Archdiocese Sister Parish Program

In 2004 the Archdiocese of Washington, DC, established a “twinning” program with the Diocese of Jeremie in Haiti to partner specific parishes in the two dioceses, with the goals of sharing

• experiences
• faith
• resources

 
St. Bernadette Parish agreed to participate, and in 2014 we were assigned St. Therese Parish in Sicard, Haiti. That year St. Bernadette parishioners visited St. Therese twice to begin establishing the foundation of the relationship and to determine St. Therese’s needs. Since then, in addition to providing financial resources and sending them religious items for Mass, musical instruments, and clothes, we have developed a program where the children of St. Bernadette and St. Therese share their faith through artwork, stories, and communication.

About St. Therese Parish and Sicard, Haiti 

St. Therese Parish is in a beautiful, rural, mountainous region on the western coast of Haiti. The residents of Sicard do not have running water or electricity but have a strong parish community. The parish of approximately 12,000 parishioners is led by Father Auguste Samuel. The parish consists of the St. Therese church and four chapels: St. Clair, St. George, Annunciation, and St. Bernadette. While there is no school building, they were teaching 90 children in four classes; three of the classes were held in the church, the approximate size of the MSR, and one class was held outside under a tarp. Unfortunately, in 2016 the Category 4 Hurricane Matthew made a direct hit to Sicard, destroying the church and surrounding area. Father Samuel’s greatest needs are to support the education of the children with tuition, uniforms, books, and teachers’ salaries, and to support the spiritual needs of the parishioners with Bibles in Creole and musical instruments.

How you can participate

Mission Trips

Due to the political unrest in Haiti, we have put our mission trips on hold for the time being.

The St. Therese Educational Fund

We invite all parishioners to participate in this important fund. 100% of the donations received from our parish go to the efforts surrounding the education of the children of the parish. To send a child to school for a year costs only $100, but any financial support you can provide is greatly appreciated. The funds you provide can also be earmarked for the Creole Bibles if desired.

Join our Haiti Sister Parish Committee

Want to volunteer to help us promote this mission in the parish?  Contact Maureen Johnson via email at:  johnsonr@mail.nih.gov

How to Donate with a Check

If you want to donate to the education fund, please send your check made out to St. Bernadette Catholic Church with “Haiti Mission” on the memo line.

Saint Bernadette Catholic Church
Attn: Ron Farias
70 University Blvd East
Silver Spring, MD 20901