Dear Family
and Friends:
The martyred
Salvadoran Catholic bishop Oscar Romero once said:
“This is
what we are about. We plant the seeds
that one day will grow. We water seeds
already planted, knowing that they hold future promise. We lay foundations that will need further
development. We provide yeast that
produces effects beyond our capabilities. We cannot do everything and there is a sense of liberation in realizing
that. This enables us to do something
and to do it very well. It may be
incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, and opportunity for
the Lord’s grace to enter and do the rest.”
In this
Note, I’d like to work backwards during the days of Holy Week, to arrive at
Cange on Palm Sunday, where seeds of promise were planted almost thirty years
ago.
Easter Sunday Service at Paroisse Sainte Croix - Eglise Episcopale D'Haiti
I attended
Easter Sunday service next door at the Episcopal church. The new church remains the same – a concrete
pad, a corrugated metal roof supported by wood cross beams and vertical wood support
posts. The church remains an open air
meeting place. The ruins of the old church are about 100 feet back of the
altar. As you sit in a pew, the remnants
of the vertical and horizontal concrete beams of the destroyed church invite
your mind to wander, to see unintended massive crosses as backdrop for the
service. Easter
service this year was but two hours and forty minutes long, a bit of a reprieve
from last year’s three hours marathon.
Pere Kerwin
Delicat still is the Rector. I met with
him this past Thursday, to discuss a commitment by St. Anthony on the Desert
Episcopal Church in Scottsdale to assist the Episcopal school. (I’m proud of my church’s support of Paroisse
Ste. Croix.) During our meeting, I
learned from Pere Kerwin that all of the church service presented through him
and other religious, from the opening
prayer through communion, is said in French.
Hymns alternate between French and Kreyol. Pere Kerwin and the Deacon
switch entirely to Kreyol during
announcements and the community meeting - about forty-five minutes long
- at the end of the service, followed lastly by the benediction in French.
The
“communal soul” of the people of this church, described last April in Note No.
3, was ever present last Sunday. Sunday
strikes me as a day for the congregation, individually and as church body, to
leave behind for a few hours the hard life for many of the past week and the
week to come in Leogane, Port-au-Prince
and elsewhere, to share a common bond with all of their brothers and sisters, whatever
his or her station in life. They offer
up their faith and look to receive spiritual nourishment.
In last
year’s note about Episcopal Paroisse Sainte Croix, I acquainted you with all of
the choirs that give such uplifting character to Sunday services. The adult choir (“Chorale des adultes”) still
performs as does the children’s choir (“Chorale des enfants”). The “twenty-somethings” choir of last year –
four women and a man accompanied by a single acoustical guitar – was replaced, at least on this Easter
Sunday, by “Groupe Phylantrope.” The
four men, all in their twenties, were dressed in black from head to foot. The electric guitarist also was the lead
singer. The congregation seemed to enjoy
this singing group; there was polite applause after each of their songs. But it is obvious that “Groupe Choeur des
Anges” continue from last year as the musical stars at this parish.
Indeed, the
cover of the program distributed before Easter service noted that the Easter
Sunday service was commemorating the anniversary of the Choir of Angels. Last year in Note 3, I called this group of
seven young women the “purples/whites” – because I was unaided by a program to
see their proper name: “Each wore a
white suit top with purple stripes and a matching white skirt, also with
purples stripes.” This description came
from a regular service I attended a few weeks before Easter.
At Sunday’s Easter
service, the Choir of Angels wore the same light beige dresses, with green and
blue trim on the neckline and short sleeves, they wore at last year’s Easter
service. The same stellar voices rose
high last Sunday, but this year there was a new lead singer who shared lead
vocalist responsibilities last year’s veteran.
I observed a bit of polite
friction between the seasoned veteran and her younger colleague when they
engaged in a “private discussion” outside the church during the offertory,
before their last hymn during communion.
(My ease dropping was aided by the open air sides of the church.)
I now have
attended three services at Paroisse Ste. Croix.
At each, right before anouncements, Pere Kerwin has motioned for
everyone to stand, look up, wave toward the sky, and say loudly, in Kreyol,
“Bonjou Seye.” Each time, Pere has asked
for the greeting to God be repeated and to be louder. After success on the second or third try, he
moves on to the next wave and shout out, “Mesi Seye.”
