'... We Won't Abandon You'

St. Joseph Parish in Vanderburgh County began a partnership with the people of St. James Parish in Plaine du Nord, Haiti, in 1988 when then-Pastor Father Francis Schroering and Gilbert Fehrenbacher, a parishioner and deacon of the church, visited the Haiti parish.  During the first 16 years of the partnership, financial support was sent to St. James.

In 2004, the St. Joseph mission outreach team was formed. Since then, trips offered twice a year have been filled with eager missionaries from St. Joseph and other parishes wanting to take the journey to Haiti to help. “Groundwork” is done here to plan and gather funds and supplies for Haiti projects, which requires an enormous amount of support – time, talent, treasure – before projects can begin or continue in Haiti. Since 2004, more than 200 people have gone to Haiti with St. Joseph’s mission team.  Trip costs - $1,500 per person – are fully paid for by individuals.

St. Joseph parishioner Dr. Steve Elliot has gone to Haiti 16 times as a member of the medical/dental team. A nurse and administrator manage the medical/dental clinic started by the mission team when physicians are not there. When the medical/dental team visits, it treats 60-80 patients daily. During a cholera outbreak in 2010, Dr. Elliot went to Haiti and helped treat 14,000 patients, saving many lives. Dr. Elliot’s role on the mission team is to oversee the medical/dental clinic, and his wife, Lea, handles travel logistics. Four of their six children have gone to Haiti. Friends of their children have gone to Haiti because of sponsorship opportunities.

“Our friends in Haiti are our brothers and sisters.” Dr. Elliot said, “We have become friends. We are part of their community. The greatest thing we offer to our friends in Haiti have been our words of promise, ‘We will be back ... we won’t abandon you.’”