Haiti Happenings, Part 8 - HOLY TRINITY & ST. VINCENT'S

Holy Trinity Symphony

Only blocks away from the empty palace grounds are what remain of Holy Trinity Episcopal Cathedral. Our team and others from the Haiti Connection conference toured their large temporary sanctuary and school that take up all of the usable property. Both the music school and classes continue for students. 

Holy Trinity students listening to the symphony

We were fortunate enough to arrive when Les Petite Chanteaurs (Boys Choir) and Holy Trinity Symphony Orchestra were practicing for an upcoming event. What a treat it was to enjoy their music! 

Sadly, a HUGE cathedral bell—one of the only remaining artifacts from the original cathedral—was recently stolen. How the thieves were able to move such a massive bell is unimaginable. The bells have now been walled in with cement to prevent further theft until the cathedral is rebuilt in years to come. 

The bells from Holy Trinity (photo from 2011)

Last, but certainly not least, St. Vincent’s is steadily showing signs of rebirth:

• St. Vincent’s now has its very own library which is slowly being stocked with books
• Kathy tested out the new sound-proof audiology booth that is set up in a dedicated space to serve the deaf children
• The storage room that we cleaned out and organized two years ago has been converted to a music room that will soon be shared with computer lab The Red Thread is helping to establish
• The water purification system is up and running 

Claurrician, a student at St. Vincent's operating St. Vincent's new gift shop,
and John, a friend from West Tennessee Haiti Partnership.
The shop sell's student's work, including jewelry, artwork and handbags

Journeyman working in the new brace shop

The brace shop

The brace shop shares space with the new clinic

The building will house an expanded pharmacy and multiple clinic rooms

As soon as these areas are furnished and stocked, it will be open for business,
serving St. Vincent's students, staff and the community

The new facility will house both permanent and visiting medical teams year round

Looking into a clinic room

The view from inside the clinic looking out

And, to our delight, the children are growing up! They are each a year older and happy. New faces abound as well. The school is now running at full capacity for the current space. And yet there are still children waiting to get in the doors of this very special place in the heart of Port-au-Prince.

In the news, again!

Some of the deaf students from St. Vincent’s Center for Handicapped Children

School & Medical Facility prior to the earthquake on January 12, 2010

The partners: Randa El gayar, Sally Carlson, Sadoni Leon

(Director of St. Vincent’s), Tom Landry II, Kathy Korge Albergate, Scott Albergate,

Sonya Yencer at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church–Lakeview

St. Vincent's Center for Handicapped Children School & Medical Facility

before the earthquake on January 12, 2010

The same building after the earthquake on January 12, 2010

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We are excited to share this great news with our loyal friends, volunteers and donors. Late last week, the following press release went out to approximately 2,500 Episcopal churches across the United States as well as local media in Washington state and Louisiana.

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CONTACT

The Rev. Dr. Scott P. Albergate

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church-Lakeview

225.615.0065

The Rt. Rev. Morris K. Thompson, Jr.

Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana

504.895.2401

Kathy Korge Albergate, President

The Red Thread Promise

817.320.6522

Date: Sept. 23, 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

HELP FOR HAITI: DIOCESES AND THE RED THREAD PROMISE

RALLY TO REBUILD SPECIAL NEEDS FACILITY

New Orleans, LA — It’s been nine months since the devastating earthquake in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. But the physical and psychological rubble left by the natural disaster lingers for some of the country’s most needy; namely the young people who rely on the St. Vincent’s Center for Handicapped Children School & Medical Facility.

To support the children and restore their hope and dignity, the Episcopal Diocese of Olympia, Seattle, the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana, New Orleans, and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church – Lakeview, New Orleans, announced a new partnership with The Red Thread Promise, a 501(c)(3) organization based in New Orleans.

Together with interior architects Tom Landry, II (New Orleans) and Randa El gayar (Montreal), who are experts in sustainable building practices, these organizations have combined their compassion for children with their talents and resources to rebuild the much-needed facility.

“St. Vincent’s is the center of these children’s lives,” says Kathy Korge Albergate, president of The Red Thread Promise. “It’s where they flourish and where they learn to take care of themselves, including acquiring skills to become productive members of society.”

