U.S. Catholics helping Haitians say they get more than they give

Published: 2004-11-18

CHICAGO (CNS) -- There is no doubt Father Ednar Mars and his parishioners in Sassier in southwestern Haiti appreciate the money and other help provided by Sacred Heart in Winnetka, the Illinois parish that is twinned with theirs. But what Father Mars and the people of Sassier appreciate more, he said during a visit to the Chicago area, is the sense of fraternity and the sense of hope the relationship between the parishes offers. "The people, they feel more hopeful," Father Mars told The Catholic New World, Chicago's archdiocesan newspaper. "They feel like they have something to live for." For parishioners at Sacred Heart, St. Jean Baptiste Parish in Sassier provides a glimpse into the lives of people who have been blessed with great faith, but not with material goods, said Gerry Keenan, who coordinates the U.S. parish's Haitian ministry. He said that it is often easier for people to simply write checks to help those in need, but that "a twinning relationship creates a mandate that we appreciate the people in Sassier as equals." "If there wasn't something we could learn from them, if there wasn't something the people of Sassier could do for us, we shouldn't do this," Keenan said.

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