(ANS – Cap-Haitien) – The Tenth Successor of Don Bosco, still on his visit to Haiti, had two very busy days on 11 and 12 March. He had a chance to see that the Haitians are a nation of workers, who live life with joy despite their many problems.

di Hubert Mesidor, SDB

On the morning of Wednesday 11 March, Fr Ángel Fernández Artime travelled to Cap-Haitien, Haiti's second largest city, in the north of the country. He was accompanied by Fr Timothy Ploch, Councillor for the Salesian Region of Inter-America. He arrived at Fondation Vincent at 8.50 and received a warm welcome and a floral tribute. Fr André Mytilien, Rector of the Salesian Community of Cap-Haitien, then spoke about Fondation Vincent and its prospects for the future. Before he left, the Rector Major received a gift of a typical Haitian straw hat.

Later Fr Á.F. Artime spent some time with the Salesian community. He celebrated the Eucharist with his confreres, in a spirit of great fraternity.

In the afternoon, the Rector Major visited Fort-Liberté in the Northeast of Haiti, where the Salesians run a complex work with a primary school, a professional school with courses in nursing and agriculture, and a boarding school. Fr Á.F. Artime was warmly welcomed at the entrance to the city and accompanied to the Salesian House where he was eagerly awaited by a great number of students. The Rector Major greeted everyone present, received the traditional homage, and held a conversation with the Salesian community. He then blessed the new headquarters of the boarding school and the residence of the Salesians, and ended the day with the traditional "good night" to the Salesians and young people.

The following day, the Rector Major and his companions were back in the capital, Port-au-Prince.  They visited Cité Soleil, one of the largest slums in Haiti, where the Salesians have been working for over fifty years. They run a kindergarten and a primary school, a parish and a school canteen at the Little Schools of Father Bohnen where they provide meals for more than 15,000 children.

In mid-morning there was another important event - an encounter with the young people of the Salesian Youth Movement in Gressier. The Rector Major presided at the Mass and encouraged the young people of the SYM to be leaders: "Dear young people, other young people need you, Don Bosco needs you, Jesus needs you. You must be the builders of the new Haiti." After Mass he attended the full program of cultural activities planned for the occasion and, in the evening, visited the house of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians.

Published 13/03/2015