Hope for Haiti Updates 1/17

Recent news from the Hope for Haiti Foundation describes the situation there with an influx of refugees now making their way out of Port-au-Prince to other areas.

The past 36 hours have brought the start of the expected migration of people from Port au Prince to Jérémie, and The Haitian Health Foundation’s immediate focus is on addressing their needs. Supplies necessary to aid the influx are scarce, a problem compounded by the collapse of banking and the absence of currency. However, partnerships with such agencies as AmeriCares, Cross International, and the Red Cross are being forged to bridge the gaps in the area’s needs

Dr. Bette Gebrian, HHF’s Director of Public Health, reports that people seeking the refuge of their families and homes in the Grand’Anse began arriving yesterday, with an estimated 2000+ having arrived by early Sunday. About 1,500 came by boat from Port au Prince, with the remainder having traveled the difficult overland route.
Buses and trucks that arrived yesterday were greeted by loved ones, Croix Rouge Hatienne (Red Cross of Haiti), MINUSTAH (United Nations), and local Scouts. HHF personnel were on hand with partner organizations to address the injured, transferring those with the most severe injuries to the public hospital and helping to treat others with less severe conditions. Although HHF does not operate a trauma center, it has committed its support to treating injuries not requiring hospitalization, offering its pharmacy, X-ray, sonogram, and other medical services and supplies.

Overland travelers described the difficult trip: one truck teeming with people broke down, and another was involved in an accident, causing passengers to pack together in whatever other vehicles they encountered. The injured traveled alongside the uninjured, and stories abound of Haitians caring for their own. Those fortunate enough to ride described passing many people who had undertaken the route on foot, a journey that will take about 6 days. Among those walking westward, some were seen carrying the caskets of family members.

The Grand’Anse Department Director of Croix Rouge pointed out that a large percentage of the people in Port au Prince migrated from southwest Haiti, and arrivals thus far are just a fraction of those expected to return. Many are coming with severe injuries, broken bones, and burns. HHF is a member of the partnership of organizations that will welcome them back and help to provide for their needs in food, shelter, and health care.

The boat carrying the 1,500 returning Grand’Anse residents was met by an orderly debarkation that included UN security personnel and local police, screening offloading passengers for potential security risks. There were at least 10 pregnant women among the passengers who were assessed. One was reported to be in labor and was immediately transported to the hospital; three others were brought to HHF’s Center of Hope Maternal Waiting Home for assessment. Other passengers, most of whom left Port au Prince with only the clothes on their backs, were given clothing, juice, protein bars, and soap. Potable water was supplied by HHF’s 4,000 gallon water truck, which Cross International provided two years ago.

In under 5 hours, trucks and private vehicles were on their way to drop off the exhausted travelers in all corners of the Grand’Anse. Those waiting in Jérémie were able to stay in a schoolyard in tents supplied by Croix Rouge.

The need continues with many more trucks and buses anticipated to arrive today, which will require more supplies. The lack of fuel has reportedly kept the boat anchored, unable to make the return trip to Port au Prince. Like other organizations, HHF is currently unable to purchase diesel. Unfortunately, it is also not uncommon for prices of the unavailable commodities to quadruple when they finally do become available.

With over 2,000 people having returned to Jérémie in the first day, it is clear that HHF’s resources will be severely strained over the coming months and beyond. The Haitian Health Foundation thanks you for your generosity during this period. Children—orphaned or not—will become a part of HHF’s comprehensive children’s health programs. Expectant mothers will be monitored and treated as indicated by their conditions. The injured will require both short and long-term care. All may become recipients of HHF’s services in feeding programs, education, housing, or other initiatives.

To our friends, we ask that you keep this story before the public; although we did not have the crumbling buildings of Port au Prince—and we do pray for the rescue of those still trapped and the recovery of the survivors—we readily accept the challenge of helping to repair the lives in the Grand’Anse devastated by this catastrophe. Bette Gebrian says, “We are heartened by the generosity of HHF’s legions of supporters, who have sent donations from all over the United States to help their struggling neighbors.”

News Update from Crudem Foundation in Haiti

The following information is from the Crudem Foundations blog.

Here is the update on what has been happening at CRUDEM’s Hopital Sacre Coeur.

A US Navy helicopter transported 4 patients to us a few hours ago. All were in serious stages of gangrene. One with crushed leg, one with crushed arm. One more load of 6 patients was due to arrive this evening but was delayed because a baby was born onboard! Unfortunately on route the pilot was forced to turn back because of the terrible weather conditions. If a Black Hawk 60 can be pressed into service then they will transport anywhere from 4 to 12 patients. We are hoping that many more patients will arrive to us ASAP.

