HAITI

Dear Oblates and friends,

As you have certainly heard in the news, an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.2 struck Haiti this morning at 8:30 AM. Several hundreds of people have been reported dead and missing. A lot of material damage have been reported.

The epicenter was located in the South and the Nippes region of the country (including the South, Anse-à-Veau and Miragoâne). Many buildings collapsed in Les Cayes and Camp-Perrin, including churches and religious centres all over the South Coast – Port-Salut, Roche-à-Bateau, Côteaux, Damassin, Port-à-Piment, Chardonnières, Rendel, Les Anglais, La Cahouane and Tiburon, etc-. In fact, the first images are terrifying.

As for the Haitian Oblates, it has been reported that they are safe “only one was under the rubble at Mazenod, Camp-Perrin, but he came out unscathed, without a scratch. It is Father Albert CATOR. Unfortunately, two employees of Mazenod still cannot be found” (reported by the Provincial of Haiti).

So, this note is to summarize for you and share the first news on the situation in Haiti after this new earthquake and after just 1 month and 7 days of the murder of the President Jovenel Moïse. At the appropriate time we will give you further information. We count on your prayers for the protection of Haiti. May Our Lady of the Assumption bless us and keep us under her Mother’s smile.

Fr. Jean-Hérick Jasmin, OMI
(Director, OMI JPIC)

Some of the pictures taken at Camp-Perrin, the Oblate campus in the south of Haiti