I wonder how
I would react were I to attend a religious service in Arizona and, rather than
ending with a demurred closing prayer or benediction, the priest, minister,
rabbi or other religious told us to jump to our feet and shout toward the
sky: “Hello God” followed by “Thank You
God”, two or three times each until we got it right. I must confess, my effort this past Sunday
failed to meet Pere Kerwin’s standards.
A Good Friday Procession Revisited
I will not
dwell on last Friday’s Good Friday procession, from the Catholic church Sainte
Rose de Lima, which passed by the hospital on Rue Pere Thevernot heading for
Rue La Croix. It already has been the
subject on a brief note, No. 17. But,
the photographs I sent you last Friday do not do justice to that religious
observance, because those photos were taken at ground level. For that reason, I’m including a few of the
procession photos from last year’s Catholic Good Friday procession.
Offerings at Palm Sunday Service in Cagne
On Palm
Sunday, half of the Michigan mobile clinic group staying at the HSC Guesthouse
attended the Episcopal service next door. They missed falling into the back of the procession as it passed
underneath my office window – one laggard was still combing hair - but they all
were in the wooden pews before Pere Kerwin, the Deacon, acolytes, and about
fifty parishioners arrived at the church. Michigan John told me after the service that an usher showed him a good
seat up front. But, he no sooner had
settled in for the 150+ minutes service when the usher returned with a well-dressed
elderly woman, in an Easter hat. With
hand signals, the usher directed John to squeeze in next to his friend Tom a
few rows back. Age and church tenure
does have its advantages, particularly when the interloper in your usual spot
is only in town for a week.
The other
half of the Michigan crowd traveled to Cagne in a van driven by the Dean of the
Episcopal Nursing College, Hilda Alcindor.They started a bit late, but made the 2 ½ hour drive northeast of
Port-au-Prince, arriving in time for the beginning of the 10 a.m. service. They arrived
back her about 3:00 p.m.
 |
| Original Church |
Upon his
return, Michigan Fred, who is in his seventies, said that the Palm Sunday service
in Cange was one of the ten most memorable experiences of his life; because of the offering. He and his colleagues had learned from Dean
Hilda during the drive up that this event has been repeated for several years
on Palm Sunday at the church in Cagne.
The Palm
Sunday service does not have your ordinary collection. Ushers
do not pass a wooden plate, for the offering of weekly tithing envelopes,
checks, currency or coins. No, the
offering is a lengthy processional down the aisle, with music, starting with
the youngest members in attendance. First came rolls of toilet paper, balanced on the heads of young boys and
girls. Next, mangoes, papaya, other
fruits and various vegetables. Loaves of
pen (bread) were included. Men carried
over their shoulders sacks of beans and diri (rice).
This was not
a somber walk down the aisle. Music
accompanied all of the offerings. Women
were the most active dancers as they carried their gifts to the foot of the
altar. One of the
Michigan worshipers began laughing as she talked about the woman carrying some
food stuffs, who stopped dancing down the aisle when the music stopped. She glared back at the band, and waited for
more music before continuing her samba steps to the altar. Beer and
wine, and various fruit drinks and sodas were brought forth.
I’m not
sure, but I think someone told me that the offering included various linens,
towels and cloth napkins, but I’m not sure. But I’m positive what I heard about the last part of offering. A number of the Michigan folks said tears
welled up about this time. Live
chickens, goats, pigs and cows were brought down the aisle to the front of the
church. A sight that none of the
Michigan folks had ever seen, and may never see again. I sure haven’t been fortunate enough to
witness this kind of outpouring of giving during a church service in Haiti.
I visited
with Haiti veteran/Indiana native Missy Owen a few days later about the Cagne
service. (You’ll recall mention of Missy in Note No. 15 last year.) She explained that the Palm Sunday service in
Cagne comes during a harvest period in Haiti. The offering is made to support the
religious and church staff. But, what is
left after the church’s share is taken is given back to the community; after a
luncheon (manje midi) celebration is held after the service where parts of the
offering are eaten.
Paul Farmer and Partners in Health
Before I returned
to Haiti last year for my first three months stay in Leogane, had you mentioned “Cagne” to
me, I would have never thought about the Palm Sunday service there. I only heard about this intriguing event from
the descriptions of two weeks ago.