The pilot reported that the scene in Port au Prince is more desperate then shown on the news. People are “stacked up in piles” all in need of amputations. Damage to Port au Prince is also greater than noted through the media.

The town of Milot has secured houses in the town to house the families of patients from Port au Prince. If they can get to Cap Haitien, the town will send a bus to pick them up.

CRUDEM Hopital Sacre Coeur and the people of Milot are doing everything possible to help alleviate the suffering of the survivors.

We have a general surgery team arriving today and an orthopedic team arriving tomorrow. Caritas in Boston is sending a team of ER docs and nurses and supplies on Tuesday. Phillips medical is shipping equipment such as monitors, portable xray unit etc and technicians to assemble on Tuesday.

We are coordinating volunteer teams to arrive by private plane throughout the week. There is a need for cots or beds and tents or portable building to house the additional patients. Project Hope is trying to help us obtain these items.
We have access to the school courtyard across from the hospital for the tents and portable building. Schools will be used for dormitories for up to 75 medical volunteers. The nutrition center will act as a cafeteria for the volunteers.

The soccer field has been turned into a landing for helos and the community are filling in the ruts and potholes in the road so the ambulances can transport the patients from the helos to the hospital smoothly. The pictures attached show the arrival of the patients.

One of our volunteers on the ground said in a recent email

“The CRUDEM volunteers, staff at HSC (Hopital Sacre Coeur) and the people of Milot are ALL doing an amazing job in every possible way – from fixing pot holes in the street to caring for the injured. In spite of the tragedy there is a strong sense of hope in the air.”

Donations can be made directly on our website www.crudem.org. Please spread the word and please continue to keep the patients and volunteers in your prayers.

On behalf of the hospital staff and patients, thank you so much for your continued support of our efforts.

The Board of Directors and staff of The CRUDEM Foundation Inc.

Donations for Haiti

There are many organizations requesting donations for Haitian earthquake relief and I hope if you are able to that you consider donating to the efforts of the Order of Malta. The American Association of the Order has 3 major ongoing works in Haiti and each will be helping in the relief effort with 100% of donations going for supplies. If you are interested you can visit the American Associations website and download a donation form or also donate online via the website.

The Morally Neutral, Loved Neither by God nor the Devil

John F. Kennedy had a favorite quote that was attributed to Dante's Inferno which it turns out was not actually in the book but the interpretation of a particular passage. Neverthesless it is still a good quote, "The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who in times of great moral crises preserve their neutrality". The passage it relates to is in canto III, verses 22-69. Given that so many people today make the claim, "I'm personally opposed [to X] but I can't force my beliefs on others," it is no wonder that in Dante's work he places them outside both Heaven and Hell, despised by all.

Now sighs, loud wailing, lamentation
resounded through the starless air,
so that I too began to weep.

Unfamiliar tongues, horrendous accents,
words of suffering, cries of rage, voices
loud and faint, the sound of slapping hands --

all these made a tumult, always whirling
in that black and timeless air,
as sand is swirled in a whirlwind.

And I, my head encircled by error, said:
'Master, what is this I hear, and what people
are these so overcome by pain?'

And he to me: 'This miserable state is borne
by the wretched souls of those who lived
without disgrace yet without praise.

'They intermingle with that wicked band
of angels, not rebellious and not faithful
to God, who held themselves apart.

'Loath to impair its beauty, Heaven casts them out,
and the depth of Hell does not receive them
lest on their account the evil angels gloat.'

And I: 'Master, what is so grievous to them,
that they lament so bitterly?'
He replied: 'I can tell you in few words.

'They have no hope of death,
and their blind life is so abject
that they are envious of every other lot.

'The world does not permit report of them.
Mercy and justice hold them in contempt.
Let us not speak of them -- look and pass by.'

And I, all eyes, saw a whirling banner
that ran so fast it seemed as though
it never could find rest.

Behind it came so long a file of people
that I could not believe
death had undone so many.

After I recognized a few of these,
I saw and knew the shade of him
who, through cowardice, made the great refusal.

At once with certainty I understood
this was that worthless crew
hateful alike to God and to His foes.

These wretches, who never were alive,
were naked and beset
by stinging flies and wasps

that made their faces stream with blood,
which, mingled with their tears,
was gathered at their feet by loathsome worms.

Deep Freeze Across Globe Reaches Hell Too

In the midst of the incredible cold weather all over the world, a report from CBS News shows that even Hell is beginning to freeze over. Katie Couric reported on the CBS evening news that President Obama has reneged on a promised he made, at least 8 times, to provide transparency on healthcare legislation. When even CBS can report on this you know it is something unusual.

