Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton and Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Liancourt became sister parishes in 2002 as part of the Archdiocese of Baltimore's Haiti Project. Father Alexis Robinson is the pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish which has four chapels in addition to the main church.
Haiti, a Latin American country in which French and Creole are spoken, is located in the Caribbean on an island that it shares with the Dominican Republic. Haiti has remained the least-developed country in the Americas with an unemployment rate of over 70%. Finding money to feed a family is a daily struggle, with the average annual income hovering at around $460. The enrollment rate for primary school is 67%, of which less than 30% reach 6th grade. Secondary schools enroll 20% of eligible-age children. The 52.9% literacy rate for Haiti's 8.7 million inhabitants is the lowest in the region and a primary contributor to Haiti's economic problems. Roman Catholicism is the official state religion of Haiti and over 80% of the population professes to be Catholic. Liancourt is a small, remote, rural town about 125 kilometers from the capital, Port au Prince, accessible only by a dirt road. Electricity is available, but only sporadically. Visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haiti for more information on Haiti.
Haiti is desperately poor and, therefore, Seton's relationship with Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish must be long-term in order to make a lasting difference. We have made some progress but there are still many near-term needs.
In the spring of 2008, spiraling fuel costs caused world food prices to soar, exacerbating hardship conditions in poorer countries. Seton parishioners quickly responded with contributions to help alleviate critical food shortages in Liancourt. The 2008 hurricane season was particularly devastating to Haiti
Our sister parish relationship has already made much progress and has many tangible results that will serve the people of Liancourt for years to come. Foremost, support from Seton enables children at Mount Carmel to be fed and clothed in uniforms. Renovations to the main church improved the worship space. A new bell was cast and raised in the bell-tower; it calls the congregation to worship and also signals the occurrence of significant events. The education of the children of Mount Carmel, however, remains one of Father Alexis's major concerns.
The Surlis family provided funding for a new school that will afford many children of Liancourt an opportunity for an education and an escape from the poverty that plagues Haiti. But we need your continuing support now to provide tuition, food, and uniforms for the children.
Seton Parish Goals:
- Provide a sense of Christian Community between Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton and Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Haiti.
- Pray for each other's spiritual and physical needs.
- Discover ways to share our time, talent, treasure, hope, and faith with one another.
- Be advocates for the people of Haiti and support the actions of the United States that will improve the quality of life for all Haitians.
Accomplishments to Date:
- Constructed a school for Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish.
- Constructed a convent for the Sisters at Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
- Provided a new bell for the church.
- Provided playground equipment.
- Repaired hurricane damage to the church.
Ongoing Commitments:
- Feed the children. Many children come to school hungry and their only full meal may be at school.
- Hire quality teachers to break the cycle of illiteracy.
- Provide tuition assistance for students.
- Purchase uniforms; students must wear uniforms to attend school.
- Support catechist formation. Remote chapels see a priest only 1 to 2 times per month. Catechists who serve these remote chapels are required to attend pastoral classes in Gonaives.
- Provide new church benches to further improve the worship spaces.
How will you help our brothers and sisters at Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Liancourt Parish?
- Make a contribution to Haiti Outreach. Just put a check payable to Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, Haiti Outreach in the collection basket or drop it at the parish office. Please include a note if you want to direct your donation to a specific need.
- Support the monthly Poor Box collections.
- Become involved in planning activities to support the Haiti Outreach Project. 100% of the money collected from your generous contributions and support have and will continue go directly to Haiti.
View additional photos in our Haiti photo gallery >>
Thank you and God Bless from the Haiti Outreach Committee
