Our La Salette Mission and Formation Program in Haïti

From the beginning of the presence of the Missionaries of La Salette in Haiti in 2009, several young people demonstrated their desire to join our community. Our confreres accompanied them spiritually with their vocational discerns without making any commitment. Many continued their path in their diocese or with other religious congregations. Others have become officials in their parishes, and their number has steadily increased.

Seeking information from Other Religious Communities in Haïti

Thanks to the sharing by our confreres of this vocational ministry experience, the Province of Madagascar, with the help of the La Salette General Administration and the Province of Mary, Mother of the Americas in the United States, has begun consultations and sought advice from other congregations which already work in Haiti. Province officials have asked confreres on-site to identify resources that may be useful for a potential training program for future missionaries in this country.

After several years of discernment and preparation, the orientation of the General Chapter of 2018 (Decision No. 5) has accelerated the project of the Salettine training program in Haitian earth. In 2019, the Community developed a training program project that received the approval of the Provincial Administration of Madagascar. We organized vocation sessions during which they gathered young people who showed their desires to respond positively to the Lord's appeal to become missionaries of La Salette.

The seeds were broadcast far and wide . . .

Our four La Salette postulants – Hervé Feccus, Charlotin Rosman, Charlesson Gervé and Danielson Fleurant – continue their Training Program for Religious Life and for La Salette in Haiti.During these sessions, they accompanied a dozen young people for their vocational discernment, and then they kept in contact with them all year long; home visits were also made. Over the same year, they identified six young people admitted to continue the next stage of their vocational journey as aspirants. They lived with our community and followed basic human and religious training.

The plants took root . . .

In July 2021, the Provincial Superior of Madagascar made a historic decision to accept the admission of the four young people to the postulancy. This marks the confirmation and recognition of this Saletine Training Project on Haitian earth. It is a glimmer of hope amid many challenges and difficulties faced by our missionaries in this country, just like the rest of the population.

They are growing up together

The four postulants – Hervé Feccus, Charlotin Rosman, Charlesson Gervé and Danielson Fleurant – continue their Training Program for Religious Life and for La Salette. They are housed at the Bayonnais Little River House in the Diocese des Gonaïves. In addition to the training provided by the training team and the community on the spot, they take online courses with our confreres of the United States, especially the conferences of Father Jack Nuelle and Father Joseph Lamartine Eliscar.

Currently, the training program organized by the Haitian Conference of Religious through the Union of Religious Trainers at Port-Au-Prince, in which they will participate, is still closed because of the Covid-19 Pandemic but primarily because of the volatile political situation in this country. Currently, we are in preparation for the organization of a session to recruit a new promotion for the 2021-2022 Discernment Year.

And Mary’s prayers and the Holy Spirit’s inspiration guide us all

A. La Salette Cross etched in chalk in front of one of our La Salette Chapels in HaitiThe program's opening in Haiti is one of the most beautiful gifts we have received from our Mother during the 175th Anniversary of her Appearance on the Holy Mountain. Undoubtedly, it is a big step for our implantation in this beautiful country that is often plagued with natural disasters and endless socio-politico-economic struggles.

Yet the Holy Spirit illuminates our Formation Community, and our Weeping Mother is supporting their training, accompanying them with her ceaseless prayer for our candidates on their vocational journey. And that this training project salettine that has just started in this country bears fruit to "pass to all the people" the good news of our Lord and the message of reconciliation of the Beautiful Lady of La Salette.

As far as our mission is concerned, we are in the two parishes of Sainte Anne and Saint Joachim in Haute Feuille and the parish of St. Augustine in Bayonnais. With pastoral care, we take care of the three Presbyteral Schools of these two parishes – one in Bayonnais and two in Haute Feuille. We have almost 1,300 students – 1,000 from Haute Feuille‘s schools and 300 from Bayonnais. In Bayonnais, we only have three classes in Kindergarten and four classes of the fundamental year . . . This Bayonnais school has its future. In these three schools, we can give the children hot meals once a day during the week, provided so generously by our La Salette Parish of Our Lady of the Cape in Brewster, Massachusetts.

In addition, we are committed to the service of the Haitian people according to their needs and our possibility through the aid we receive from other benefactors. They make possible our projects of good solid construction, as well as offering assistance through our mobile clinic, literacy and agriculture programs and education in the protection of and respect for reasonable ecological efforts . . .

Presently, we are four La Salette Missionaries: two in Haute Feuille (Fr. Maximin Joseph Rarivoarivony and Fr. Odon Placide Randriamirado), and two in Bayonnais (Fr. Mami Romuald Rakotondraibe and Fr. Ignatius of Antioch arrived in Haiti two months ago.