Fr. Rick Frechette, CP, is a Passionist priest from St. Paul of the Cross Province, and founder of St. Luke Foundation for Haiti , which is a native, Haitian, benevolent organization that both helps those in immediate need, and empowers people whose lives are plagued by poverty and its deadly effects by enabling community development and helping people determine their own future.
We recently asked for an update on his work in Haiti, to which he responded:
“For all the years I have been here, Haiti has been a pretty rough purgatory for the people.
Some have been years of hell: 2004 to 2007. These relieved by the forceful military tactics of UN.
The last four years have been a rapid descent into hell again and we are at the boiling point.
My life, since covid subsided, has been refugees, kidnapped releases, reaching and rescuing isolated groups, caring for gunshot injured, and burials.
“Like Pope Gregory, who walked out the gates of Rome to convince Attila the Hun to not destroy it,
like Jesus who taught correct meaning of scriptures to Satan and rebuked him often,
like Jesus who dialogued with two men who, by their own testimony, deserved to be crucified,
and found it to be worth his last few breaths to try to keep them from eternal damnation,
we have become somewhat proficient at dialogue with the worst possible actors, to try to get them to turn a good deed for someone vulnerable. And to approach some larger questions with them.
“This has given us a lot of ministerial power, and the ability to free tons of people, no few of which have been priests and nuns, at present there are still two Brothers of the Sacred Heart in their hands.
“Our bishop was badly burned, seemingly by a Molotov cocktail, about 3 weeks ago.
We were able to airlift him to Miami, to Jackson Memorial, and he is doing well though badly injured.
“The bandits are a small part of the story. A bigger part is international crime rings of arms and drugs with some suspicion of China or Russia or both having a hand in it to destabilize the doorstep of [the] USA.
“In spite of things, we have been able to keep most of our works running, or better said, limping along, but that is no small thing.
“The Cathedral was burned two years ago, and our team was able to restore it for Easter Mass the following year.
The Archdiocesan hospital downtown was just evacuated and ransacked, just a week ago.
Tonight much of the city is being looted and burned.
It is beyond categories of good and evil, and is Satanic- including cannibalism by gangs.
I am not sure what will happen, unless like in 2007 there is a massive force to enter and take control.
“So to your question, how am I?
I am fine health wise, totally committed to keep helping, and really troubled by the Calvary questions:
where God?
if God is here, why in silence?
how do we not internalize the hatred cynicism and become soul sick?
what will happen when there is some order
– is forgiveness possible?
how to reconstruct a country that was already dirt poor?
“If we lose everything, a work of 35 years, we will stand in the dust with the people
and start again together.
“The practicum of how to act in the meantime
we well know it
prayer, penance, good works.
“These we do, even with some joy,
Thanks for asking.
The prayers are working!
The good wishes are encouraging.”
Peace and thanks
Rick, CP