At the end of his one-day visit to Venice on Sunday, Pope Francis appealed for peace before leading the midday Regina Caeli. He particularly stressed the situation in Haiti. I am thinking of Haiti, where a state of emergency is in force and the population is desperate due to the collapse of the healthcare system, Read More…

The situation in Haiti continues to worsen after coordinated attacks on its capital, Port-au-Prince, saw gangs take control of most of the city, in late February. Throughout March, the violence and unrest continued, leading up to an April 1 attack on the Petit Séminaire Collège Saint Martial, a Catholic all boys school.  Vatican News reports Read More…

Pope Francis had a bit of good news to report about sorely tried Haiti on this March 17, after he prayed the midday Angelus: I have learned with relief that a teacher and four of the six religious of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart Institute who were kidnapped last February 23 have been freed Read More…

In spite of an atmosphere of extreme danger and uncertainty, the Church in Haiti is providing pastoral care to a population that takes great risks to be together as the body of Christ. “We are still working in areas that are very, very difficult,” said Fr. Victor Auguste, a Salesian missionary in Port-au-Prince.  It is Read More…

Fifteen Christians were killed, and two were wounded, in an attack on Catholics in Essakane, in the Diocese of Dori in Burkina Faso. The attack, which took place on February 25, was carried out by terrorists during the community’s Sunday prayer. According to a statement from the Diocese of Dori, 12 of the victims were Read More…

Pope Francis, who is fond of surprises, made another of his famous surprise phone calls at the beginning of February. On Saturday, February 3, he picked up the phone to reach out to Sister Paësie, a French missionary who spares no effort to help the street children of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. He wanted to surprise her Read More…

The vice president of the Haitian Bishops’ Conference, Bishop Pierre-André Dumas, was the victim of rising levels of violence in Haiti on Sunday. The Caribbean nation has seen unrest continuing to surge, particularly since Prime Minister Claude Joseph was assassinated in 2021. According to Aid to the Church in Need, Bishop Dumas was visiting Port-au-Prince Read More…

“There can be very simple days, where I have scheduled operations, or there can be very complicated days where we get 10 people with gunshot wounds.” This is how Marie Guerda Coicou, describes her workday as a doctor specialized in anesthesiology and intensive care in Haiti. Despite the difficult security and political situation that her Read More…

The six nuns abducted in Haiti were freed January 24, the Port-au-Prince Archdiocese has confirmed. Their release came as the local Church was marking a Day of Prayer specifically for this intention. The Sisters of Saint Anne and their two companions were held captive for five days after being kidnapped by unidentified gunmen on Friday, Read More…

The leaders of the Church in Haiti have designated January 24 as a day of prayer for all hostages in the conflict-plagued country, including the six nuns who were kidnapped the morning of January 19. The nuns are from the Congregation of the Sisters of Sainte-Anne. They were kidnapped presumably by one of the many Read More…

Six religious sisters of the Congregation of the Sisters of Sainte-Anne were abducted, along with other travelers on a minibus, in Haiti on Friday, January 19. Armed gunmen stopped and boarded the minibus, taking all passengers and the driver captive. The attack happened during the day in the center of the capital, Port-au-Prince. Pope Francis Read More…

Many would have given up in the face of the difficulty of this mission. In Haiti, where Sister Paësie gives herself body and soul to her apostolate, the cause seems lost and the panorama dark. The situation of politics, society, and safety in this Caribbean state is chaotic, as the missionary explained to Aleteia: “The Read More…