Summary of a Fr. Gerry Creedon homily from April 20, 2008
"The Hellenists complained because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution." Acts 6:1
Two weeks ago St. Charles received this letter from the Principal of a school in our sister parish in Haiti.
"I am so upset that I have to write you about our school's and our country's very difficult situation. In the past, I have always kept you informed about the rising costs of food. Inflation is so rampant now, that some parents cannot afford to take care of their children, much less send them to school. Those who do send them cannot feed them before they send them, cannot clothe them properly, and most are completely unable to send them to a hospital.
Teachers at Notre Dame de Boileau are complaining because their monthly salary, 3000 gourdes, (about $80) isn't enough for them to take care of their families, nor pay for their own expensive transportation to and from school, which can cost up to 100 gourdes a day. When they complain, I cannot help them since I am in the same boat.
You remember that last month, 2 students died after a very short illness, because parents couldn't afford to send them to the hospital. On top of that, our country is at the moment suffering from a very severe drought, and our area in particular.
Since April 3, roads have been blocked in the whole South Department (Les cayes, Cavaillon, Aquin, St. Louis du Sud). Roads are blocked with rusted machinery, cement blocks, rubber tires everywhere, eben here in Boileau.
People are rioting against the rising cost of food and other basic needs. They are describing their hunger as "battery acid" and say that they would rather be shot than die of hunger.
Thousands of people are rioting; they break into stores, taking supplies such as rice and oil, they break into food trucks. They even attacked the local police station (MINUSTA) which shot blanks, then shot at the rioters, wounding 10 people.
Our area started the riots which have now spread to all areas of Haiti. They are demanding that President Préval act to lower the costs of food. At Port-au-Prince, demonstrators tried to break into the National Palace to force the President to participate in the demonstrations against inflation.
So since last week, nothing is working. The people who aren't participating in the riots have to stay home. Rioters have hit some students and some teachers, so everyone is afraid and very hungry.
I wish I had a digital camera to send you pictures, so you could understand better the awful situation here in Haiti. Président Préval is supposed to give a speech to the people very soon, and everyone is very anxious to hear what he has to say.
In a future letter we will send you more information.
Sincerely,
Charlemagne Damis, Director, St Therese de Boileau."
Today's tithe is for our sister parish in the diocese of Les Cayes, Haiti.
The early church found that they had to balance their devotion to the Word of God with their duty to feed the widow and the orphan. Our liturgy of the word is followed by the presentation of the gifts; the wine, the bread and the financial donations. We are aware of the rising costs of food in our own neighborhood stores. The inflation of prices does not match what is happening in Haiti and throughout the third world, where the price of rice and bread has more than doubled in the last few months. We are happy as a congregation to share our bread through our offerings with our poorest hemispheric neighbor.
"Amen, amen. I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do."