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Saint Anthony of Padua is a parish located in Croix Fer, Haiti as part of the Diocese of Hinche. Many of the town's 20,000 villagers celebrate Mass in a church unfinished from its original construction. There is a small Catholic school that operates inside one cement block structure and underneath two pole huts with minimal supplies. A building that would offer adequate classrooms with walls and a roof sits quiet and incomplete after resources from the building project diminished. Yet the community remains faithful and full of zeal as they continually attend Mass bringing their own chairs and taking them when they leave.
Fr. Nova visits with students.
In front of the church are students from the Catholic school with St. Alphonsus visitors (from left) Donna Burgard, Father Joshua Janko, Dr. Michelle Howenstine, Terry Spartz and Father Nova.
Fr. Nova in a chapel with parishioners.
Fr. Nova meets Pope John Paul II while in Rome.
Father Norvela Garcon (Fr. Nova), a young 35 year-old Haitian priest who was educated in Rome, is the parish's founding pastor. Almost five years after his ordination Father Nova returned to his native country to begin a parish and founded St. Anthony on June 1, 2008.
When speaking about the needs of his parishioners and what it is like building a parish in Haiti, Father Nova explained, "One has to start at zero. Everything remains to be done, but the resources are non-existent."
In order to help his parish family Father Nova reached out to the Parish Twinning Program of the Americas (PTPA). This non-profit organization pairs parishes in North America with those in Haiti (and other countries) to help struggling Catholic communities. The organization has formed more than 340 partnerships since their beginnings in 1978. In 2010, St. Alphonsus Liguori was matched with St. Anthony of Padua.
During a first trip to Haiti, members of St. Alphonsus received a joyous welcome from Haitian members and children of St. Anthony. They visited the parish and nearby cities seeing the school without walls and a hospital with so many beds one could barely walk; yet, there were still outdoor tents built for an overflow of patients. They witnessed the lack of clean water for villagers and ancient farming methods still being used to grow food.
Additionally, St. Alphonsus members realized Father Nova is not only a pastor, but a key leader in the Croix Fer community. Father Nova has supported efforts to bring outhouse style public restrooms to the town marketplace and helped established a hydroelectric system for the city to have a power source.
Even with the given conditions and innumerable day-to-day needs of villagers, the parish continues to look foward to one day when they will be able to provide a community that truly serves its people. St. Alphonsus parishioner Terry Spartz said, "In four short days, we met many people who remain remarkably happy and hopeful of the future despite having nothing but a shack to live in and few possessions."
Amidst his many roles, Father Nova also noted the importance of focusing on the children. "The population of the parish is made up mainly of young people. The pastor and the parish council intend to train them. A parish hall will bring the youth together for various activities. It will be a place to gather for prayer, training and recreation," said Father Nova. "We want to involve them also (and especially) in parish activities so that they take or retake their place in the Church into which they were baptized."
Today, members of St. Alphonsus Liguori have formed the Haiti Parish Ministry after visiting and assessing the needs of St. Anthony with Father Nova. The ministry's goal is to educate parishioners at St. Alphonsus regarding these needs and help provide resources for St. Anthony through medical missions, building structure funds and more.
So just nearly 700 miles off the Florida coast you will find the small country of Haiti nestled between Cuba and the Dominican Republic. About a four hour car ride from the country's capital, Port au Prince, will take you to Croix Fer where there are no paved roads, no sewer systems, sporadic electric power sources and a struggle for clean water. In a poverty stricken country pressing on through the aftermath of a devastating earthquake, there is still something you will find in Croix Fer, and that is hope in the form of a young pastor and his devoted Catholic parish.
"May God generously bless one and all who plan to lay a stone for the construction of this parish ..." - Father Norvela Garcon
Learn more about the Parish Twinning Program of the Americas
Learn more about the Haiti Parish Ministry at St. Alphonsus
Photos provided by Donna Burgard.