News From St. Genevieve - Zoranje, Haiti

June 7, 2007 - A Taste of Haiti

On Saturday, June 7, 2008, St. Patrick-St. Anthony Church in Hartford held its fourth annual Taste of Haiti fundraiser. Through the Office of Haitian Ministries in the Norwich Diocese, the Church has been twinned with St. Genevieve Church in Zoranje, Haiti since 2004. Fr. Frixner Jean Francois, Pastor of St. Genevieve, came to visit and was accompanied by Colleen Larkin, Assistant Director of the Norwich Mission House in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti. Colleen served as Fr. Frixner’s translator.
The celebration of Mass prior to the event was made even more special by including Haitian music with drums and a liturgical dance to deliver the Offertory gifts. Fr. Frixner preached at all Masses celebrated, sharing the thanks of the Zoranje community.
Afterwards, over 200 people arrived at the Church’s Franciscan Center for the festivities, where they were greeted by Haitian music and a variety of Haitian dishes for dinner. Haiti’s Back Porch, a Middletown shop that sells items made by Haitians, opened a boutique in the rear of the hall. Shoppers were in awe of the beautiful handmade items.
Fr. Frixner said that he was happy to be back with friends in the Hartford community - “everyone is so kind”. He will go back to St. Genevieve to tell his parishioners what he saw - “so many people were working very hard - all for the people of Zoranje. It is clear that everyone here loves the people of Haiti. I want to thank everyone and I want you all to know that everyone in St. Genevieve keeps you in their prayers.” Colleen added “It is nice to see first-hand the time, energy, and heart that goes into the relationship with the people of Zoranje.”
The money raised will go to support the school and the 400 students fed through the school lunch program at St Genevieve School in Zoranje

Spring 2008

On The Road to Recovery in Zoranje
Aid from Hartford Parish Helps after the Flood

By Nick Kocmich
Norwich Mission House Director

            The Brutelle River runs through the mountainous region of Zoranje in central Haiti. As it slowly winds its way through the valleys, this tranquil waterway looks so insignificant that one wonders how it ever warranted being called a river. Haitians have learned to live simply along its banks, using its life-giving water for drinking, bathing and irrigation.
On Oct. 10, a freak storm hit Zoranje and turned the lazy Brutelle into a raging river. The flood waters took the lives of 11 people and destroyed or severely damaged 86 houses in Zoranje and another 114 nearby. Flooding also ruined countless crops, which were many people’s only source of income. 
In comparison to recent headline-making natural disasters, this loss of life and property might seem minimal; by numbers, the devastation in Zoranje is small. But in Haiti, recovering from any disaster is extremely difficult. Those affected have no savings in the bank to turn to in emergencies. There are no insurance companies to file claims with, and the thinly stretched Haitian government has neither the resources nor personnel to help. To add to the difficulties is the location of this rural community. Deep in the mountains, Zoranje is just far enough away from Port-au-Prince to be out of sight and out of mind.
But there was help for the people of Zoranje. The Catholic parish of this community—St. Genevieve—is twinned with St. Patrick-St. Anthony Church in Hartford. After the flood, Fr. Frixner Jean Francois, who is St. Genevieve’s priest, turned to Haitian Ministries, which oversees the twinning program, for assistance.
With an outpouring of donations from the St. Patrick-St. Anthony congregation and the help of other donors, Haitian Ministries has been able to respond by creating a house re-building project. Catholic Relief Services, an international, non-profit, has joined Haitian Ministries by offering technical assistance.
In Zoranje, Edner and Lusmen Saintiliese, both in their late 40s, were among the hard-hit by the flooding. They lost their home, two pigs and piglets and nine chickens, and their gardens. They were left only with the clothes they wore. Today, while they build a new house paid for by their twin parish in Hartford, the Haitian family is staying in a farm house, which amounts to little more than a grass tent.
Edner and Lusmen have had eight children, four of whom died in early childhood. Today, their two youngest children, 12-year-old Bernadette and Fedner, 15, attend one of the schools supported by St. Patrick-St. Anthony.
To help the family survive, their two oldest—Roosman, who is 19, and 18-year-old Iseman—often hike three hours to a local market to sell water crescents.
Asked recently if there had been any flood comparable to the one in October, Edner told a visitor, “All of the men with white hair say they have never seen floods like this before.”
And speculating what would have happened to his family without the housing assistance, he added, “We would do what we could but probably nothing. … Thank you!”
The gratitude of Edner Saintiliese has been echoed by others in Zoranje.
The housing project, which began in December, is progressing with construction of five homes at a time. The goal for St. Patrick-St. Anthony is to build 50 houses. Each costs $1,450, which covers all materials and transportation costs. All the families getting the new houses help in the construction.
Last Christmas, St. Patrick-St. Anthony collected more than $82,000 for St. Genevieve, much of which will go to the housing project. (Donations also go to a lunch program, which feeds about 400 children a year, and to teacher salaries and school tuitions.) In early February, eight parishioners from Hartford traveled to Haiti to visit their twinned community and to see the houses built and under construction.
The houses are simple—two rooms, a front porch, cement flooring, and a tin roof. However, they are bigger and sturdier than those destroyed in the flooding, and the families who live in them feel fortunate. 

