Faith In The Aftermath

Thu, Jul 15, 2010

: A man stands and prays outside the collapsed National Cathedral in Port-au-Prince, on Sunday Jan. 16, 2010./ Patrick Farrell, courtesy of The Miami Herald

When Rev. Jean-Mary Reginald learned about the massive earthquake in Haiti, he reflexively walked to his church– Notre Dame D’Haiti Catholic Church in Little Haiti– and opened the doors. People began to arrive immediately. The church, he says, “is the living room” of the Haitian-American community in South Florida.

With Haiti’s phone lines down, most of those who arrived had no news of loved ones back home. They grabbed their stomachs in pain, some threw themselves on the floor…

In this piece, Rev. Jean-Mary describes how the earthquake affected his congregation, and how music helped them to heal. The church was growing before, but after the quake, it grew more.

The earthquake also made people more generous, Jean-Mary says. Most of the church’s members are struggling in the current economic climate, but now they are sending even more money back to Haiti to help loved ones rebuild. The church has also re-designated funds for building a larger church. Much of that money will go back to Haiti too– for medical assistance, schools and basic supplies.