News From Bouzy

In response to the devastating earthquake that hit our sister parish St Catherines in Bouzy, we are launching a Haiti Relief Campaign, to support emergency needs and rebuilding.  Many homes, including the rectory, are destroyed.  Many people are homeless.  They desperately need our help.  Please pray.  You can donate on the parish website, using text to give, or by check payable to St Joseph the Worker, noting "Haiti" in the memo line.  Thank you.

Make a Donation to Haiti

Haiti Earthquake Relief 
Thank You for your generosity! There has been amazing support from our parish with hundreds of families contributing. We have raised over $70K since the earthquake devastated Bouzy. We have sent them $15,000 so far. They used $10,000 in emergency funds to feed 400 people and gave some money to the teachers to rebuild their lives and help prepare for the school year. Buying sheet metal for home repairs is the latest need. They are working to purchase metal sheets for 350-400 families.
Future Haiti donations will go to sustain our ongoing programs of education, water and pastor support, unless you designate them for earthquake relief or church rebuild. Thanks so much for your consistent support of our Haitian sisters and brothers.


  



 

Rebuilding in Bouzy begins
It has been over a month now, and Fr. Claude has told us that the Haitian government has done nothing thus far to help the people in their recovery after the earthquake. He said that as the pastor of St. Catherine’s church he feels the responsibility to lead the rebuilding in the community. “I see that we
have to do what is necessary for them; for they are like sheep without a shepherd. God only knows if there was not the presence of the church.” At Fr. Claude’s request we have sent a portion of your donations toward earthquake relief to them to purchase sheet metal for repairing homes of up to 400 families. Fr. Claude and the community leaders will decide how best to use the remaining funds as they move forward. He has expressed to us repeatedly how thankful they are for your generosity. We also want to extend our heartfelt Mesi’ anpil! You are bringing light and hope to their community.

Update from Fr. Claude 9-8-2021

Our phone call started with us sharing that we are worshiping at the outdoor mass this weekend and we will miss having him here with us again this year. He said he is sorry he cannot be with us but is hoping and praying he can be back again to celebrate with us next year. 

He told us the community is still struggling and having aftershocks, but they are planning to start the school year on October 4^th. This is a sign the community is healing and working to get their lives back together. Fr. said they used the emergency funds we sent to feed 400 people and gave some money to the teachers to rebuild their lives and help prepare for the school year.

We told him that the Fund-raising campaign has been going well and the parish has been very generous with their donations. We are prepared to start sending funds soon so he can start to plan how to use them. He responded, “Praise God”. He will discuss how best to use the funds with Fr. Dennia (the other priest in the community) and he will let us know during our next phone call how they plan to use the funds.

Fr. Claude asked us to keep praying for them and he said many times during the conversation to thank the people of St Joseph the Worker for their love and prayers.

Packing meals for community

Fr Claude texted us last week that he will use our gifts to provide emergency food kits to people in Bouzy, and emergency assistance to St Catherine's teachers who lost homes and possessions in Les Cayes. In Fr Claude's own words:

"Hello! I want to thank you for our phone conversation. I was really moved to see the enthusiasm & speed with which you placed a gift in the account of St. Catherine's Parish for the victims of the August 14 disaster. Thank you also for your solidarity.

After meeting with the parish charity committee, we decided together to prepare food kits for the victims. In the kits, they will find: 2 pots of rice, 1 pot of beans, 1 pot of corn, 1 jar of oil, 2 of spaghetti, 2 of salmon. So we plan to give the victims this kit.

For the teachers, especially the one who came from Les Cayes, they lost everything. To relieve them, I thought it best to give them something so they could get some of what was lost from them."

Food distribution line 

We are pleased to hear from Fr Claude that it is no longer difficult to travel to nearby towns of Fond Des Negres and Miragoane to buy food and supplies with the money you generously give for Haiti. He will get security to manage distribution of the food at St Catherine's.

We have been in contact with Food For the Poor, an NGO on the ground in Haiti that is providing early crisis response to the earthquake. We asked if they could provide any assistance to our sister parish in Bouzy. They said that they already had! Fr. Claude confirmed that he has picked up 15 bags or rice, 3 bags of beans and tarps for some of the people sleeping outside. Food For the Poor called again today to say that they had more food available, which must be used at St Catherine's school.

Fr Claude and the people of Bouzy are still sleeping outside. They rightly fear aftershocks. There have been 27 aftershocks so far, 11 of which had a magnitude between 4.5 & 5.8. Aftershocks have slowed, but it’s still not safe to sleep inside. Fr. Claude says that when it is safe, the new part of the rectory is solid and will be a safe home for him. The old part of the rectory was destroyed in the earthquake and will be taken down soon. He met with someone today to begin discussions on how to do that.