Prior to the earthquake, St. Vincent’s served approximately 250 children with special needs, including the hearing- and sight-impaired. The former facility housed classrooms; general, dental, eye and audiology clinics; surgery and recovery rooms; a pharmacy; a prosthetic and orthotic workshop; kitchen; cafeteria; dormitories; administrative offices; and guest quarters.

Only three rooms of the original structure remain, so the team will work closely with the Episcopal Diocese of Haiti as well as St. Vincent’s engineers and architects to finalize plans for the new facility. Guided by best practices in accessibility, safety and sustainability, the new facility will be constructed to be both hurricane and earthquake resistant.

“Building a facility to help the children is our number one priority,” says The Rt. Rev. Morris K. Thompson of the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana, New Orleans, Louisiana. “But we also want to do it in a way that leverages the lessons we learned from Hurricane Katrina while also incorporating the latest in sustainability practices.”

The partners have been raising both funds and awareness for the rebuilding and refurnishing project. They’ve also funded a full shipping container of all-terrain wheelchairs and medical equipment, including scales, instrument sanitizers, canes, crutches, blood pressure cuffs, cast cutters, typewriters and other medical supplies needed for the new St. Vincent’s medical facility.

“St. Paul’s has been blessed by the friendship developed with the Diocese of Olympia over the past 5 years since Hurricane Katrina. This project is the ideal opportunity for St. Paul’s to continue nurturing this relationship while making a positive impact on the lives of these most vulnerable children in Haiti” states The Rev. Dr. Scott P. Albergate, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church-Lakeview, New Orleans, Louisiana.

Giving and other information can be found at www.redthreadpromise.org or by emailing Kathy@redthreadpromise.org.

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Kathy & Sally Meet the Bishop of Haiti

The remainder of the recent Haiti trip (mid May) was a whirlwind of activity for Kathy, Tom and the team. After spending 2 days in Gramothe, Petionville and Thomassin visiting the villages, school, clinic and orphange, most of the team traveled to Port au Prince for a few days.

Beginning stages of the Presidential palace demolition

Sadly, the conditions are no better there than what we observed during our trip back in March. There appears to be little progress in demolition (with the exception of the palace), rebuilding and general living conditions. The tent cities are still filled to the brim with homeless people and the tents themselves are barely weathering the rainy season. The heat and pollution were, as Tom put it, "unbearable". Electricity was spotty at best, thus our lack of blog posts during the actual trip.

Church of the Three Crosses

They visited the sites of several heavily damaged churches as well. The team dubbed the one pictured above "Church of the Three Crosses" since all signage identifying the building was destroyed. The woman in the foreground was begging for food, water and money, a common occurrence in Haiti.

The Rt. Rev. J. Zaché Duraçin

Bishop Duraçin speaking with the Diocese Task Force

During their stay in Port au Prince, Kathy and Sally were privileged to meet the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Haiti, the Rt. Rev. J. Zaché Duraçin. They met at his office in Petionville and shared information about The Red Thread Promise, the Diocese of Olympia (WA), the Diocese of Louisiana (LA) and St. Paul's Episcopal Church-Lakeview (LA). They also discussed the desire of both of the American diocese to partner with their Haitian counterparts on a project in Haiti.

The remains of Holy Trinity Cathedral

Kathy in front of the cathedral entrance

The brightly colored stones in the background are what remains

of the cathedral's once famous murals

Church rubble with temporary open air worship space

Church bells recovered from the rubble

Bishop Duraçin talked about the destruction of the Holy Trinity Cathedral, which Kathy and Sally were able to visit, and Holy Trinity's Complex, which includes elementary, music and trade schools. The cathedral, once known for its' beautiful murals, has been reduced to ruins. Thankfully, the schools have resumed classes in temporary buildings while plans are made for a more permanent site.

Rubble that was once Holy Trinity's School Complex

Temporary classrooms at Holy Trinity

Following their meeting, beautiful young voices filled the room from a boy's choir that was practicing behind the crushed church in a tiny building that survived the earthquake. A sole cellist from the music school practiced in the temporary outdoor school area. According to Kathy, "it was very moving to hear these children singing and playing music in the midst of everything they have endured."

Cellist practicing

Following further tours of the city, Kathy and Sally returned to the states and re-acclimate to their lives in Louisiana and Washington state while Tom, Randa and Noor remained in Haiti for 4 additional days.

Please read our next post to hear about the architectural team's trip to the port city of Jacmel and the exciting project over the horizon.