Haiti - how to help

Inevitably with disaster emergency appeals, people want to know how they can effectively contribute funds to assist the immediate needs of the people who are suffering and to help rebuild what has been destroyed.

Aid to the Church in Need is in contact with the Apostolic Nuncio, Mgr Bernardito Auza, and is now collecting funds for emergency help in Haiti to be routed through the nunciature, one of the few administrative buildings that seem to have survived the quake in the capital, Port-au-Prince.

You can find out more at the Aid to the Church in Need website and donate here.

There will be an emergency collection for the Haiti earthquake in the parish this Sunday. The money collected will be sent to Aid to the Church in Need.


The following is a message from the Apostolic Nuncio in Haiti:

"We're in big trouble for obvious logistical reasons. We have no reserves of water and petrol stations are closed. CRS (catholic Relief Services) has an important presence here and perhaps the center of operations will be transferred to Gonaives because' here in Port-au-Prince things are difficult. We lack everything.

Archbishop Miot, the good and always smiling Archbishop of Port-au-Prince, died when thrown from the balcony of his room while waiting for someone to go out for a ceremony. The strength of the earthquake threw him from the balcony and it seems that he died immediately. But there is no electricity and so we decided yesterday to transfer his body to Saint Marc, Gonaives. I suggested to bury him immediately, but here it is not the tradition, it would be an insult. It has still to be yet to be verified, how many priests and religious are dead, as some are still beneath the rubble. Even the Vicar General of PAP,the Rev. Charles Benoit, and the Canceller, Fr. Cherie, are still under the rubble. Fr. Cherie is definitely dead, but we are not sure about Fr. Benoit as he is underneath the rubble of the Archbishop that had four floors and' now is reduced to a pile of cement.

Last night I went to visit the major seminary, which is a heap of concrete, except for one building. Thank god all but one of the staff were able to get out of the ruins, but three or four seminarians are still missing, nine were confirmed dead, including seven in the philosophy section. We are trying to collect all religious and priests together, who are left with nothing. The shocks continue, but are less violent.

I also visited religious houses and places to see and to express the concern of the Holy Father. All grateful situation like this, and want to give priority to helping those who are still buried under the rubble. So far no help by air rescue has arrived. The airport cannot cope – the control tower has collapsed... a warship with aid should arrive shortly from the U.S. Santo Domingo is our gate to the world for the moment. So many people are waiting for help at the border.

The people are sleeping or wandering aimlessly through the streets, but many have also left for the mountains for fear of a tsunami. It is probably better that they leave to relieve the congestion in the capital.

Yesterday, some bishops have been able to com to the Nunciature to coordinate and make decisions. We will meet again tomorrow with leaders of CRS and Caritas in the Nunciature. "

Thanks again and God bless!
+ Bernardito Auza

The Fides website is also carrying current reports:
“The aftershocks continue, although less violent. We are in need of everything and will be for quite awhile!” Apostolic Nuncio tells Fides

Missionaries of the Immaculate Conception: sisters are fine, although buildings have suffered tremendous damage

5 Camillian seminarians have returned home fine and are already at work in the hospital, working without anesthesia

“Haiti was already an extremely poor country before the earthquake. Now we are desperate,” says Fr. Lovera, Director of the “Saint Camille” Pediatric Hospital in Port-au-Prince

Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI): one student dead, damages to provincial house and scholasticate destroyed

Many Salesians still missing, over 200 students buried under the fallen building in Port-au-Prince Enam

Humanitarian emergency in Haiti: Daughters of Mary Help of Christians at work on the site

First humanitarian aid interventions open doors, although there is fear of epidemics

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - Archdiocese of Santiago de los Caballeros: “The country has opened the doors of all its hospitals and reinforced medical personnel,” fundraising telethon planned

Hospital run by Camillians is only one functioning. “We are in need of practically everything,” Fr. Efisio Locci tells Fides

A parishioner from our neighbouring parish also informed me about the Missionnaires de Saint Jacques, a religious order founded in Brittany but who have a number of priests and lay missionaries in Haiti. They too have need of funds. One of their seminarians is reported to have died. Their website is in French. Their uptodate news from Haiti is to be found here.