Haiti Twinning: How it Began at Resurrection...

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Haiti Mission

Haiti Twinning: How it Began at Resurrection...
By Bob DellaValle-Rauth
Jan 18, 2008, 14:37

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The origins:

After my wife Sally died in 1987 I sought for something meaningful to “sink into” and as Chair of the Pastoral Council I found the Richmond Diocese Haiti Mission Outreach very appealing. I read their brochures and gradually a passion developed in me to know more of the history and the people of Haiti. In 1989 I contacted Sister Cora Billings of the Office of Black Catholics and leader of retreats to Haiti. We discussed various possibilities of twinning. High on her list was a girls orphanage in the capital city of Port-au-Prince, then called the Foyer des Filles Chretienne (Christian Girls' Home). Paula Thybulle had about 40 girls at the time. As a member of the Justice and Peace Committee I discussed this possibility with Sr. Cora and also informed Pat Marlar, our Pastoral Coordinator at the time. Both approved of the recommendation.

I was motivated toward the girls' orphanage because I felt it would appeal to many folks in our small community made up of retired grandmothers and grandfathers and to some of our younger folks as well. The orphanage was also more accessible, being located in Port-au-Prince instead of Hinche where most of Richmond was twinned, and easier in terms of communication because the Director, Paula, speaks English. Twinning with an entire parish in the Hinche Diocese would also present many obstacles given our size in 1989 of about 50 households. Generally parishes in Hinche number at least 40,000 people and have associated with them 5 to 12 chapels each ranging between 3000-6000 people.

By early 1990 my desire to visit Paula and the girls grew to where I signed onto the May 1990 retreat led by Sister Cora. We were 8, 6 from William and Mary. Driving the diocesan vehicle on the rocky mountainous road from Port-au-Prince to Hinche was a challenge, and my privilege. No Haitian driver in those days and we went through 6 military checkpoints. The army controlled the people in 1990. The retreat, which included visits to Cite Soleil and Mother Theresa's Home for Malnourished Children and our orphanage was life changing and transformative. At the debriefing in Richmond I committed my life to the people of Haiti and renewed this commitment with Adele at our wedding in 1991.

In the beginning RCC parish support of the orphanage was very modest. Conveying the reality of Haiti as the most impoverished nation in the Western Hemisphere to our parish was very difficult though specific people were always supportive. J&P followed the twinning but was dissolved as a committee in 1995 and responsibility was given to Outreach. No Haiti Committee was ever formed. Back in 1989 there were no diocesan Guidelines for Twinning. This critical component, emphasizing the importance of pastoral leadership and parish ownership of the twinning process, was developed after Adele was appointed in 1995 to direct all twinning operations for the diocese.

Growth and Development of Parish Support:
In 1999 Adele and I became aware of the loss, due to serious illness, of a major Canadian supporter of the orphanage. Our hope and prayer was that perhaps Resurrection could fill the gap but not until a stronger relationship was developed by having more parishioners visit the home – now named the Foyer des Filles de Dieu (Home of the Daughters of God). We called 40 RCC households and set up a meeting for June 16, 1999 in the Library. Sixteen people showed up for the presentation including Sister Betty Bagen. When asked who could consider going to Haiti in January 2000 twelve people raised their hands! For various good reasons some people had to drop out but Sister Betty, Bob & Adele DellaValle-Rauth, Terry Jones, Orban Gregory, Bob Flynn and Maureen Fanelli missioned to Haiti in January and afterwards formed the first RCC Haiti Committee. Today we number 15 and regularly meet the second Monday of each month at 6 pm.

Why we're twinned...

Why we're twinned...

Since 2000 the parish awareness and support of the Mission to Haiti and our twinning relationship with the girls' orphanage – our extended family – has grown exponentially. In October 2003 the Haiti Orphanage Fund Campaign was introduced to our parish. Today over 40 households pledge a monthly donation to the orphanage. Pledges are accepted in the Haiti Box “next to the Haiti Wall.” Truly, support of the Mission to Haiti is continuing the work of the Apostles. It is our way of carrying out the Missionary Tradition of our Church.

Mission – the Mandate of the Church:

In words of Vatican II, in the “Decree on the Church's Missionary Activity”: “The Church on earth is, by its very nature missionary, since according to the plan of God it has its origin in the mission of Jesus and the Holy Spirit. The plan flows from fountain-like love – the love of God.” This is a very powerful statement but I also personally hearken back to the Dominican Sisters in parochial school who infused in me at an early age a missionary spirit with their stories about the “Pagan Babies” in Africa and how we, as Catholics, must always share.

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