Click here to view the article in the Haitian Times Newsletter.

February 28, 2008 - Letter from Fr. Frixner, Pastor of St. Genevieve

Dear Friends;
      I am writing to say hello to you in the name of the Lord. I was happy because you sent an important delegation to visit Zoranje from February 5 to February 7. We were happy to see them all. Our thanks go to Fr. Mike, Judy, Jane, Jack, Roger, Mary, Fran, Kim, and Nick who came with them.
      I was thankful that they were able to see the damage that the flood had caused and see the progress of the new houses being built. Mrs. Lucker Alexis, who lost her husband in the flood that hit Zoranje on October 10, 2007, is just one of many who also wants to give her thanks to the parish of St. Patrick and St. Anthony. Mrs. Alexi is facing many problems with her family. She has seven children to take care of because now by herself, but she is happy now because you are helping her build a house. She also thanks you for the other four families that you are building a house for. They ask the blessings of God upon you.
      Thank you to all the faithful in St. Patrick-St. Anthony and the priests in the Franciscan community.
      Thanks for the support you have been providing for St. Genevieve and thank you for your support to the victims of the flooding. I look forward to visiting you in June.
      I love you so much. God bless you

      Fr. Frixner

 

February 20, 2008 - HNP Newletter

Hartford Parish Supports Rebuilding in Haiti
by Wendy Healy

HARTFORD, Conn. — In early February, eight members of St. Patrick-St. Anthony Parish here — accompanied by Michael Jones, OFM — traveled to Haiti to see their faith in action through the rebuilding of houses devastated by flooding last October.

Working through a program developed by the Diocese of Norwich (Connecticut), St. Patrick-St. Anthony has been twinning with St. Genevieve Parish in Zoranje, Haiti, since 2004.

Over the past four years, the people of St. Patrick-St. Anthony have sponsored several projects in Haiti, including building a new rectory for St. Genevieve, according to Mike, a parochial vicar at the Hartford parish.

Traveling four times to Haiti, Mike said this trip was especially fulfilling since the group witnessed houses they funded being constructed in the mountains. “This trip was different because we saw the first five houses being built.”

He recalled having to walk two hours up a mountain because there were no roads, but the journey was well worth it. Up until the point where the road became impassable, the van traveled seven miles per hour. “This is how they get the cement, tin, metal and other building supplies to the houses. There are no roads. It’s mostly by donkey.”

But in spite of seeing the impoverished conditions, Mike and the group enjoyed being able to mark Ash Wednesday with the people of St. Genevieve, as well as bless a newly-constructed home.

