An Update on Haiti

A Commemoration of the earthquake in Haiti

The Sisters of St. Margaret held a commemoration of the second anniversary of the earthquake in Haiti on Thursday, January 12th in the chapel on Harden Hill Road in Duxbury. Sr. Marjorie Raphael, an earthquake survivor, spoke about her experience at 7:30 pm. The evening concluded with Compline.

For the text of her address, click here.

For her first hand account of what happened to the Sisters that day, click here.

Hopes Rise in Haiti for New Episcopal Cathedral

Christian Century magazine has just published an article about the rebuilding of Holy Trinity Cathedral and we want to share it with you. With the support of donors from the U.S. and around the world, construction on the new cathedral is expected to begin this spring. Click here to read the entire article. Hope is still alive for the future of Haiti!

Our Ongoing Work in Haiti

The Sisters in Haiti have been working hard encouraging and ministering in the Diocese of Haiti, Holy Trinity Cathedral, and mission churches in the countryside surrounding Port-au-Prince. 

As part of the Society’s goal to increase the number of Sisters in Haiti, on Friday, Nov. 18th  Sr. Sarah arrived in Port-au-Prince and received a warm welcome from our Sisters there. She will be sharing in the ministry of our community in Haiti and will preside at the Eucharist in St. Margaret’s House, the rented temporary headquarters for SSM in Haiti, three days each week.

The Sisters in Haiti have extremely important ministries with the children and the elderly. The Sisters oversee all aspects of the Foyer Notre Dame and the Scholarship program for children who need funds to attend school.

Foyer Notre Dame

In 1962 Sr. Marjorie Raphael established the Foyer Notre Dame in Haiti, a home for elderly people who are alone or whose family is not able to fully care for them. The Sisters provide spiritual and material support in a safe and loving environment, support that includes terminal care and burial. This work has been in continuous service since 1962, and is supported entirely by donations. The Sisters are carrying on this work with only one building remaining. The other was completely destroyed and had to be demolished. The residents are still very fearful of aftershocks.

Money is needed for supplies and labor to repair this building and to take care of the residents. Donations are always needed for medical care, prescription and non-prescription medication, food, clothing, shelter, and burial costs for the residents of Foyer Notre Dame. Go to the bottom of this page for a slideshow of the current residents of the Foyer Notre Dame.

For a list of the items that they are always in need of, click here.

Scholarship Program

The Sisters direct a scholarship program for children and young people who otherwise would be left out of school for lack of ability to pay even minimal fees. They are still trying to direct their scholarship program for children and young people who otherwise would be left out of school for lack of ability to pay even minimal fees. These funds permit any child in any school that is in danger of having to drop out of school because the parents cannot pay the minimum fees required. In the present economic situation, the Sisters Scholarship program has become a major pastoral and outreach work. Education is a precious privilege, the door to the future of this country and of individuals. The cost of tuition from pre-school to the end of secondary school varies from $250 to $1000 US dollars per child per year. We also welcome one time donations to the Sisters Scholarship program.

Go to the bottom of this page for a slideshow of a few of the children involved in the Scholarship program. For more information about the Scholarship Program, click here.

Donations for Haiti

Monetary donations are needed to cover the substantial expenses for the Sisters and to enable them to continue their crucial work. Renting housing that is safe and adequate for the needs of the Sisters is very expensive. Other expenses include:

  • Food
  • Communication needs
  • Production of vocations materials to increase the number of Sisters
  • Preparation and screening plus training and support for the next postulant
  • Medical and dental insurance for the Sisters
  • Transportation
  • Education expenses for the Sisters
  • Legal fees for immigration issues
  • Shipping

All checks should be made out to The Society of St. Margaret and mailed to:

The Sisters of St. Margaret
17 Highland Park St.
Boston, MA 02119-1436

You may also make a donation online by clicking on the Donate button to the left of this page. 

The Rebuilding of the Convent

The convent building and the land were and are part of Holy Trinity Cathedral complex. The Diocese of Haiti is responsible for rebuilding the convent and the entire complex. There is no anticipated timeline for the rebuilding of the convent at this time. Bishop Duracin has given us information regarding how to donate to the fund that has been set up for the rebuilding of the convent. Contact us at communications@ssmbos.org if you would like this information.

Christian Century magazine reported on the progress of the rebuilding campaign for Holy Trinity Cathedral complex, which includes St. Margaret's Convent. Click here to view the article.

The Mother Susanna Window

The beautiful stained glass window dedicated to Mother Susanna has been removed from the stairway next to the chapel in the Boston convent. It previously hung in the Sister’s chapel in Louisburg Square. The window is being stored and will be shipped to Port-au-Prince when construction has begun. Donations are needed to cover the cost of removal from the Boston convent, storage and shipping to Haiti.

For more information on the work of the Sisters in Haiti, contact Sr. Marie Margaret -  cell 011-509-3443-3683 or email mariemargaretssm@yahoo.com Please be patient when calling or emailing Haiti. Electricity is often shut off and cell phone service is very sporadic.