Haiti Committee - Sacred Heart Catholic Church

Haiti Committee Mission Statement

The Haiti Committee is a faith-based committee, deeply rooted in the principles of the Gospel and the traditions of the Catholic Church.

As a ministry of Sacred Heart Church in Jeffersonville, the committee is dedicated to addressing the spiritual concerns of our Sister Parish, Saint Raphael, located in Saint Raphael, Haiti.

Empowered by God, we strive to make both Sacred Heart and Saint Raphael a better place.

Through prayers, donations, and obedience to God, the committee strives to help the people of Saint Raphael become self sufficient and provide a better quality of living for their families. We will strive to maintain on-going resources to continue this much needed mission work we have committed to do.

Guided by the loving Spirit of our God, we will communicate to the parish our outreach efforts, budgetary information and needs, a deep devotion for new ministry opportunities and evaluation of current effort.

The mission and ministry of the Haiti Committee of the Sacred Heart Parish is to support our Sister Parish, Saint Raphael Parish in Saint Raphael, Haiti. This committee was formed two years ago with a vision and mission to serve those in need. Through the dedication and loving spirit of this committee; led by our former Pastor, Father Raymond Schaffer and two members of our parish, Shirley Sweatt and Eileen Hahn, and guided by the loving Spirit of our God, they embarked on a mission to evaluate the needs of our sister parish in the country of Haiti.

Haiti is located in the Caribbean in the western third of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, west of the Dominican Republic. The country is slightly smaller than the state of Maryland. The capital is Port-au-Prince. The climate is tropical; semiarid where mountains in the east cut off the trade winds. The terrain is mostly rough and mountainous. Haiti lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and is subject to severe storms from June through October; and occasional flooding and earthquakes; along with periodic droughts. Extensive deforestation has occurred with much of the remaining forested land being cleared for agriculture and used as fuel; this has led to soil erosion. Also, there are inadequate supplies of potable water.

The population of Haiti is about 7.063,722 but is being drastically effected by the high rate of mortality due to AIDS. Ethnic groups include a large population of black people and a minor population of white people. The principal religion is Catholic with a small percentage of various Protestant faiths. The native language is French and Creole. About 80% of the population lives in abject poverty. Nearly 70% of all Haitians depend on the agriculture sector, which consists mainly of small-scale subsistence farming and employs about two thirds of the economically active workforce. Agricultural products consist of coffee, mangoes, sugarcane, rice, corn, sorghum, and wood. Industries consist of sugar refining, floor milling textiles, cement, light assembly industries based on imported parts.

Father Raymond had taken time from his sabbatical to journey with Shirley and Eileen to Saint Raphael in Haiti. His experience, understanding of the culture, faith sharing and support in numerous ways was invaluable to them. He guided them through some difficult moments. Father Raymond has been to Haiti before assisting the people and has been a part of a dental mission.

Their journey would take them through Port-au-Prince, Cap Haitien and then to the spirit-filled people of Saint Raphael. They embarked on this faith journey as a fact finding mission to evaluate the needs of the people and parish of Saint Raphael. This was done to better understand what our parish could do to provide assistance to help make a difference in the life of the parish of Saint Raphael and the people that live there.

The Committee left their comfortable homes and lifestyles to embark on a journey that would reveal the impoverished people of Haiti. Living with the people and listening to their needs; walking through the streets of villages and in the cane fields; they learned of the many needs that must be met to help these people. During their journey they were shown the irrigation system and the fields with crops, the parish sugar cane mill, the school and they met some of the students and teachers. They also visited two of the chapels of Saint Raphael Parish. They experienced the life and the lifestyle of the people of Haiti and saw their needs.

The Committee would arrive back to the airport in Louisville to a surprise welcome when a group from Sacred Heart met them with banners, song, and loving embraces. Filled with the love and spirit showed to them at the airport the purpose of their journey was confirmed.

This journey that they embarked on was a fact finding mission but in reality it was more than that. They confirmed in their hearts the great need for the ministry of the Haiti Committee and why God had called them to this ministry. They returned with information concerning the great need of helping our sister parish to improve the school and provide an education for the children. To help the people to become better able to provide for their families by improving their industry of sugar cane by providing funds to help with the sugar cane mill.

The people of Saint Raphael continuously offer prayer for the people of Sacred Heart and they are grateful and give thanks for the prayers our parish offers them and also for the assistance our parish has given to them.

The giving of the people of Sacred heart includes; prayers, sacrifices, words of encouragement, thoughtful donations, and acts of caring. By the sacrifices and the generous support of the members of Sacred Heart Parish, they have begun a ministry of help and service that reaches out to some of the poorest people on earth. Our parish has raised funds to give aid to our sister parish and those people that live in Saint Raphael. Students of the Sacred Heart School as well as parishioners have been generous in their support of this ministry. Through their efforts peoples lives are being changed for the better. Through the ministry of the Haiti Committee, Sacred Heart is making a difference in Haiti.

"God bless you.
God bless your family.
God bless the American people.
Today and Forever."