The Healing of memories

Dear Friends,
 
On the vigil of the earthquake at 7 pm, January 11, we celebrated a candle light mass at the St. Damien chapel (a part of our NPFS sister programs). It was a peaceful and serious beginning of our commemorations and "healing of memories."
 
The goals of our celebrations were to pray for the peaceful repose of those who had died, thank God for all help received from the surviving Haitian people and people of good will around the world, and pray for a better future for Haiti and the world.
 
The painting shown in the photos, was commissioned by me for the 5th anniversary of the earthquake, to represent the bible verse from 1 Corinthians 15:52. "It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed."
 
We have five large copies of it, hanging at St. Damien Hospital, St. Helene Home, Fr. Wasson Angels of Light (FWAL) Home, St. Luke Hospital and St. Mary Hospital.
 
A sixth print will be hung at the mass graves at Titanyin when we can make a permanent frame for it.
 
On January 12, 2015 at St Damien Hospital Chapel, we offered mass at 7 am for eternal peace for the dead, another mass at 9 am for the recovery and well being of the living and prayer service at 9:15 am, with the children from the FWAL Home, along with many staff and visitors.
 
The prayers followed a procession of FWAL children to St. Damien Hospital, the laying of flowers at the tombs of earthquake victims surrounding our chapel, the psalms for the dead, and then a hour worth of testimonials and prayers offered by anyone present who wanted to speak. As you know, the "Angels of Light” children were all victims of the earthquake, having lost someone in their family. 
 
In Petionville at 12 noon, at the sight of our memorial for the earthquake victims, especially Ryan Kloos and Molly Hightower, with sadness and profound love, we placed 25 floral arrangements in remembrance and respect. We read the three psalms of midday prayer for the dead, and then shared prayers and stories, and prayed also for the families of those who had died, especially the Kloos and Hightower families.
 
It was a very moving and emotional prayer for us, also because we were at the site of such nostalgia, the destroyed founding center of NPH in Haiti.
 
At 4:43 pm at the St. Damien Hospital, the bell tolled for 40 seconds, which made for 100 tolls of the bell, in remembrance of those who died.
 
At the site of mass burial graves at Titanyin at 4:43 pm, we celebrated mass for all the dead and begged God's help for the living. The mass included the two music bands that help us with our weekly burials at that site, and about 150 people. During the mass, cut flowers were lain all over the burial sites, the grounds were blessed with prayers and incense, and at the end some lanterns released into the sky. The image we had commissioned stood as the background to the altar. It was very windy and our hopes for 50 ascending lanterns and 150 people holding candles had to be aborted.
 
At St. Damien Chapel at 9 pm, we had Eucharistic adoration, which included an hour of people sharing memories, stories and prayers.
 
We remembered Fr. Bill Wasson, in gratitude that his charism, mission and legacy had led to such a strong presence in Haiti, making us able to provide so much relief at such a difficult time, five years ago and ever since.
 
We thank all of you who joined us physically and in prayer and memory!
 
Fr. Rick Frechette
National Director 
NPH Haiti and the St. Luke Foundation for Haiti