After Fr. Claude is sleeping safely inside, we will discuss the state of the new church construction. Fr. Claude says that much of it appears to be in good shape. The engineer will come out to assess it after the aftershocks cease.

Meals bags to give families

School opens in most of Haiti on September 6. But opening is delayed for areas affected by the earthquake like Bouzy. They are waiting for the Education Ministry to set a school start date for them.

It is good news that they have been able to get some initial food in Bouzy, but we know much more will be needed in the days ahead, and as they work to rebuild homes, rectory, churches, schools and other damaged structures. Please continue to pray for their recovery.

Mesi’ anpil! (Thank you very much!)
Dave & Lori Henke and Deacon Kevin

Gathering for food distribution 

Disaster Relief Campaign For Our Haiti Sister Parish

A 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit Haiti’s Southern Peninsula on Saturday, August 14, followed by a tropical storm days later. Our sister parish of Sainte Catherine in Bouzy, Haiti is located just 12 miles east of the earthquake epicenter. Fr. Claude said thanks to God no one died or was seriously injured. He said the people are “panicked,” in shock, afraid and suffering. Many sheltered outdoors during the massive storm and are still sleeping outside in fear of their homes collapsing. Fr. Claude and his staff are also sleeping outside because of the damage to the rectory. The roads are impassable into the community, so they have not received any emergency help at this time. Those that have food in the community currently are sharing with each other. The rectory, school, community structures, and many homes were damaged or destroyed. The new church under construction also has some cracks and damage.

Fr. Claude says he feels our prayers and knows he is not alone. He believes that God is with him; otherwise, he would have died. He asked us to “pray more” for all the people who have been touched by the disaster. We get a sense from our phone conversations that he feels a great burden to be strong for the people who rely on him and desperately need help. It seems that recovery efforts have not begun yet in Bouzy. The Tropical storm, mudslides, lack of access and equipment, and remote location will make the work ahead to rebuild overwhelming. Since our relationship with Bouzy began 12 years ago, we have repeatedly seen their strong faith, dependence on God, and resiliency carry them through many disasters and tragedies. We trust God will be with them again during this difficult time of rebuilding. We want to be there for them as well.

Our efforts to bring relief, and to help restore Bouzy has begun, and our sisters and brothers need your help. We have sent the first of emergency funds to help them get started, but much more will be needed. We are holding a fund-raising campaign to help them to rebuild and recover in the community. For the next few weeks, we will be taking donations towards this effort. 

You can donate on the parish website: sjtw.net, click Donate and chose the Haiti dropdown, or text: SJTW GIVE to 77977, or by check payable to St Joseph the Worker, noting "Haiti" in the memo line. You may drop donations in the regular collection basket at masses. Please consider donating to this campaign, and keep them in your prayers.

PLEASE DONATE

As far as we know the walls are still standing.  There is some damage, holes and cracks, on the photos.  The engineer will have to come and assess the damage and devise a plan, when he can get in to Bouzy.





“Hello brothers and sisters of the parish of Saint Joseph the worker! Today we are much more grateful to God for his goodness and love. He who destined us to become for him sons and servants. I would also like to thank our friends of Saint Joseph for their fervent prayers. Otherwise, would have been the worst.
Yesterday morning, it was 8 o'clock in the rectory, I was having breakfast. Suddenly, a powerful earthquake comes to put us in difficulty. It took a lot of strategies to get out of this safe space. I almost found my death if God was not by my side. And it was the same for Father Bensy-Nove the vicar and without forgetting the cook on duty. As for her, she had to fall 3 times before going out with injuries. The kitchen is devastated. We lost everything we had in the living room. For the rooms, it was sad. For the kitchen and the dining hall, we have lost everything. To function, we must go out onto the courtyard. The expression I experienced in the rectory is no different from that of other people in the community. Many Houses are destroyed.”





Deacon Kevin and Suzanne talked with Fr. Claude Sunday evening.  It was a short, somber call.  I am not ok, he said in English. We are grateful that Fr. Claude and all the people of Bouzy are safe and accounted for, as far as Fr. Claude knows. Some were injured. It didn’t seem that injuries he knew of were life threatening. That portion of the rectory was heavily damaged and will have to be taken down.  The newer part may well be salvageable.  The 3 priests and 3 staff are all sleeping out in the courtyard.  They are too afraid to sleep indoors with all the aftershocks. They held mass, outdoors in their temporary shelter, as usual.  But when aftershocks struck, all the people went home. There is much damage to homes in Bouzy. The school didn’t seem to be greatly damaged, although the walls around the property have collapsed. The new church under construction suffered some damage. Fr. Claude will need engineers to assess it.

When asked what are his biggest concerns, for himself, and for his people, now?  He said that he needs some time before he can answer. 