President Obama wants the final negotiations on health care reform - a reconciliation of the House and Senate versions of the bill - put on a fast track, even if that means breaking an explicit campaign promise.

"The House and Senate plan to put together the final health care reform bill behind closed doors according to an agreement by top Democrats," House Speaker Nanci Pelosi said today at the White House.

The White House is on board with that, too, reports CBS News political correspondent Chip Reid. Press Secretary Robert Gibbs stressed today that "the president wants to get a bill to his desk as quickly as possible."

During the campaign, though, candidate Obama regularly promised something different -to broadcast all such negotiations on C-SPAN, putting the entire process of pounding out health care reform out in the open. (That promise applied to the now-completed processing of forging House and Senate bills, too.)

All I can say is that despite his obvious lack of decorum and respect for the office of President, Cong. Joe Wilson was right when he said, You Lie!

Here is a link to a video showing these promises. And even Nancy Pelosi finally got something right with her off the cuff remark that, "“There are a number of things he was for on the campaign trail." Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0110/31180.html#ixzz0bttT68dj."

To Be Holy, Pray and Love

The men's group in my parish is going to read Be A Man! Becoming the Man God Created You to Be by Fr. Larry Richards. I flipped open the book and came across this passage that Fr. Larry said was the most important part of the book to remember for it gives us our way to holiness. In the words of the Cure of Ars, St. John Vianney,

"This is the glorious duty of man: to pray and to love." To be holy then one must do these two things, pray and love. Focus on them for the rest of your life and you too will be a great saint.

In each chapter Fr. Larry includes tasks you must accomplish.

1. Be a man who strives to be a saint. Ask God for the grace to grow in your holiness.

2. Be a man of devotion. What religious practices is God calling you to start doing? Be specific and start doing them.

3. Be a man who prays and loves. The world must know that you love the Father. This is done by praying and loving--live it.

It looks like a very good book and is in keeping with the theme of my blog. It is available from IGNATIUS Press and if this is any indication of its popularity it is currently on backorder.

The State as Guarantor of Rights, Not Supplier

As the nanny state is poised to grow ever larger Bishop Sheen had these comments on freedom,

The State must guarantee the social security of its citizens, but it must not supply that security. Freedom from want must not be purchased by freedom from freedom, in which a Bureaucratic State becomes the world's caterer. from Seven Pillars of Peace

"Freedom is the right to do whatever I please." This is the liberal doctrine of freedom, which reduces freedom to a physical, rather than a moral, power. from World's First Love

Bishop Vasa on Excommunication

Bishop Vasa has written a timely article on excommunication in his weekly column in the Diocesan newspaper, The Catholic Sentinel.

During the course of this past year there have been a number of occasions when bishops have hinted to laity that being Catholic involves a bit more than claiming the title. This has been done, in particular, with regard to politicians who may, in their own way, love Jesus, who may attend Sunday Mass and who do identify themselves as “faithful” Catholics. The press usually hints at the big “E” word, excommunication. The question of when a Catholic should be excommunicated has even been asked quite frequently and very seriously. While bishops are extremely reluctant to take the seemingly dramatic step of excommunication, I think there is very good reason for us to explore more thoroughly what excommunication really means and why it might be considered in certain circumstances.

The press would undoubtedly accuse Bishops who talk or even think about excommunication as being tyrannical power mongers but this is unfair. Excommunication is a declaration, based on solid evidence, that the actions or public teachings of a particular Catholic are categorically incompatible with the teachings of the Church. It is intended primarily as a means of getting the person who is in grave error to recognize the depth of his error and repent. A second reason, while somewhat secondary but no less important, is to assure the faithful who truly are faithful that what they believe to be the teaching of the Church is true and correct. Allowing their faith to be shaken or allowing them to be confused when Catholics publicly affirm something contrary to faith or morals, seemingly without consequences, scandalizes and confuses the faithful. This is no small matter. The Church, and particularly bishops, have an obligation to defend the faith but they also have an obligation to protect the faithful. We do not generally see the dissidence of public figures as something that harms the faithful but it has a deleterious effect upon them.

