Social Justice

The Social Justice Committee responds to the social problems within the parish, to the local community, and to the needs of the broader world. 

2020/2021 Activities

• Home and Away School Supply Drive
• Virtual Run for the Least 5k run to support Belle Fontaine area in Haiti
• Respect All Life display
• Remind parish of Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship in election year
• Thanksgiving Food Collection for Southeast Linn Community Center
• Virtual Christmas Giving Tree for SE Linn and retired nuns
• Poverty Awareness Display
• Lenten Collection
• Earth Day Awareness
• Supply Fruit for Operation Backpack and Summer Backpack

Miscellaneous collections to support Southeast Linn Community Center programs.

Cards sent to parishioners of support or congratulations (ie. anniversary, sympathy)
 

“Life and Dignity in the Human Person in Haiti Today”

Written by Linda Hansmeier

Christopher De Gonzague

Dr. Desius Amilien

Dr. Franckel Ulysse

Each week for the past six weeks we have connected one of the seven Catholic Social Teachings to highlight the mission of the Haiti Committee members supported by All Saints, St. John the Baptist, and Heart of Mary cluster.  Economic Justice for All says, “Jesus takes the side of those most in need.  As followers of Christ, we are challenged to make a fundamental ‘option for the poor’—to speak for the voiceless, to defend the defenseless, to assess lifestyles, policies, and social institutions in terms of their impact on the poor.” (no. 16). 

To provide an accurate picture of what life today is like for many Haitians I have asked three of our Haitian friends to share with me their personal journey, Chris, Amilien and Franckel.  All three have been invaluable as interpreters.  Chris has been a constant mediator between Haiti and the mission team requiring long hours of travel and making connections that are foundational to the mission.  Amilien and Franckel have both become Doctors and all three bravely stand up to the daily challenges Haiti throws at them to continue in the mission God has called them to. 
Amilien and Franckel both face many of the same obstacles so I will share their story together.  Due to the political events, gangsters, kidnapping, things are getting worst in Haiti.  We do not know what to do.  People are scared to walk on the street to avoid being kidnapped or shot.  We are both scared to go to our clinics as we live a long way from them.

The people are so poor.  They cannot pay for the consultation fees that are less than $5.00.  It hurts so badly when this happens because we are unable financially to help them.  Many time’s the people cannot do the laboratory exam and if they do, they are often unable to pay for the medication. 
The situation in our country discourages a lot of young like us who wish to stay in our country and work.  Professionals do not have managerial support from the government.  They are left to themselves.  No one knows who to talk to.  Corruption is everywhere.  Many professionals left the country to look for a better life outside. 

Amilien shared that the money he receives as fees barely covers his transportation fees, let alone food and those things required to live.  His plan is to start his own clinic in a safer place.  Even that is a dream far from realized as his needs for instruments and the cost far surpass the reality of the day.  Ordinary things like microscopes and a centrifugal are hard to visualize. 

When it concerns medical equipment Franckel has the same experiences as Amilien.  He says, “medical equipment is very expensive, and some equipment is not original.”  The committee furnished equipment for him to begin his social service obligation but upon arrival he found the health center was not well structured as most are not, and he was unable to meet the needs of the population.  Simple things like surgical gloves, and simple equipment like a Key Medical, rabat (2021) ECG are out of the question.  Not only that, the medical equipment from Haiti does not compare to the equipment that comes from the United States that is of good quality and has lasting durability. 

Chris writes that there is a big difference between the professional and common people.  Everyone lives it in a different way.  Some upon waking say their prayers at 5:00 a.m. and go out to work when there is a chance that the streets are safe.  Some days the streets can be safe until evening.  As night approaches anxiety levels rise. It can be from the protests or gunshots. It can be the challenge that parents have when they drop off a child at school at 6:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. when they are picked up by a driver as the parents are at work until 4:30 p.m. 

Add to this the challenges of the street vendors who have been in the street since 4:30 a.m. to find a good place to sell their wares and are able to be back home before dark to avoid the shootings and kidnappings.  In the past, it was a particular group that was targeting rich people who could afford to pay, today no one is spared and if you cannot pay you die, whether a shoe shiner or a doctor.  Constantly on their minds is the question, “Will they see their family at the end of the day?”  By 7:00 p.m. if someone has not returned, they begin to panic.  Chris shares, “We have experienced many strange things but never have we had to experience the fear that our lives, our daily breathing can stop in an instant!”