Parish Donates $85,000
The concrete-block two-room houses, which are less than 200 square feet, will house an average family of six, according to Mike, and cost approximately $1,450 each. The money for the rebuilding was raised by parishioners, who generously gave almost $85,000 last year, enough to build 50 houses, he said.

The Feb. 4-11 trip included seeing construction of these homes, as well as staying with the St. Genevieve parish, where poverty is so severe that just having a meal is a blessing.

Mealtime, according to Mike, was difficult. “It’s not a great experience,” he said. “You never know what you’re going to have. Normally, they wouldn’t have three meals a day — they’re lucky to have one. Here we are, with them feeding us all this food and most of them are going hungry.”

But nevertheless, he said, the parish generously offered rice, cold slaw, potato salad, beets, hot dogs, or fish stew. “At other times, we know they killed a goat for us,” said Mike.

A Parishioner Reflects on the Trip
“Seeing Zoronje, the primitive conditions, and how much activity is required to simply sustain life, you can’t not be touched by the conditions and how the Haitian people are trying to help themselves,” said parishioner Jack Martins, after his first trip.

Martins said he was struck by the lack of infrastructure in Haiti. “I took that with me immediately from the airport. I saw devastation, the housing conditions, the road conditions. I thought about lack of running water, no sewers. What would happen if there was a fire? But people appear to be happy in spite of the fact that they do without.”

He also said he was impressed by the happy Haitian faces. “The minute I got out of the plane, I was surprised,” Martin said.  “My first observation was how beautiful the people were.”

The trip was so meaningful to Martins and wife, Helen, who participated last year, that the couple plans to return. “I would go back. We’re planning on going in 2010, and may go back annually after I retire. I think we can do some good — beyond donating funds for education, house-building, feeding programs and orphanages. We’re at the beginning levels — a lot still has to be done.”

Martins said he can contribute by helping to raise awareness for the plight of the Haitian people. “All I can offer is my own understanding, compassion and passion to encourage others to understand.”

Improvements Under Way
And while a lot of work remains to be done, Mike said he has seen some improvement. “I’ve seen a lot of progress in the past few years. This year, the country seemed cleaner – they’re trying.” In addition to the new houses being built, schools are going up and a new airport is under construction.

Mike said he hopes to return in July, and is looking forward to planning another trip for the parish next year. He invites others to travel with him and to email him at M.jones@stpatrick-stanthony.org

What motivates Mike and the people of St. Patrick-St. Anthony is the expression of gratitude. “A man who was getting a new home came up to us and said, ‘thank you.’ He said, ‘We had no hope.’ It’s this sense that we can be a sign of hope for each other; that we can make a difference on the individual level.”

— Wendy Healy, a freelance writer, is an occasional contributor to HNP Today.

January 26-27, 2008

The Celebration of the Feast of St. Genevieve

Our motto: “Open Minds, Open Hearts, Open Doors” was thoughtfully chosen to reflect our sense of who we are – how we live, pray and act as individuals and as a parish.
Open hearts lead us to consider how we might live as followers of Jesus, proclaiming good news to the poor, freedom to those imprisoned and oppressed and clear sight to those who have not yet seen the love of God in their lives.
Open minds provide new and creative ways to live out the good news of justice in our homes, neighborhoods, the city of Hartford, and in a mountain town of Zoranje, Haiti.
Open doors allow us to invite and accept invitations to be sisters and brothers with those we have not known ‘til now.
During the liturgies this weekend we will celebrate with our brothers and sisters in Zoranje, the feast day of St. Genevieve the patron saint of our sister parish in Haiti. May our covenant relationship deepen our understanding, heighten our concern and join us intimately in solidarity, advocacy, and love for God and one another.
Today we are summoned from our homes by the Holy Spirit to offer praise to our God. Today’s liturgy reminds us to sing joyfully to the Lord, for our God is a gentle shepherd who guides the flock with love and care. Let us open our hearts, minds and doors to receive God’s living word, which has the power to transform us and give us life. So let us with one voice sing out with our sister parish God’s glory and praise.