We share in their pain and loss. They know and are grateful that we care and are praying for them. In their struggles they are models of faith to us. We hope to hear from Fr. Claude again soon. Keep praying.

Are you looking for an opportunity to expand your faith journey and be part our Haiti Mission serving others?
Haiti mission team is looking for a Communications Coordinator to share information from our mission with our parish. Responsibilities include:

· Help edit and pass on articles or announcements related to our Haitian Family in Bouzy to Mark Kuhl (Parish Director of Communications) every 2-3 weeks for publication in the Enews and Bulletin.

· When trips to Bouzy are happening, coordinate photos and personal statement on why they are going.

· Co-ordinate with Mark to adjust pictures and information on bulletin board in St Joe’s Hall.

· Work closely with the Haiti Leadership Team to expand ways to connect with our Sister parish in Bouzy.

· Grow your faith by experiencing the relationship with our brothers and sisters at St Catherine’s Parish.

Any questions or interest please contact Dave or Lori Henke; dnlhenke@gmail.com, or 763-221-1785.

 

Opportunity to serve - Haiti Communications Coordinator

Are you looking for an opportunity to expand your faith journey and be part our Haiti Mission serving others?
Haiti mission team is looking for a Communications Coordinator to share information from our mission with our parish. Responsibilities include:

· Help edit and pass on articles or announcements related to our Haitian Family in Bouzy to Mark Kuhl (Parish Director of Communications) every 2-3 weeks for publication in the Enews and Bulletin.

· When trips to Bouzy are happening, coordinate photos and personal statement on why they are going.

· Co-ordinate with Mark to adjust pictures and information on bulletin board in St Joe’s Hall.

· Work closely with the Haiti Leadership Team to expand ways to connect with our Sister parish in Bouzy.

· Grow your faith by experiencing the relationship with our brothers and sisters at St Catherine’s Parish.

Any questions or interest please contact Dave or Lori Henke; dnlhenke@gmail.com, or 763-221-1785.

On Saturday, July 10th, we welcomed a visitor from Haiti. Jenjenio Conserve was traveling through Minneapolis on his way to New Jersey to see relatives and friends. As a representative for Gift of Water, Jenjenio has played a vital role in the water filtration program as a manager to the warehouse in Port au Prince. He also helps as an interpreter for conversations between our Environmental Team and water technicians at St. Catherine’s in Bouzy. Fortunately, he has been in the US traveling since April, as getting out of Haiti now would be more difficult. While he was with us, he helped us make a WhatsApp connection with the primary water technician in Bouzy. Without his help, we could not accomplish this as we have been working on it for the past 3-4 months because of various technical issues.

Please pray for all Haitians during this uncertain time since their President was assassinated on July 7^th. May God bring peace to their country.

June in Bouzy was a joyous one for these Kindergarteners and their proud parents. Here comes 1^st Grade for these precious students all because of your continued support. May God continue to guide them through the many years of education they have in their future.



 

Does your faucet look like this?





Early into our relationship, there was a realization that our Haitian sisters and brothers, young and old, were lacking the gift of water that is clean and free from parasites and bacteria. 
Our Medical Team recognized that the children of St Catherine's showed signs of malnutrition. Tests confirmed that the water was contaminated, and they were suffering from intestinal worms. In 2013 we partnered with the non-profit organization, Gift of Water, that provides a water purification system using two 5-gallon buckets with filters and chlorine tablets to produce clean and safe drinking water. Funds were raised to provide 100 families with filter systems, chlorine tablets, and technician's salaries. Along with the initial 100 systems, GOW sent a representative to Bouzy to explain how the program works. They also met with community leaders to develop a Water Committee and select a water technician responsible for regular visits to families with filtration systems, educating on proper use and providing the supplies necessary to keep the filters functioning correctly. Soon after the program was initiated, donations came in from parishioners, allowing the medical team to introduce a deworming program. The medical team distributed deworming medicine to families to rid them of parasites. Eliminating the parasites would allow their bodies to absorb the nutrition from their food, and the clean water will then prevent the worms from returning!
In 2018, the program grew to 500 families, expanding to a second technician. Shortly after this, the community went through various changes and several difficulties, including a devastating hurricane and the collapse of their church. Unfortunately, the water program began to suffer. Families lost support from the technicians. Again, we arranged with Fr. Claude and the Water Committee to add a supervisor to help the techs get the program back on track. Since the program was regressing, our fear was the families were suffering from parasitic-related health issues.
The water program reflects how difficult it is to live in a community that regularly deals with poverty's challenges and the life-threatening issues which accompany it. We take clean water for granted. Earlier this year, we started discussions with Fr. Claude to find new and innovative ways to restore the program. The decision was made to replace 2 of the Technicians. Madilyn, the remaining technician, was sent to advance her training and enhance skills and gain confidence to help train new technicians. 
We begin again as we work together to restore the program, and the recent steps forward are promising. Earthquakes happen, hurricanes come, churches collapse, priests get reassigned and sadly, political upheaval and civil unrest continue, yet our relationship of love and perseverance for our Haitian Brothers and Sisters lives on just like God’s Love.
For more information, contact us at dnlhenke@gmail.com

Here are a few before, after and present pictures from St. Catherine’s parish in Bouzy. As always, we appreciate your support!


