Haiti Updates
- 2010-04-25 Change4Haiti
- 2010-01-22 Photo/Video of Petit Goave
- 2010-01-22 Earthquake News Update
- 2010-01-19 Message from Fr. Pat
- 2010-01-18 Prayer Service Notice
- 2010-01-15 Message from Fr. Pat
- 2010-01-14 Message from Fr. Pat
- 2010-01-14 Haiti Relief Efforts Update from the Diocese of Nashville
2010-04-25
Change For Haiti:
http://www.change4haiti.us
Members from St. Stephen Catholic Community have joined together to develop this project for the sole purpose of aiding our brothers and sisters in Haiti as they struggle to rebuild their homes and lives in the wake of the recent earthquake. Please visit their website to see what is being done as well as how you can support their efforts.
2010-01-22
Photo of Notre Dame Church and News Report from Petit Goave
CLICK TO VIEW: News Report from Petit Goave with Video
Notre Dame Church, Petit Goave
2010-01-22
Earthquake News Update - Regarding Strong Aftershock of Jan. 20
"The magnitude-5.9 jolt matched the strongest of the aftershocks that have followed the huge quake of Jan. 12 that devastated Haiti's capital.
The new temblor collapsed seven buildings in Petit-Goave , the seaside town closest to the epicenter, according to Mike Morton of the U.N. Disaster Assessment and Coordination agency, but there were no reports of people crushed or trapped , perhaps because the earlier quake frightened most people into sleeping outside.", by PAUL HAVEN and MICHELLE FAUL, AP
2010-01-19
Message from Fr. Pat
Thank you for your overwhelming response to the collection for Haiti disaster relief. The total came to $22,176.00. If you were unable to donate, and would still like to do so, you can go to www.crs.org and donate online or send us a check made out to St. Stephen with Haiti Relief on the for line and we will move it on from here. Again, thank you. Your generosity is awesome.
Fr. Pat Kibby
2010-01-18
The Wednesday evening Mass will not take place this week so that those wanting to attend the Prayer Service for Haiti can do so. The Prayer Service begins at 7:00 PM at the Cathedral.
2010-01-15
Message from Fr. Pat
The Medical Team met last night to face the reality that this is not the time for us to go to Haiti knowing that we are in this for the long haul. Our relationship with the parish of Notre Dame in Petite Goave is long. We've been twinned for over 30 years and that bond has not been broken. We will proceed with the trip when the time is right whenever that time may be; we have before and we will again.
It was the consensus that the best use of our time is to stay here and help raise money. We need to stand behind the world organizations bringing in the immediate relief so badly needed. We are joining the diocesan effort this weekend with a second collection to aid Catholic Relief Services -www.crs.org. Checks can be made to St. Stephen and the parish can send one check to the bishop.
Fr. Boniface and our brothers and sisters will need us in the months and years to come. As their needs have changed drastically so will the focus of our future trips. Who knows what our future trips will look like but we can be confident that they will not be the same as before. Haiti is now a different country.
I encourage our parishioners to be generous towards this collection, as they always are, and know that the gift given this weekend is a commitment to the future. The people of Petite Goave are part of our St. Stephen family and families stick together especially through the hard times. World Aid is coming to them now. We will still be there when everyone has walked away.
The faith of the people is strong and they continue to teach us what it means to walk in the confidence that God is with us in all things. Let us learn from them and use their example as a tool for our own spiritual growth. God is good! All the time!
Fr. Pat Kibby
2010-01-14
Message from Fr. Pat
I have been calling, e-mailing and texting Fr. Boniface and have not gotten through. The little news that we have is that the Church in Petit Goave has been damaged but I am unsure as to the extent. Our bishop is organizing a diocesan wide response and the details are still being worked out.
The team for the parish medical mission is meeting tonight to discuss options. However, American Airlines has canceled our flight. Right now there are more questions than answers. Once we have more information we'll be able to formulate an appropriate response. For today we remain in offering prayer.
Fr. Pat Kibby
2010-01-14
Haiti Relief Efforts Update from the Diocese of Nashville
The Diocese of Nashville is encouraging a two pronged response to address the immediate and long term needs of the people of Haiti following the devastating earthquake that struck the island nation on Jan. 12.
First of all, to support the efforts to get much needed aid to the country in the most expeditious manner possible, Bishop Choby is encouraging all 53 parishes in the diocese to take part in a second collection for the people and Church of Haiti this weekend, Jan. 16 and 17, 2010. These funds will be used to support the efforts of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and Catholic Relief Services, the official international humanitarian agency of the U.S. Catholic Church, as they respond to immediate emergency needs for such necessities as water, food, shelter and medical care, as well as to the long term need to rebuild after widespread destruction, and to the pastoral and reconstruction needs of the Church in Haiti.
Donations to the relief efforts can be made through any of the parishes, the Catholic Center, 2400 21st Ave. S., Nashville, TN, 37212 or at the Catholic Relief Services website at www.crs.org.
Catholic Relief Services was established in 1943 to address humanitarian needs internationally. The organization works in more than 80 countries and provides services based on need without regard to creed, race, or nationality. CRS has worked in Haiti, the poorest country in the Western hemisphere, for over 50 years.
While the CRS office in Port-au-Prince is undamaged, a building directly across from it collapsed. CRS has approximately 340 staffers in Haiti, of which 120 are in Port-au-Prince. CRS has pre-positioned food, water storage containers, bedding and other supplies in warehouses in Haiti and nearby countries. The country is still rebuilding from the 2008 hurricanes that left the city of Gonaives buried in 3.2 million cubic yards of mud.
Secondly, since there is a longstanding close connection through the parish twinning program and through many medical and humanitarian missions to the impoverished country, Bishop Choby is encouraging renewed commitment to the people of Haiti. There will be many ongoing needs in the various parishes in Haiti, and the connections at the parish level will provide the opportunity to address those needs with future collections and relief efforts. However, with regard to responding to immediate needs the bishop urges the Catholic faithful to be as generous as possible with the special collection for the relief efforts for the people of Haiti.
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