schools, and at meals.

Jean Maryo, one of the teachers in Notre Dame de Lourdes puts it this was “Dear friends we have a friendship many years ago, we see that until now our friendship just stay in life, it isn’t us but it is the grace of God!! We, the youth of Belle Fontaine are so grateful to see your presence in the area every year!”

Our presence is through the school supplies you donate, the Take Away Hunger meals you package, and the money you give during Lent and Fall fundraisers each year to support education. Thank you very much for all that you do each year. May it continue for the next Twenty years and beyond!

Your Lenten Alms will aid in continuing these educational efforts!

Please click on the link below to contribute.

https://allsaintscr.com/resources/donate/

Contributions may be mailed to:
All Saints Haiti Committee
720 29th St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52403
Please include the notation “Education Support Fund.”

Renmen Bondye, Sèvi Lòt Moun, Fòm Disip
Love God, Serve Others, Form Disciples.