Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) deeply regrets the tragic loss of two religious sisters from the Congregation of the Little Sisters of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, who were brutally murdered on Monday, March 31, by armed gangs in Mirebalais, around 50 kilometres northeast of the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince.
Sisters Evanette Onezaire and Jeanne Voltaire were in the city on a mission when they found themselves needing to take refuge with other civilians from an attack by the armed gangs. Unfortunately, the attackers discovered their hiding place and murdered the entire group.
The fact that armed gangs have begun operating in Mirebalais, a few dozen kilometres from the capital, which is already almost fully dominated by criminals, shows how the situation in the country has worsened considerably over the past few days. “Several murders took place during this attack, including two sisters from the local congregation of the Little Sisters of Saint Thérèse. All the prisoners have escaped, and the city is controlled by bandits,” said Archbishop Max Leroy Mésidor of Port-au-Prince in a message sent to Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) on Wednesday, April 2.
ACN Director of Projects Marco Mencaglia (photo), who visited the congregation—one of ACN’s project partners—on one of his trips to the country, expressed his deep grief over the death of the two sisters and the growing violence in Haiti, which has reached alarming levels, and is seriously affecting the local Church. “We ask that God grant them eternal rest, and we pray for their families and the safety of the congregation. Aid to the Church in Need would like to stress its continued support for and solidarity with the Haitian Church and issue an urgent call for prayer in the face of the increased violence and its devastating impact on the community,” said Mencaglia.
In an exclusive statement to ACN, Archbishop Mésidor (photo) explained that the situation in the country has worsened, and that the terrible crisis brought on by the increased violence is radically affecting the Church’s continued presence in the capital. “Twenty-eight parishes in the Archdiocese of Port-au-Prince are closed, while around 40 are operating at minimum levels because the neighbourhoods are controlled by gangs. The priests have been forced to flee, finding refuge with their families or with other clerics. They need help. The archdiocese is also in difficulty,” the archbishop said.
“Here in Haiti our Lent has become a true Way of the Cross, but we offer it up in communion with the suffering of Christ. Haiti is burning and requires urgent help. Who will come to our aid?” he asks in desperation.
In a letter addressed to male and women religious of the archdiocese, dated March 30, the archbishop described the severity of the crisis. “We are going through one of the worst periods in our history as a people. I need not add insult to injury by enumerating all that we are suffering because of the general insecurity that has affected our compatriots for several years. Nonetheless, I must report some of the events which have taken place over the past few weeks: religious communities have been displaced, many schools are closed, elderly and sick religious sisters have had to be evacuated in the middle of the night, and entire congregations had to leave their nursing homes, with nowhere to place the sick sisters.”
“The list of religious congregations in difficulty is very long. I have no words to describe what is currently happening in Port-au-Prince. It is an unbelievable situation. Our consecrated brothers and sisters are actively taking part in the suffering of our people,” the letter reads.
“The murder of these two religious sisters is a sad confirmation of the terrible suffering that the congregations are going through,” said Mr. Mencaglia. ACN also calls on the international community not to abandon the Haitian Church and people in this time of extreme suffering. “The situation requires concrete gestures of solidarity. The Church in Haiti is suffering, but has not lost the Faith,” the director of projects concluded.
