By Fr. John Henault, O.M.I.

HAITI: February 11, 2019

Here in Haiti, we begin our 5th day of manifestations, demonstrations, road blocks. tire burning, rock and bottle throwing, shooting, smashing windows and tear gas, a movement that has been going on throughout Haiti.  Everything is at a stand-still. No one has any idea how this is going to end. Most are demanding the departure of the president.

Over the years I have witnessed many of these goings on but the demonstrators always respected Sunday, as the Lord’s Day. However, yesterday, the 10^th, because of insecurity, most of the churches were close to empty. Here in Gonaives, at the Sisters (Missionaries of Charity) chapel, besides the Sisters, patients and some of the workers at the hospice the chapel was mostly empty. So far, the only flight cancellation has been Agape Flights from Venice FL that transport our mail and packages. If things continue to deteriorate the major airlines will cancel flights because people can’t get to the airport to make their flight, and those arriving will be stranded at the airport because they will not be able to get to their destination.

It is hard to imagine that Haiti, being the first Black Slave Nation in the world to gain its Independence in 1804, is now a SLAVE to its own POLITICS. Regardless however, everyone keeps saying ‘BON DIE BON’ Creole for “God is Good!”  The one good thing going for us now is the nice SUNNY, WARM WEATHER as New England braces for another storm. God Bless and keep us in your prayers.