After
reading a few years ago “Mountains Beyond Mountains,” I only associated Cagne
with Dr. Paul Farmer and the non-profit medical organization Zanmi Lasante (Partners
In Health / PIH). There is not
enough space here to properly cover how much Dr. Farmer and PIH have meant, and
still mean, to the delivery of much needed medical care in Cagne and other
villages in the Central Plateau region of Haiti. I would start by saying that Paul Farmer is recognized
worldwide as an authority on infectious diseases, and a learned
anthropologist. He is Harvard Medical
School trained. His work has included
the treatment of Multi-Drug Resistant (“MDR”) tuberculosis, not only in Haiti
but in the slums of Peru and prisons of Russia.
 |
| Dr. Paul Farmer |
“Mountains Beyond Mountains” provides an excellent
first read for anyone who is interested in learning more about this amazing doctor
and humanitarian.
The
Introduction to the book explains that the title is based on a Haitian metaphor
for life’s challenges: “Once you have
scaled one mountain, you reach a place where you can see that there are always
more mountains farther away; you will never stop climbing, never be finished.”
Those
associated with the original church and first clinic in Cange undoubtedly were
challenged both physical and metaphorical mountains beyond mountains, before
they arrived at a point where their vision beyond many difficult climbs became one
of the premier social, economic, educational and medical complexes in a third
world country. They succeeded in
following Bishop’s Romero’s ideal of laying foundations for further
development, to produce effects far beyond what others may have expected.
Modest Beginnings Leading to Dramatic Impacts
Cange is one
of the poorest regions in Haiti, because of the hydroelectric dam built on the
Artibonite River in 1956. After this power project flooded the main
fertile area of the valley, the people of Cange were pushed up onto rocky
hillsides with very little farm able land.
In 1962,
Father Lafontant and his wife, Yolande, established a primary school in
Cange. Many of the students didn’t reach
adulthood – infectious diseases killed almost one-quarter of all of their
students
 |
| Father LaFontant |
In 1983, just
after being accepted to Harvard Medical School, Paul Farmer came to Cange for
the first time. With the support of Father
Lafontant, the Episcopal Church in Haiti and the U.S., and Boston businessman
Tom White, the Clinique Bon Sauveur was established in Cange in 1985.
Zanmi
Lasante/PIH was founded in 1987 by Paul Farmer, its founding director, Tom
White, Harvard medical student Jim Yong
Kim–then a Harvard medical student, and others. (I include here now Dr. Jim Yong Kim not only
because of his role in the founding of PIH,
but also because, of interest, recently President Barak Obama nominated
Dr. Kim as President of the World Bank.)
Twenty-four
years later, Partners In Health has reported on its work in Haiti during
FY2011:
- 2.8 million patient encounters
- 13,784 children received educational assistance
- 6,268 HIV-positive on treatment
- 98,735 pregnant women seen in antenatal clinics
- 53 houses constructed or repaired
- 482 TB patients treated
- 75,000 cholera patients treated.
Partners In
Health also recently reported that in the two years after the January 12, 2010
massive earthquake, PIH registered 4.6 million patient encounters. These
statistics unquestionable underscore the incredible work of Zanmi Lasante for
the people of the Central Plateau. But
this recounting of the importance of PIH to the delivery of essential health
care in and around Cange serves as a grave reminder that Haitian public health
services and private Haitian hospitals and clinics are ill prepared at this
time to go it alone and meet the health needs of its more impoverished citizens.
In the
Central Plateau, the PIH clinic in Cange now has is a sliding scale fee
clinic.The less money you have, the
less you pay for medical services. Elsewhere in Haiti, for example at various hospitals and clinics in
Port-au-Prince and Cap Hatien in the north, medical care may be denied to patients
unable to pay the medical provider’s usual charges.
This is not
the case at Hopital Sainte Croix in Leogane. Only modest fees are paid. And,
depending on the needs of the patient and availability, medications are
provided at little or no cost. HSC is
the indigent care hospital in the Leogane Region.
From my
experiences here last year and this past month, I would venture to say that Hopital
Sainte Croix is moving forward to significantly expand the scope of health
services in the Leogane Region. In
2011, a number of additional medical
specialties are returning or are planned for return in the near future: OB/GYN, ophthalmology, urology, sonography,
endoscopy, colonoscopy, an eye clinic and a dental clinic. I sincerely believe that eventually, in the
not too distant future, this hospital will return to its position as a state of
the art and point of reference in Haiti for both its out-patient
clinic and in-patient hospital.
I hope this
note finds you and your loved ones in good health and spirits.
Peace,
David
14 April
2012
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