January 20, 2008

This Christmas, St. Patrick - St. Anthony collected over $82,000 for their sister parish, St. Genevieve, in Zoranje, Haiti.  In the fall, over 200 homes were destroyed by the mudslides and floods caused by the heavy rains!  During the spring, St. Patrick - St. Anthony will be able to build 50 new houses for families who lost their home during this disaster.  On February 4, 2008, eight parishioners will travel to Haiti for eight days on an immersion trip.  During this time they will be able to visit a few on the houses under construction and the families that our helping to build these houses. Donations were also given to help fund our other programs at St. Genevieve. The Lunch Program feeds about 400 a day during the school year. We provide the salaries for the teachers at he school along with tuition assistance.

Global Giving Tree
329 People Donated to our Sister Parish
17 Individual/Families Donated a House
Education	$1,230.00
Lunch	$5,398.00
Teachers	$5,950.00
Relief Aid - Houses	$69,470.00
With other money raised we will be able to build 50 new homes in Zoranje!
Total Amount Raised for St. Genevieve this Christmas
$82,048.00
Includes the $20,000 in matching funds from a private donor.

 

December 18, 2007

Re-Building Homes & Lives in Zoranje, Haiti, after Devastating Storms and Floods

Story by Colleen Larkin, with Norwich Mission House in Port-au-Prince

Today, the work of rebuilding the homes and the lives of the people of Zoranje has begun, thanks to a partnership between Haitian Ministries of the Diocese of Norwich and Catholic Relief Services.
In October, Haiti – particularly the village of Zoranje, which is about 35 kilometers north of Port-au-Prince – was hit hard with rains, which flooded and destroyed many homes and claimed the lives of numerous people. In Zoranje alone, a dozen people died and well over 200 houses were ruined or damaged. In the wake of the storm, many villagers and their loved ones became sick because of having to sleep outdoors, exposed to the elements and vulnerable to disease. 
Last month, Haitian Ministries was able to help save the life of Soeurette, a young woman in Zoranje, who lost her mother in the flood and was struck with malaria after sleeping on the ground next to a dirty river. After Soeurette’s malaria treatment and return to good health, Haitian Ministries (based in Norwich, Conn., and with a mission house in Port-au-Prince) sent her and her sister, Angelique, back to Zoranje to be with their father. The hope is that the family will soon have a new home to live in.
On Dec. 10, Haitian Ministries, in partnership with Catholic Relief Services (CRS), began the home-rebuilding process. In the initial weeks after the storm, CRS and Caritas EUROPA, both international non-profits, provided immediate relief of food, clothing and blankets.  Now, in the second phase of the relief effort, the long-term assistance of rebuilding houses is in full swing, with a goal of constructing more than 80 basic structures. The cost to rebuild each house, with a cement foundation, walls and metal roof, is $1,450.  Haitian Ministries and CRS will supply the materials and technical support necessary, while the people of the village will do the building – five homes at a time. 
In Hartford, Conn., St. Patrick-St. Anthony Church, which is twinned in a Haitian Ministries’ program with St. Genevieve parish in Zoranje, has been a center of fund-raising efforts for this project.
The Hartford church started its Christmas campaign for Zoranje in early December and has raised $58,000 – enough to build 40 homes. Fr. Frixner Jean Francois, St. Genevieve’s pastor, has identified the families in most need of houses.
People from St. Patrick-St. Anthony plan to visit Haiti in early February, when they expect to visit Zoranje.  They have been twinned with St. Genevieve for almost four years.