I find, very frequently, when I speak a bit more boldly on matters of morality or discipline, there are a significant number of the faithful who send messages of gratitude and support. [I have written Bishop Vasa in the past and I think this is important to let these Bishops know they have the laity's support when they speak up because they will certainly hear from their detractors.] It is their gratitude which stirs my heart for it makes me realize how much there is a need to support and affirm the clear and consistent teachings of our Catholic faith for the sake of the faithful. While the press may caricature such bishops in rather uncharitable fashion, I trust that they are men devoted to true compassion and to the truth itself. Their compassion extends to those who are misled and to those who, while not misled, are discouraged when their faith is attacked without rebuttal. This discouragement of the faithful is not insignificant. When we look at the word itself we see that its root is “courage” and allowing someone’s courage to be dissipated, or “dissed” as the young might say, is harmful to the person. En-couragement, by contrast, builds up the courage of the faithful and increases their strength for doing good. It is life giving and revitalizing. Allowing error, publicly expressed, to stand without comment or contradiction is discouraging.

When that moral error is espoused publicly by a Catholic who, by the likewise public and external act of receiving Holy Communion, appears to be in “good standing” then the faithful are doubly confused and doubly discouraged. In that case, the error is certainly not refuted. Furthermore, the impression is given that the error is positively condoned by the bishop and the Church. This is very dis-couraging to the faithful. In such a case, private “dialogue” is certainly appropriate but a public statement is also needed. In extreme cases, excommunication may be deemed necessary.

In the same way, bishops who recognize a serious spiritual malady and seek a prescription to remedy the error, after discussion and warning, may be required to simply state, “What you do and say is gravely wrong and puts you out of communion with the faith you claim to hold.” In serious cases, and the cases of misled Catholic public officials are often very serious, a declaration of the fact that the person is de facto out of communion may be the only responsible and charitable thing to do.

Failing to name error because of some kind of fear of offending the person in error is neither compassion nor charity. Confronting or challenging the error or evil of another is never easy yet it must be done.

The Lord has called bishops to be shepherds. That shepherding entails both leading and protecting. In an era when error runs rampant and false teachings abound, the voice of the Holy Father rings clear and true. The teachings of the Church are well documented and consistent. Bishops and the pastors who serve in their Dioceses have an obligation both to lead their people to the truth and protect them from error.

St. Therese's Prayer for Priests

Because of the importance of praying for priests here is the daily prayer St. Therese of Liseux used to say for them. Given St. Therese's known distaste of lengthy forms of set prayers, the fact that she said this one every day shows how important it was for her.

‘O Holy Father, may the torrents of love flowing from the sacred wounds of Thy Divine Son bring forth priests like unto the beloved disciple John who stood at the foot of the Cross; priests: who as a pledge of Thine own most tender love will lovingly give Thy Divine Son to the souls of men.

May Thy priests be faithful guardians of Thy Church, as John was of Mary, whom he received into his house. Taught by this loving Mother who suffered so much on Calvary, may they display a mother’s care and thoughtfulness towards Thy children. May they teach souls to enter into close union with Thee through Mary who, as the Gate of Heaven, is specially the guardian of the treasures of Thy Divine Heart.

Give us priests who are on fire, and who are true children of Mary, priests who will give Jesus to souls with the same tenderness and care with which Mary carried the Little Child of Bethlehem.

Mother of sorrows and of love, out of compassion for Thy beloved Son, open in our hearts deep wells of love, so that we may console Him and give Him a generation of priests formed in thy school and having all the tender thoughtfulness of thine own spotless love.’

A Good Reminder to Pray for Our Priests

Fr. Z posted an important reminder of why we must always remember to pray for priests, No Matter What!

I read the news that former priest and liberal critic of the Catholic Church James Kavanaugh died at the age of 81. The story is on mlive.com.

One of my spies told me something that the obituary does not mention: Kavanaugh asked for and received the Apostolic Pardon just before he died. Never stop praying for priests… priests who are faithful and those who are not, those who are capable and those who are less so, those whom you like, those you don’t.

The devil HATES priests with a malice that humans cannot fathom. With diabolical angelic abilities they do what they can to drag priests – upon whom so much rests – down and then farthest down of all. Pray for priests. I once had an experience that underscores this plea.

I used to commute by train into Rome from Velletri everyday at oh-dark-hundred … every…day.One morning there was a commotion on the platform in one of the little stops on the way. Someone had thrown himself in front of the train. There were a couple other priests there, standing around with their hands in their pockets. Therefore, I – who always carry an oil stock – got down on the messy track and anointed the still slightly shuddering body and sent him heavenward with the Apostolic Pardon.

The next day my bishop called me in and asked for my version of what had happened I told him. He then told me that the man was an ex-priest, a Salesian. Simply the luckiest desperate ex-priest ever, perhaps. Who knows what prayers, what work of angels sent by others, saved that man that morning.

Never stop praying for priests, effective or hapless, faithful or not, near saints or obviously lacking.

Do not stop praying for priests