St. Mark’s and St. Andre — Over Twenty Years Together
The Latest from Canon Serena
Long-time St. Mark’s member Canon Serena Evans Beeks, D.Min., is US Coordinator for Haiti Episcopal School Partnerships. Over the past 20 years, whenever political conditions allowed, she has traveled to Haiti, sometimes several times a year. Read her latest posting below about the country, the people, and our paternership with St. Andre in Trinon.
More news from Haiti
The news has reported the killing of six Haitian policemen by gang members, which has caused an even larger flurry of Haitians trying desperately to get to the U.S. I can't help but think that they have a far too rosy view of their chances in the U.S., in a week which...
New Year Haiti Update
Although the political news continues to be dire -- there are now no legally elected officials in the Haitian government, with the last senate terms expiring a few days ago -- the country has been relatively calm around the holidays. The best hope still seems to be...
Music from Haiti
I've sent you links to the delightful singing and videos of the group Melodie Celeste from St. Pierre, Mirebalais, several times. They wanted to make a gift at Christmas, an hommage to someone for whom they have a great deal of respect, to honor a good friend. They...
Haitian-American in the news
"Harvard's next president will be Haitian American Claudine Gay" (https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2022/12/harvard-names-claudine-gay-30th-president/) It is such a pleasure to read news of Haitians and Haitian-Americans in which they are not portrayed as...
A little Haitian good news
"Haiti receives first shipment of cholera vaccines" (Courtesy of Roger Bowen: https://reliefweb.int/report/haiti/haiti-receives-first-shipment-cholera-vaccines) And below my signature, with thanks to Jerry Harner for drawing my attention to this, a really great excuse...
All about Haiti
You have probably heard about Haiti on the news: Earthquakes, assassinations, hurricanes, refugees, poverty. For people who love Haiti, it feels frustrating that the only news that’s ever shared about Haiti is bad news. In this column, we’d like to share the good news — all of the things we love about Haiti and its proud history.
The partnership of St. Mark’s with St. Andre’s Episcopal Church and School in Trianon, Haiti began in 2001. That year, one and then two parishioners began making regular visits, taking with them the offering from the St. Mark’s School’s Christmas Eucharist.
The relationship grew until 2007, when St. Mark’s members were able to make our first group visit. Since then, groups from the church and school have visited annually when conditions in Haiti have permitted.
Students at St. Mark’s School took the lead on such projects as a new four-room classroom building, a water project, and new school uniforms. Support from St. Mark’s pays teachers’ salaries, covers the occasional hot meal, and provides for repairs on the water system—which was damaged in the hurricanes of 2008—and the replacement of the old classroom building, which was damaged in the earthquake of 2010.
St. Andre’s was the first church and school on Haiti’s central plateau established by Bishop James Theodore Holly when he founded the Episcopal Church in Haiti in the early 1860s. Since its founding, St. Andre’s has offered a primary school for the children of local subsistence farmers. In Haiti, only 50% of the children have access to any education at all.
Please pray for the people of St. Andre’s, especially the children. If you can, give your financial support.