December 11, 2007

APPEAL FOR FUNDING FOR THE BUILDING OF HOMES DESTROYED BY STORM by Colleen Larkin

A Haitian man once told me, “go and tell your people what you see here in Haiti, tell them about the dying and the starving children.  You are our eyes, you are our voice”……
~ A Haitian Father

In mid November we embarked on a trip not far outside the capital, Port-au-Prince, to the village of Zoranje.  This village is one of the communities that was hit hard by the October storm that came through Haiti, wiping out 200 homes and claiming the lives of 11 people in just this one area.  It was in this small hamlet, nestled in a valley between two mountains that we met the sisters Angeline and Soeurette.  These young women, ages 18 and 20, were left motherless and homeless after the rainstorm swept through their village.  Their story is just one among many of the stories of families who lost loved ones and what little shelter they did have, exacerbating the already-grueling living conditions. 

The road to Zoranje is a treacherous one.  To get there we must climb a mountain where the roads are not paved, but made up of loose rock that kicks up under the truck as its wheels spin up the ridge.  As we ascend into the mountain, children jump off their donkeys, pushing them to the side of the narrow path, out of the way of truck winding around corners.   Women making the 10-mile trek down to the market, in bare feet with baskets on their head, push up against the brush on the side of the mountain, making way for us to barrel our way through.  After an hour of intense driving and crossing two small rivers – and with the truck covered in mud -- we arrive and are greeted by some of the local men and Father Frixner, the local parish priest. 

As we walk in the hot sun, we see most of the earth is dry but with spots of mud, reminders of the tragedies that took place here.  Walking farther into the brush, we come across the skeletons of what were once homes.  Alongside the barren carcass of one house a mother lies on the metal frame of a bed, children half-clothed in her arms.  Going farther, we see more and more of the same.  Close to a riverbed, we stumble onto a young girl lying on a mattress strewn on the dirt and naked except for a sheet across her lower body.  Everyone we pass says the same thing: “lafyev” – the Creole word for fever.  It is like the village of the dying.  Someone once said, “Haiti redefines the word poverty,” and it couldn’t have been more true at this moment. 

We soon come across a man sitting alongside the remains of his home, overlooking his ill daughter.  He explains that she has been sick for the past four days and that she has just lost not only her home but also her mother, his wife.  We decide to take his daughter Soeurette to the hospital along with her sister, Angeline, for support.  To get Soeurette to our truck, her frail father carries her a mile on his back through the mud and brush.  We then take Soeurette to a hospital, where she is tested her for the standard illnesses: HIV/AIDS, typhoid fever and malaria.  The most difficult thing is to watch Soeurette violently shake in bed, while her sister, always by her side, stares sadly at the wall.

After three days of hospitals, losing test results and 2500mg of chloroquine to treat her malaria, Soeurette finally stopped shaking and her fever had subsided.  We send her back to her father, who has had no word of his daughter in three days.  There are no telephones in Zoranje.  We know we are sending the two sisters back to another world, a place where there are no doctors, where there is no running water and where people’s basic needs are not guaranteed.  While Sourette and Angeline will go back to their village, they do not have a home to go to.   

On December 10th, Haitian Ministries, in partnership with Catholic Relief Services, is going to begin to help rebuild homes.   In the initial weeks after the storm Catholic Relief Services and Caritas EUROPA, both international non profits working in Haiti, provided immediate relief of food, clothing and blankets.  As this primary emergency intervention comes to an end, the long-term relief and assistance plan, which will focus on rebuilding homes, will begin. With your help, Haitian Ministries will be able to provide the resources necessary for each family to construct a basic home with a cement foundation, walls and metal roof.  The cost to build one home is $1,450.  Haitian Ministries and Catholic Relief Services will supply the materials and technical support necessary, while the people of the village will do the building – five homes at a time.  The goal is to rebuild 86 homes. 

Without basic shelter it is likely that sickness and disease will continue to sweep through this community.  While medicine can help cure, a home can help prevent the likelihood of disease.  As we survey the poverty around us we are told that tonight people will sleep in their gardens, they will sleep under trees and some will be fortunate enough to share the floor of their neighbor’s home.  As the voice of the people of Zoranje and the people of Haiti we are appealing to you to help us meet the most basic needs of these people.  Please help us to help Angeline and Sourette’s family and the many other families that will sleep outside tonight.  Each contribution will go directly to helping the people of Zoranje help themselves. 

