Mission Group Visits Haitian Parish
In rural northern mountainous Haiti, students walk unpaved dirt pathways for up to two hours in order to attend school at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Dupity – an extremely remote area in northwest Haiti accessible only by a single unpaved road, 12 miles from the nearest development. For the past 35 years, Holy Family Parish in Jasper, along with recent support from St. Isidore the Farmer Parish in Celestine, has supported this school and its parish through the Parish Twinning Program of the Americas.
A mission group representing Holy Family and St. Isidore recently returned from a seven-day visit to Dupity. Dr. Kristi Nord and her electrical-engineer husband, Jon, and their 11-year-old son, Sean, traveled to Haiti with Dr. Tim Troutman (optometrist) and his wife, Joanie, a Registered Nurse; Tara Eckman; Trey Bilskie; photographer Jay Hamlin; and translator Joseph Felix.
The group took 31 suitcases filled with medical supplies and equipment, eyeglasses, Sawyer water-filtration systems and other difficult-to-obtain supplies. Over five days in the area of Dupity, Dr. Nord examined well over 200 people and completed wellness-check physicals for all the children enrolled in Our Lady of Perpetual Help School. Dr. Troutman examined more than 300 people, supplied many pairs of eyeglasses and treated people with glaucoma. In conjunction with the group Water with Blessings, a group of about 12 local women were trained in using the Sawyer filter systems. Nurse Joanie and Tara Eckman provided a hygiene class for mothers.
Jon Nord installed two solar-power systems – one on the rectory and the other on the health clinic. Previously, the only electricity in the entire village was provided by a noisy and polluting diesel-powered generator. Just getting the diesel to Dupity requires a huge effort. These new systems are great improvements for the community.
The group hiked several hours to the settlements of Roblen and Roque, even more remote than Dupity, where people were given medical assistance. The parish priest, Father Prosper Renel of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, also serves these small villages.
A recent agronomy/permaculture project has trained 26 people to use techniques to improve crop production and waste disposal. The group was able to see the success of this program as a seedling nursery and test gardens are showing good growth.
In the school, children benefit by the Friends of Dupity scholarship program, which assists in paying for tuition, uniforms, nutrition and supplies for Our Lady of Perpetual Help School. Students from Holy Trinity Catholic School in Dubois County directly sponsor several of these children.
At Sunday Mass, the mission group participated as lectors and Eucharistic ministers; and Sean Nord was honored to lead the procession by serving as Crucifer. Dr. Nord spoke to the congregation with greetings from Indiana, and messages of care and concern. The people expressed great joy and gratitude as the donors are always included in prayers of thankfulness for all that is being done for the people of Dupity.
For more information regarding the Parish Twinning Program or the particulars of the partnership between Holy Family/St. Isidore and Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, contact Holy Family Church at 812-482-3076 or John Schroering, 812-482-4915, or visit our Facebook page, Friends of Dupity Haiti.
