By OMIEditor on Nov 29 in Testimonials

(OMIUSA.ORG) A visitor to Port-au-Prince, capital of Haiti, might look around and deduce that the devastating earthquake which actually occurred January 12, 2010 took place just last week. Though the dead and injured have been removed, it appears that the nearly 300,000 buildings and residences which were destroyed or severely damaged remain as they were nearly ten months ago.

Moving around the capital requires the driver to steer around piles of rubble and garbage found on every block. The Presidential Palace, the National Assembly Building and the Port-au-Prince Cathedral where Archbishop Joseph Serge Miot was killed all stand in ruins. The Oblate Parish of Sacre’ Coeur, judged a total loss, waits for demolition. Clean water is available only from UN Tanker trucks and a few public water stations. Open sewers run through the streets and the few who can afford electricity get it only part of the day.

The Oblate Provincial House which sits atop a hill overlooking the city was heavily damaged and a second building next to it was destroyed. Repairs to the house continue and are several months from completion.

Water for drinking and cooking needs to be brought in, the plumbing is supplied by a rooftop reservoir and even the electricity, which is available only part of the day, was lost when a tree fell during a recent storm toppling utility wires and poles. It took three days just to cut up the tree and remove it from the road, after 5 days electricity still had not been restored.

The Provincial House is not the only place where re-building is taking place: in the accompanying photos you will see novices clearing rubble from crumbled walls at the Philosophy residence, down the road, repair work is being done at the Notre Dame  Theologate and the Eugene de Mazenod College (high school.)

Fortunately, other Oblate parishes survived the quake and are in full operation, on the day of our visit there was a prayer service at St. Mary Madeleine Parish in Sibert and Our Lady of Grace appeared totally unscathed

There are over 130 Oblates and men in formation in Haiti, most of whom are Haitian by birth and there are many more parishes, schools and clinics throughout the country not represented here. But as the photos clearly show, Haiti is a place of many needs. In 1938, Pope Pius XI called the Oblates, “Specialists in difficult missions,” clearly the Oblates are living up to that title in Haiti

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