Debember 6th, 2007

Nick Kocmich traveled to Zoranje with a representative from CRS (Catholic Relief Services) to meet with Fr. Frixner and discuss a relief project for the area.  The first item was to decide how we were going to help.  Fr. Frixner said that housing was the biggest priority at this time.  He had already identified 86 families from the area who have lost their home. Some of the lucky families are sleeping at friends and neighbors, the majority are sleeping outside.  Once housing was decided we formulated the cost of each house to be $1,450.  These costs will cover all materials for the house such as sand, cement, metal ties and metal for the roof as well as a construction manager to oversee the work.  The people receiving the houses will provide the labor for the house as well as large stones for the foundation which can be found in the nearby riverbed.  The first phase of this project will be the construction of 5 houses.  Fr. Frixner identified the 5 neediest families from the most devastated area.  These five families will work as a team, each contributing to the construction of one another’s house.  Contracts agreeing to labor will be signed and land deed presented before construction begins.  Land deeds are a necessity in any construction project. We don’t want to build a home for a family on someone else’s land as the rightful land owner can claim the house as his own and kick the family out.  Fr. Frixner did not this will be a problem. 

We are hoping to start this first phase next week. After we are finished with the first five we hope to identify the next five families most in need and ideally continue the project until everyone in need has been given a home.  Monies we currently have will not be enough to give houses to everyone. The hope is to start the project off well and then advertise to seek further funding for its completion. At this point CRS is only providing logistical and technical support but it has promised to look for funding in the near future. CRS has a general focus on Southern Haiti which was affected greatly by Noel which is currently occupying much of its funding.  I’m confident that further funding can and will be secured after the implementation of the project.

November 28, 2007

After the Flood in Haiti

By Nick Kocmich, Director of Norwich Mission House of the Diocese of Norwich, CT, and By Colleen Larkin, House Coordinate of Norwich Mission House

Zoranje, Haiti -- One day in late November, we embarked on a trip not far outside the capital city of Port-au-Prince. We headed for Zoranje, one of the villages hit hard by the heavy rains, which killed more than 100 people in Haiti and the Dominican Republic last month. Torrential rains and landslides claimed the lives of 11 people in Zoranje alone, and it wiped out 200 homes. It was in this village, nestled in a valley between two mountains, that we would meet two sisters, Angeline and Soeurette, whose mother was taken away with the floods. 

The road to Zoranje is a treacherous one.  To get there, we drove up a mountain on a narrow, unpaved road of loose rocks, which often kicked up under the truck whenever the wheels spun out.  As the truck ascended, children jumped off their donkeys, pushing them to the side to make way for our passage.   Women on the 10-mile trek down to the market, in bare feet with baskets on their heads, pushed up against the brush on the side of the road as our truck barreled through.  After an hour of driving and crossing two small rivers, we arrived in Zoranje, our truck covered in mud, but welcomed by local men and Father Frixner, the leader of the village parish.

As we walked in the hot sun, most of the earth was dry with spots of mud, reminders of the tragedies that took place here so recently.  Walking farther into the brush, we came across the skeletons of homes.  One mother sat on the metal frame of a bed, children half-clothed in her arms.  Going farther, we saw more of the same.  Close to the riverbed, we found a young girl lying on a mattress strewn on the dirt.  She was naked except for a sheet trailing across her lower body.  Everyone we passed said the same thing: “lafyev” “lafyev” – the Creole word for fever.  It was like the village of the dying.

After speaking with Mr. Jean Louis, who lost his wife in the flood, we decided to take his daughters, Soeurette and Angeline, to a hospital.  Soeurette was very sick.  Their frail father carried her a mile on his back through the mud and brush to where we had parked our truck. Later, at the hospital, Soeurette received the standard tests for HIV/AIDS, typhoid fever, and malaria.  All the while, she violently shook in the bed as her sister, by her side, stared at the wall.

