St. Pierre parish,
Baradères, Haiti
Sister parish of St. John the Baptist, Silver
Spring, Md.
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Back to 2008 Visit home Reflections of Baradères I hoped that by going to Baradères, I would make a difference. At first I was not very optimistic that going there for such a short period of time would allow us to accomplish much of anything. It seemed more like a mission of showing the flag and putting a face on the people of St. John the Baptist Catholic Community of Silver Spring for the people of St. Pierre of Baradères. But the moment we stepped off the plane in Port-au-Prince, each one of us made a difference. We arrived with over 800 pounds of medicines and supplies for the people of Baradères from the generous people of St. John the Baptist. Anything we did after that would be extra. As I reflect back on what we did, I realize that the “extra” was more than I ever expected. We made friends and we made connections. We learned about the people, their needs and their achievements. We laid the groundwork for future cooperative projects. And we learned about ourselves. It was a lesson in humility to see how very little these people have and how they live without complaining. I often thought about the little inconveniences of everyday life back home and promised myself to stop whining about the small stuff (in comparison to life in Haiti, most of our “problems” in the U.S. amount to just small stuff). More important than our group’s modest presence in Baradères, there are people there all year round who are making a significant difference. Fr. Gattereau is continuing the remarkable work of his predecessors as he direct the secondary school and tends to a flock of thousands of parishioners scattered in 16 chapels over 25 square miles of unbelievably rough and beautiful terrain. The Sisters of St. Therese of the Little Flower, at the primary school and the teachers at the secondary school are all staunchly devoted to their students and their mission of education. The Sisters and nurses at the local clinic take care of the medical needs of hundreds of women and their babies with minimum access to the tools of modern medicine. And then there is Sr. Martha. I will never forget Sr. Martha, a tiny wisp of a woman whose inner and outer strength was an inspiration to us all. She fairly floated over the steep mountain trails walking up the narrow rocky path wearing just simple black shoes while I struggled to keep up in my hiking boots. Sr. Martha calmly handled all situations, minor and major with the same quiet demeanor. When we needed help translating for a patient or a parent, Sr. Martha suddenly appeared. When a parent was not taking proper care of a child we examined, Sr. Martha was there to scold the parent. She never seemed to tire, so we pushed on as well. No time for whining. What stands out in your mind after spending a week with them is the people of Baradères. You need no reminder that this town is located in one of the most remote regions of Haiti. Nor do you need to be told that this region is poor. The evidence is everywhere. But piercing through that mantle of poverty is a spirit of determination, determined to get an education for their children and determined to better their lives. So the top three lasting impressions from my first mission to Haiti: the indomitable nature of the human spirit; Sr. Martha is a saint; and, maybe there is a little bit of saint in all of us. I cannot begin to express how impressed I was with the work of my fellow members of this mission. Every one of them surprised and inspired me in small and big ways and I am sure that their presence in Baradères left a lasting impression on many of the people we met. They were outstanding in their dedication, generosity, kindness and hard work every day of the mission. They did not have to go to Baradères, but they did and that alone would have been impressive enough. However it was what they did while in Baradères that really convinced me that, yes, a small group of devoted, enthusiastic people can make a difference. |
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