October 14, 2016 – Five Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth (SCLs) who recently traveled to Haiti to celebrate the 20th anniversary of a partner religious community transitioned from Plan A to Plans B, C and then D due to the onslaught of Hurricane Matthew. The good news: even though the Sisters of St. Anthony of Fondwa experienced damage to their buildings, huts and crops, neither they nor the SCLs experienced any personal injuries.
Sisters Ann Barton (Leavenworth, KS), Lynn Casey (Helena, MT), Regina Deitchman (Leavenworth, KS), Carol Depner (Denver, CO), and Katherine Franchett (Ashland, MT) boarded a plane in Kansas City on Thursday, September 29, 2016. Arriving in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, later that day, they encountered the chaotic traffic of the capital city of 2.5 million where Sister Regina said there appeared to be very few traffic lights.
In the mountainous area of Fondwa where the Sisters of St. Anthony minister, the SCLs received updates about the ministries of the Sisters. Sisters Ann, Katherine and Regina were also able to meet with the architect who will be designing the new convent for the Fondwa Sisters. In addition, Sister Ann completed evaluations for two grants she had helped secure for the Haitian religious community.
Mass on Sunday, October 2, was a grand celebration of three and a half hours with wonderful music and talks by a bishop, priests and Sister Simone Achille, co-founder of the Sisters, and Sister Claudette Prevot, current community leader. At the reception that followed, the tide began to turn with news that Matthew, a category 4 hurricane, was approaching the island nation with threats of heavy rain and wind and the danger of mudslides in the mountains.
While the Haitians, who live with frequent hurricanes, seemed somewhat nonchalant about Matthew, the SCLs thought it best to return to Port-au-Prince. Father Joseph Philippe, another co-founder of the Sisters of St. Anthony, tried to dissuade the SCLs from this quick departure, but he later acknowledged the wisdom of their decision.
As their hostess, Sister Claudette expressed her responsibility for the SCLs and arranged transportation to Port-au-Prince and lodging there. She also had a young Sister accompany and remain with the SCLs. The group experienced outages of water and electricity and felt marooned, but safe in the guest house that a German couple make available for use by the Sisters of St. Anthony and Father Joseph.
Scheduled to leave on Thursday, October 6, the SCLs tried for earlier departures, remained flexible and eventually left Haiti on Sunday, October 9. The whole trip had swiftly become totally different than what they had planned. Even when they arrived in Kansas City, they had a delayed deplaning because there was no gate open to receive them!
However, to a person, the SCLs valued the time in Haiti. Sister Carol calls it a “life-changing experience that will remain etched in my heart.” Amidst the poverty and hardship, the resilience of the Sisters of St. Anthony and the Haitians deeply impressed her. She observes, “They just throw up their hands and say, ‘Bad things have happened before. We’ll get through this again.’”
Sister Lynn sensed the passion of the Sisters for their ministry of serving the people of rural Haiti, particularly those who do not have priests in the area where they live. Sister Katherine marvels that this fledgling community has jelled in its first 20 years. Sister Regina found it important that four of the 16 Sisters of St. Anthony are enrolled in the University of Haiti for different programs: accounting, nursing, teaching and sewing.
And Sister Ann, who was among the first SCLs who traveled to Haiti many years ago for an immersion experience that introduced the Kansas community to the Haitian Sisters, sees them as a real missionary community. “They are remarkable,” she says. “They remind me of the spirit of our own community.”
Plus, Sister Ann is happy that the sewing machine initiative she has spearheaded in the U.S. is allowing the Sisters of St. Anthony to foster sustainable development among the women of Fondwa who are learning to become seamstresses. In fact, while Sister Ann was marooned in Haiti, a booth hosted by the SCLs and friends at a Lansing, Kan., crafts sale raised $3,000 for the purchase of additional sewing machines for the Sisters of St. Anthony of Fondwa.
History of partnership – SCLs and Sisters of St. Anthony of Fondwa
The Sisters of St. Anthony of Fondwa were founded in 1996. The new community networked with other religious communities to better understand formation and organizational structures.
Following the 1998 SCL Chapter and under the leadership of Sister Sue Miller, community director at the time, four SCLs and one SCL Associate traveled to Haiti for an immersion experience (Sister Ann Barton among them). That experience led to a relationship with the newly developing Sisters of St. Anthony of Fondwa and their sponsor, Father Joseph Philippe, CSSp.
In years since, SCLs have traveled to Haiti and supported initiatives of the new community including starting a school and orphanage and building a convent. The SCLs have also sponsored some of the Haitian Sisters traveling to the U.S. to learn English or for higher education.
The Haitian Sisters experienced the loss of one of their novices and a three-year-old orphan during the 2010 earthquake along with massive destruction to the orphanage, convent and other buildings.
They Sisters of St. Anthony of Fondwa continue to minister in the spirit of their charism which calls them to serve the people of rural Haiti, especially in areas where there is no resident priest.
Please help us continue