After three days of hospital care, tests and 2500mg of chloroquine, Soeurette was no longer shaking. Her fever had finally subsided.  We sent her back with her sister and Fr. Frixner.  We knew that her father, who has had no word of his daughter in three days, would be relieved.  There are no telephones in Zoranje.  We knew that she was going back to her village in better health, but we also knew she was going back to a place where there are no doctors, where there is no running water. 

With the support of our generous donors, we at Haitian Ministries are able to reach out and help the people of Zoranje and many others in Port-au-Prince and the surrounding parishes and villages.  This month, we were able to take enough chloroquine to Zoranje to treat everyone in the village who was ill, and we have received word that people are getting better.

October 15, 2007

NEWS FROM OUR SISTER PARISH – ST. GENEVIEVE
This week we received a message from Fr. Frixner, the pastor of our sister parish, St. Genevieve in Zoranje, Haiti. This past week Zoranje was hit with severe rain and flooding, about 30 people have died, including two students from St. Genevieve School.  Forty homes have been destroyed, most of the crops have been washed away, and the road going up to Zoranje has been damaged.

Fr. Frixner has been in contact with Catholic Relief Services, Caritas, Cross International and Haitian Ministries for relief aid. Our parish will be sending $5,000 this week to Zoranje for food and clothing, with more to be sent later on in November. This money was designated for special projects, but due to the nature of the emergency the Sister Parish Committee felt we should release the money immediately.  Those who would like to make a contribution for this emergency crisis are asked to contact Fr. Mike Jones, OFM.

On Monday evening, November 5, 2007 at 7 o’clock, we will have a prayer service here in the Church for our sisters and brothers in Zoranje, Haiti.  All are welcome.

If you would like to make a donation to help, please send your donation to St. Patrick - St. Anthony, Sister Parish, 285 Church St., Hartford, CT 06103 or you can e-mail Fr Mike at m.jones@stpatrick-stanthony.org for more information.

 

 

 

Calendar of Events

August 14-19, 2008
Parish Group Traveling to Zoranje, Haiti

Saturday, September 27, 2008
Hoof It For Haiti - On Saturday September 27, 2008, Saint Elizabeth Seton Church in Rocky Hill, CT will be sponsoring its 1st Annual Hoof it for Haiti 5K Run & Walk-a-thon to raise money for the people of Haiti.
Click here for more information on how you can participate in the walk.

Advent & Christmas
Global Giving Tree

March 2-11, 2009
Parish Immersion Trip to Haiti

To find out more information about St. Patrick - St. Anthony and St. Genevieve's Covenant Relationship please contact Fr. Mike Jones, OFM at (860) 756-4034 or click here to e-mail.

 

Fr. Mike Jones, OFM - Sister Parish
St. Patrick - St. Anthony Church
285 Church Street
Hartford, CT 06103

 

 

Haiti Websites

Canadian Embassy Haiti
CIA Fact Book Page on Haiti
Discover Haiti
Fonkoze -
Haiti 1804-2005
Haiti News
Haiti Sun
Haitian Embassy in Washington, D.C.
The Haitian Times
Hospice St. Joseph
Partners in Health
The Saint Boniface Haiti Foundation
Unicef - Haiti
US Consulate Travel Page for Haiti
US Embassy in Haiti
The University of Notre Dame - Haiti Program
World Health Organization Haiti Page

Twinning Websites

Diocese of Richmond Website - Haiti
Haitian Ministry for the Diocese of Norwich
St. Elizabeth Seton - Rocky Hill, CT

The views expressed in these web sites do not necessarily reflect the views of St. Patrick - St. Anthony Church & The Franciscan Center for Urban Ministry.

 

Pictures from Zoranje, Haiti

         

Click on the picture to see a slideshow of our recent journey to Haiti.