St. Catherine’s – Fall 2017


The collapse in January 2019


Present – adding beginning stages of the roof to the building.
 

Thank You Very Much From The People Of Bouzy, Haiti

During these times when pandemic has reduced our church activities, we are thrilled that our people have such love for our struggling Haitian sisters and brothers that you donated over $18,000 in response to our April fundraising appeal.  Thank you! Your gifts give our Haitian friends hope.  They allow us to sustain all our current programs to help them, including education, water, & medical, and even a little to continue roofing the church.    An amazing gift!  We are grateful.  The people of St Catherine's are deeply appreciative.  Fr Claude, who sends his profound thanks in every call and letter to us, is grateful. Mesi Anpil/ Thank You Very Much.

- The Haiti Core Committee







Progress in the rebuilding of St. Catherine’s is a sign of God’s love and also hope for the people of Bouzy and surrounding townships. It brought joy to our hearts when we see such a visual change in landscape, and we wanted to share our happiness with you. Thanks again for the continuation of support for our Haitian family.

Father Claude’s message; St. Joseph the Worker Day, May 1st:  I would like in the name of all the faithful of the parish of Saint Catherine of Bouzy and in my personal name, I would like to wish the clergy of Saint Joseph and the deacons, the fervent faithful happy feast of Saint Joseph. To celebrate a saint is to celebrate the wonders of God. We cannot pass in silence on this great day. Your feast is our feast. On this great day blessed by God, may God bless you abundantly.

Pope Francis said Mission is one of the greatest challenges for our Church and it must remain foremost in our hearts. St Joseph the Worker has given us many opportunities to take on the challenge of Mission, both here in our own community and through our relationship with St. Catherine’s in Haiti.

12 years ago, our parish leaders guided by the Holy spirit led us to Haiti. How many of you thought that you would have an opportunity to share your blessings with people that live on a small island, the poorest country in the western hemisphere? Many of our parishioners have already responded to the call and have gone to worship, pray and share the gospel with our brothers and sisters in Haiti.

They have shared God’s love in homes with no running water, no electricity and rely on growing their own crops for food. They have seen families collect water from the river or wells and pour it into bucket filters in their homes, so their children have clean water to drink. They have traveled miles into the countryside to give medical care to people that have no way to get to a doctor or a hospital. We have also visited the schools, where some of the children have advanced their education to go on and become teachers. So, they can give back to their parish.

Many have called it life changing after seeing the faith, hope and resilience in Bouzy.

If you have been following along with our relationship, you would know of their recent hardships including hurricanes, the total collapse of their church, the pandemic, and government turmoil. Even with those difficulties and without their church building they still come together as a community and worship with great joy.

Over the past year, we were able to support their schools, medical needs, and clean water. We know that education is a way out of poverty, and supporting teacher’s salaries helps to ensure many have access to a good education. We were able to secure some much-needed prescription medications for the clinic in Bouzy. Work on their new church continues, and thanks to many of you, the walls are almost completed, and they are working on the cement floor. We are excited to see these developments and hope that soon they can begin work on the roof. The progress and their passion for the new church building has been amazing to watch.

We are inviting you to be part of the St Joseph Haiti mission team. We are not traveling to visit them at this time because of the pandemic and political unrest, but we hope to in the future. In the meantime, there are still a lot of ways you can be a part of our mission…One way to contribute is thru prayer, which is the foundation of all we do.

We have several committees that meet throughout the year. These opportunities include groups that focus on clean water, medical needs, communications, education, and a leadership committee. If you could spare a couple hours a month, we welcome anyone with interest to talk with us and find out more.

We are having a second collection this month to help fund our activities. We thank you for your past support and hope you will continue to be generous. You can use the Haiti envelopes or donate on-line thru the SJTW website.

Jesus is calling us to mission and St Joseph the Worker has given us the opportunity to serve.

It is up to all of us to respond.

David and Lori Henke
dnlhenke@gmail.com
763-221-1785
 

We have much to share with our brothers and sisters in Haiti.
Please donate online or text SJTW give to 77977.

PLEASE DONATE TO HAITI

(Select "Haiti Donations" in the "Fund" window.)