Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Port-au-Prince (Agenzia Fides) - The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate have been in Haiti since January 1943, and now have about 130 members, including two bishops and most of whom are Haitians. As Agenzia Fides has confirmed with Fr. Loudeger Mazile, OMI (Haitian), General Councilor for Latin America, the Oblates in Haiti are in about 20 parishes, in addition to the minor seminary at Mazenod College in Camp Perrin, the College of Saint John in Les Cayes, the College of St. Dominique in Port Salut, the school of St. André in Rendel, in addition to a center for AIDS patients run in conjunction with the Missionaries of Charity, and an orphanage in Les Cayes.
The earthquake has seriously damaged the headquarters of the provincial house, while the new annex building has completely fallen. The Provincial Superior, Fr. Gaspar Joint, informed the Superior General of the OMI, that the scholasticate (theologate) is also destroyed. Fortunately, educators and students who were there at the time of the earthquake were saved. The other OMI students were at the Religious Studies Center, CIFOR, for a conference, when the building collapsed and one of the Oblate students was killed. His name was Weedy Alexis, age 28. According to information received, in the area of Les Cayes the consequences of the earthquake have been less violent than in the capital. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 15/1/2010)
