I celebrated and preached (in French!) at Eglise Ascension today in Carrefour. Although it’s a journey of about 3 miles, it’s a 45 minute ride on a terrible road (I will never complain about Maine potholes again…), swollen with human and vehicular traffic.
Bishop Chilton with Pere Franz Cole, priest-in-charge of Church of the Ascension, Carrafore, and a member of the diocesan staff.
Carrefour is a “hot zone” as identified by the United Nations and various other bodies; poverty, suffering, pain. Bless them, MDF (Medecins sans Frontieres — Doctors w/o Borders) have a huge compound here. The poverty, filth and suffering is beyond words. YET, here is our church, the parish of Ascension, thriving in the very midst of it all. I preached and celebrated here today. It’s a large congregation — with lots of young families and kids and a wonderfully joyous spirit. As one of them said to me today: “What is more important than being together in Jesus?”. Each week, one night a week, they have “pastoral care evening”, when folks first gather at the church for prayer and then disperse in teams to visit the homebound and the sick and bring them the sacrament. I have told +Zache that I hoped to dwell a bit with one congregation rather than being schlepped around as a drive-by bishop, and this is the one. I’ll be at Ascension for Last Epiphany and for Ash Weds.
This evening (after liturgy and brunch at Ascension), there was a concert at Holy Trinity Music School back in Port au Prince to benefit Holy Cross Hospital, which is struggling faithfully to re-open. The Symphony Orchestra, fed by that Music School here, is partnered with the Boston Symphony! And they are GOOD. The guest soloist, Jeanne Gabrielle Pocius, has been here in Haiti at summer music camp; a renown trumpeter born in the US, she loves Haiti. A local trumpet soloist is Carlot Dorve, who plays every Sunday at the cathedral, loves Jesus, and has only his left arm…a superb trumpeter. Jeanne GP conducted
the orchestra for his solo. Maybe it’s emblematic of Haiti that a white female trumpeter conducted the orchestra while a one-armed trumpeter played Haydn and the audience was on their feet applauding.
Life is good and tough here in Haiti. And God is always good. +Chilton
Carmen Greene said,
February 13, 2009 @ 3:31 am
What awesome writings in this chapter of God’s servant, Chilton’s life! So neat to be able to follow your journey and theirs (and ours) this way. What can I send that you need? Clothes (all sizes?), school stuff? name it and we’ll work on it.
Thank you Chilton for being there to have your hands mesh with those most of us only hear about. To relay back to us your interpretations of relationships in action. May the inspirtaion you give…persist and get others motivated to find their own way in service for others.
with love, Carmen
Judith Burleigh said,
February 22, 2009 @ 1:37 am
You are the poster girl for lifelong learning. What an inspiration to see you, hear your voice, and read about your experiences in Haiti. Preaching in French is very impressive. Tomorrow is World Mission Sunday and I shall read a few excerpts from your letters at St. Anne’s and St. John’s. You will be in our prayers.
With love and best wishes, Judy
Carolyn said,
March 5, 2009 @ 5:55 am
Chilton, I had breakfast with a generous friend this morning whose heart was yearning for Haiti, yearning to make a difference and despairing about the ocean of need. We spoke of the importance of doing what you can, and how even yearning to make a difference is itself faithful, and of how pointless the guilt of the privileged is outside of an awareness of the inequities in the world. Even Jesus liked to party, and accepted the gift of the expensive oil that could have fed many. That said, it seems that making real connection is what counts, even if we can’t FIX it. It is when we are not connected that we become apathetic, and that is what condemns us. I appreciate this connectedness you bring. Love well–Carolyn+