Office of
Haitian Ministries
Diocese of Norwich
Bishop Flanagan
Ministry Center
1595 Norwich-
New London Turnpike
Uncasville, CT
06382-1319
860/848-2237 ext. 206
e-mail
haiti.ministry@snet.net
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Twinning - Holy Family and Immaculate Conception
Church of the Holy Family
Hebron
With a land area of a little over 36 square miles, Hebron is situated 16 miles from Hartford, the capitol of Connecticut.
The population of Hebron in 1998 was listed at over 8,000. The educational profile for the 1995-6 year shows Hebron to have a total student population of 1,645 with a per pupil expenditure of $7,051 and student/teacher ratio at 15:2. The high school drop out rate is low at 3.1%. The percent of those pursuing post-secondary education is listed at 91.5%. (CT Department of Economic and Community Development)
Church of the Holy Family is a parish that began 12 years ago with 400 families. Today there are over 800 families in this parish community led by Fr. Roland Cloutier with Sr. Mary Ann DeFrancesco serving as associate pastor.
Church of the Holy Family, the first parish in CT to form a twinning relationship with a Haitian parish, is in the 5th year of its twinning relationship. Church of the Holy Family's twin parish is located in Fonds Baptist, Haiti and is called Church of The Immaculate Conception.
The Church of the Holy Family gives a substantial grant each year to the Fonds Baptiste parish. These monies are derived from the tithing done by members of the Holy Family community. Also, the Social Outreach Committee of Holy Family Church sponsors a craft and children's fair. The profits from the fair and some of the profits from sales derived from Work of Human Hands are donated to their sister parish. A large percent of the money raised yearly by Holy Family goes to Immaculate Conception in Fonds Baptiste for support of their school and to pay teachers salaries.
Happenings at Holy Family
On a recent visit of the Archbishop of Port-au-Prince, Most Reverend Joseph Serge Miot honored Church of the Holy Family with a visit.
Archbishop Miot, along with Pastor Fr. Roland Cloutier and the Bishop of Norwich's representative to Haiti, Fr. Gerald Kirby, celebrated mass at Church of the Holy Family. The parish received this honor, because it was the first church in the Archdiocese to establish a twinning relationship with a church in Haiti.
A cross symbolizing the bond that exists between Church of the Holy Family in Hebron, CT and the parish, Immaculate Conception of Fonds Baptiste, Haiti was presented by Most Reverend Miot, Archbishop of Port-au-Prince and Most Reverend Daniel Hart, Bishop of the Diocese of Norwich.
Following the mass, a reception was held to allow parishoners to personally meet the Archbishop.
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Immaculate Conception
Fonds Baptiste
About a 4-5 hour drive (in a 4 wheeled vehicle) from Port-au-Prince is the mountain-top village of Fonds Baptiste. The way the villagers have to come down the mountain is on foot or by donkey.
Immaculate Conception
The parish was established in 1952 and is composed of approximately three thousand families. In addition to the main church there are five chapels, each struggling to maintain a school for children in the area. The main school with more than 300 students employs 7 teachers. The teachers in the chapel schools must volunteer their services as there is no money to pay them.
What people of Fonds Baptiste need are things we take for granted and can not imagine living without: roads, access to clean water, to enough food to eat, to education for their children, and to health care. Presently, there is no health care in or around Fonds Baptiste and many children die needlessly. By Haitian law, all children must attend school in a school uniform. Uniforms, in addition to the cost of books, paper, pencils, and other school supplies, makes it impossible for poor children to attend school without assistance.
Scenes in Fonds Baptiste
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