Report from International SVDP officer who lives in Haiti
Message from Eduardo Marqués Almeida, who lives in
Haiti and serves as International Territorial Vice-President for South
America Equatorial North, Eduardo Marqués Almeida, (24th January, 2010)
Dear Father Gregory and José Ramón,
I hope you are well. Yesterday, for the first time, I left Haiti for a meeting of international donors in Montreal, but, if with God’s help, I will back there on Thursday.
I was visiting the house of the Daughters of Charity (DC) in Port-au-Prince. I will prepare a report a bit more complete and personal about what is happening in Haiti, but, for practical reasons, the news I have got are the following:
1. As you will have seen already through pictures, the school and the provincialhouse of the Daughters of Charity are totally destroyed.
2. Until now, we know about one decease among the Daughters of Charity, who was at an university. Thanks God, there are no more losses among the DC, Lazarists and AIC. Unfortunately, there is no news from the SSVP for communication reasons. During the week I will try to get more information, once I am back in Haiti.
3. All assistance should be made through the DC. They have built a camp at the school’s soccer field and they are attending the sisters, fathers and AIC. They are also organizing the attending of the sick and poor of the community.
Example, the list of medicaments they made and Andrea is obtaining them in the Dominican Republic.
4. The province of the Dominican Republic of the Daughters of Charity is also the point of support for the relief assistance. They are centralizing all assistance in money and they send in trucks help to Haiti. I have spoken to Sister Servia (Provincial of the Dominican Republic) and she will send me the bank account number. For the DC in Haiti it is dangerous to go to a band in these moments.
It is impressive to see, what Vincentian vocation means. Only this can explain the forces and wisdom to serve, as I am seeing it in Haiti. Please, keep praying. Now, as always, the lights of the television cameras will leave Haiti and those will stay who really want to serve. You are the instrument of God, which, even physically far from the disaster, can give as strength.
Pray always and more and more, that Saint Vincent may make us stronger and wiser than we are, to serve our masters.
Please forgive me that I am not answering all emails, as I should, but slowly I will respond when time it permits. With my affection,
Eduardo
Tags: Almeida, Haiti