|
|
|
Haiti Overview Pictures History Our Lady of Fatima Parish is twinned with the College Monseigneur Jean-Baptiste Decoste, through the Parish Twinning Program of the Americas. “College” in French means “high school” in English. This is a high school located in Thomonde, Haiti. Its director since June 19, 2006, is Father Wilfranc S Servil. There were more than 270 students before the 2010 earthquake and 24 staff members. Since the earthquake, Father Wilfranc has made room for many students who fled the devastated Port-au-Prince area. Our Lady of Fatima pays the salaries of the teachers at the High School in four installments per year: $11550 due September 1, December 1, and March 1. The Haitian government requires that teachers also be paid for 2 summer months, so we send a check for $7700 by June 1. The majority of the money we send is gathered in the green monthly envelopes included in Our Lady of Fatima’s envelope packets. Other fund-raisers are listed below. Every March-April, we collect basic medical supplies, school supplies, shoes and clothing, which are sent on a container ship to our sister school and other parishes in Haiti. This is organized by the Parish Twinning Program. There is no other reliable way to send goods to the school, except to carry them on an airplane. And now the airlines are charging even more for checked luggage. After the 4 tropical storms that hit Haiti in 2008, Our Lady of Fatima began to donate money to help pay for school lunches provided by Father Wilfranc (Servil), and we also provided money to send food home with the neediest students to help their families get through the summer months. Father Wilfranc has visited Our Lady of Fatima 4 times. During summer visits, he has received free medical treatment from Dr. Mahdi Budayr, who continues to help us provide Father with medicine. Members of our parish have been to Thomonde twice, first in 2005, and in May, 2009. Our goal is to alternate visits every spring/summer. Fund-raisers: -One weekend each fall, Colette Souder sells her soaps and lotions after all masses and donates all the money to the school. -Each winter, the Knights of Columbus have a pancake breakfast, and the donations go to the school. -The Confirmation Class, for the past 2 years, has had a waffle breakfast, and given the donations to the school. -One summer, the hospitality committee hosted a beans and rice supper during Father Wilfranc’s visit, and invited Deacon Ben Johnson, of Sacred Heart in Knoxville, to explain Sacred Heart’s Haiti outreach. |
|
-We sell Our Lady of Fatima cookbooks (Bread of Life). -We print and sell greeting cards designed by Father Wilfranc’s students. -All money from all fund-raisers goes directly to the high school. -We have received one-time donations from the Rotary Club of Alcoa, our CCW, our CYO, and from other generous individuals. Current situation: After the earthquake of January 2010, many people fled the flattened capital city of Port-au-Prince and made their way to Thomonde homeless and empty-handed. We quickly sent $5100 to Father Wilfranc, to help him provide necessities for these families. Father bought and distributed sandals, oil, rice and water. He has taken as many refugee teens into the high school as possible (185 at last count), and provided them with school supplies. On January 17, Our Lady of Fatima parishioners donated $9341 to a special collection for earthquake victims. Father Wilfranc was extraordinarily grateful to receive such a large sum to help him provide for the refugees’ needs. After Father’s visit to us this summer (2010), our parishioners contributed $12,000 in a special collection. Father organized a summer camp for refugee children. Father said, “Thanks for your confidence. FYI, we also have handicapped children in the camp. We also have teens and children who lost their mother and father in the earthquake, and who are re-discovering their taste for life.” Here is the translation of Father’s most recent thank-you e-mail to Our Lady of Fatima: 10-6-2010: “Thank you again” “I’d like to take this opportunity to say thank you to the parishioners who have enabled us to begin this school year beautifully. We started the year with a mass. We though of the faithful Fatima parishioners and the committee who help us pay the teachers.” As Father has said many times, he is deeply grateful to Father Bede, Father Shelton, and our parishioners. In Father’s words, “Haitians are very grateful; despite their suffering, they are always hopeful…May God bless you and keep you.” Each month, the high school celebrates a special mass for us, the members of Our Lady of Fatima Church.
|
|
Haiti Pictures (No recent pictures available at this time) |