Mission Trip - June 2018

  • The June mission trip to St. Albert the Great and St. Cyprian in Haiti was another huge success.  The sights, the sounds, the aromas, and the tastes were all wrapped in the warm hugs, kindness, and the tremendous hospitality of all the Haitians.  The mission team consisted of 12 volunteers with ages ranging from 12 years old to senior citizens.  There were 2 from St. Francis Xavier in Poseyville, 3 from St. Wendel, and 7 from Sts. Peter & Paul. 
  • The men concentrated on installing the second phase of solar panels to provide electricity to the school and water system.  The women focused on the clinic and the school with a new blood machine being installed and craft projects with the young children. 
  • The Yam and Livestock pay-it-forward programs are also doing well.  Our volunteers have a lot of talent and hard work to offer, but our successes in Haiti are only possible because of the prayers and financial support from our Parishioners.  So much progress is being made but so much more to do. 

On behalf of Father Marcel, the people of Ravine Trompette, and the local Haiti Committee, a very sincere thank you to all our supporters!    

Fr. Marcel Janvier

  • St. Albert the Great is a Catholic parish in Ravine Trompette.  The pastor is Father Marcel Janvier, a native Haitian from Boyne, Haiti.  There are about 2,300 parish families and 700 students at the Notre Dame de Grace parish school. ​
  • St. Cyprien is a Catholic parish 5 miles from Ravine Trompette in the mountains.  Father Marcel is also their pastor.  There are about 400 parish families and 250 students at the parish school.  

Helping St. Albert the Great

The goal for the mission trips is to focus on short-term and long-term needs and solutions.
  • Die Kirche Auktion Fest Funded Item - Sts. Peter & Paul designates the funded item at the end of the Die Kirche Auktion to support to our Haiti efforts. 
  • Helping Haiti Help Themselves -  Our goal is to help Haiti start to end the cycle of poverty. In 2015, we started a pay-it-forward yam farming program that gave about 25 families from St. Albert the Great Parish starter plants to grow.  After about 9 months, they use the mature yam plants as food for their families, sell them at the market for income, and give a portion of the harvest to new families as starter plants.  The program is designed to grow each year without additional financial investment.  The farmers created a co-operative organization and inspect each other’s progress and monitor their sharing. 
  • Education – Sts. Peter & Paul is partnering with St. Francis Xavier by providing $5,000 from our financial budget to improve education in Ravine Trompette. 
  • School Food Program - Parishioners from Sts. Peter & Paul participate in a sponsorship program to help feed the 925 students at Notre Dame de Grace and St. Cyprian schools.  The cost to feed one child is about $5 per month.  This provides each student with one meal per day of rice and beans.  Our goal is to achieve annual contributions for the total parish of $10,000.  This level of contribution would feed 200 students per year or about 22% of the total need with St. Francis Xavier covering the rest.  The hunger of the students in Haiti cannot be described with words as they sometimes eat mud to stop the pains.  The comfort of daily nutrition helps them focus on their school activities. 
St. Francis Xavier in Poseyville and Sts. Peter & Paul in Haubstadt have joined together along with St. Wendel and Zion Lippe United Church of Christ to participate in a Twinning Program with St. Albert the Great in Ravine Trompette in Haiti.

A Prayer for the ​People of Haiti

All powerful and all-loving God of mercy, Look kindly on the people of Haiti in their suffering.  Ease their burdens and make their faith strong so that they may always have confidence and trust in your care.  Help them face the difficulties with courage.  Bring us all an abiding sense of your care and compassion that we may respond with generous hearts, open hands and a renewed sense of solidarity with all your children, especially those in greatest need. You are our all-merciful God, forever and ever. Amen. 

Contact Information

For more information or to learn more about how you can help, please contact your parish office or one of the Haiti Committee members.

Download our 2017 Haiti Newsletter for an overall update on all the progress made!