The mission team of Haiti has been unable to go to Haiti the last two Januarys due to the unrest and of course, Covid-19.  This has not kept us from continuing to be highly active and attentive to the needs of our Haitian friends and communities, especially those of Notre Dame de Lourdes.  As we continue to empower the Haitians to empower themselves the Haiti team continues to educate and learn themselves how to best be a better “presence” to the Haitian people.  Much time is being devoted to assessing the value of solving problems by applying the principles of sustainable development to the needs of the Haitians.
At the top of the list remains the educational needs of the people. Sea crates will be packed up on April 11 and eventually on their way to Haiti with school supplies, medical supplies, seeds, clothing, and numerous other needs being fulfilled.  Cha Cha school is slowly coming to fruition.  Teachers still go to school to teach, especially in the rural areas, as they do not deal as much with the violence happening in larger communities. 

People matter to God.  We were all created “in His image” as co-laborers to cultivate and create in this world.  Every person we encounter is imbued with innate human dignity and value, no matter their circumstances.  That means that the most important aspect of our mission work is reminding people that they matter to God and to us, in big and small ways. 

Thank you to all of you who have generously donated, given of your time, remembered the Haitians in prayer, as well as the Haitian mission team.  As Amilien closed in his writing he ended with, “…because nothing is impossible for God.” And I say, “Amen!”


                                                  
                                                       Over looking Port au Prince.  Small dots of cement are homes and other buildings.

                                        Driving around Port au Prince                                             Saying Goodbye                                                               Heading home
                                                                                                                                                                                               but leaving big pieces of our hearts                                                                                                                                  

Time to take a Virtual Mission Tour of Haiti!
Click to View

Today we start our Lenten journey.  The St. John Social Justice Committee is inviting you to review the seven Catholic Social Teachings with a short video.  Then, on the next six Wednesdays, we will explore how these teachings apply to our relationship with our friends in Haiti.

We will conduct our Lenten Alms for Haiti education campaign as a way to show solidarity.  (Solidarity-We are one human family whatever our national, racial, ethic, economic, and ideological differences.  We are our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers, wherever they may be.)  Church online giving or envelopes are both available for your convenience.  You can also stop by to look at the display in the church gathering space.

 Click to Watch Video
 

Run for Pie
It is time to register for Run for Pie a 5K & Kids 1 Mile Run, Saturday, September 18, 2021 at Lisbon City Park located in Lisbon, Iowa. All proceeds support the education of impoverished children in rural Haiti.
Click to View

Written by Linda Noll and Joe Mischka

Joe Mischka from All Saints writes, “Whenever a stranger comes into a foreign land needing assistance, the first thing that person should do is listen to the people in need. By understanding what they see as their problems and learning what they have tried in the past to solve those problems, we can orient our thinking to helping them find additional solutions.

The farmers of Haiti have inherited a terrible legacy of deforested and exhausted mountainside land, barely able to sustain scanty plantings of beans, maize, sweet potatoes, cassava, okra, and a few other vegetables. Men and women of Belle Fontaine, Haiti, learn their farming techniques at the side of their parents who learned from their ancestors. Most clear a plot of land, turning over the soil by swinging a heavy mattock, and plant their crops in rows before the rainy seasons of March and October.  The wind scours the land, blowing away what little dirt and organic matter is there and when the rains come in earnest, they can wash away the soil, seed and sprouting plants down the mountain.
A few farmers have come up with better ways. Two of them—both in Durcabon—are applying gardening techniques that not only preserve the soil but enhance its fertility. Brother André has been managing the gardens of the Little Brothers of Saint Therese in Durcabon for over seven years and has made substantial positive change on the farmland there. He practices companion planting, erosion control, crop rotation and composting. His gardens look unkempt and wild, but walking with him through them, one is amazed at the bounty being grown. The soil is being preserved and improved and his harvests are bountiful.

Another farmer is Monsieur Sauvier Louis Jean who has many gardens around Durcabon where he plants a wide variety of vegetables. When he works on a new piece of land, he first plants plantain and banana trees to create shade above and spread roots below. He then applies composted animal manure to the land before planting vegetables such as maize, poi congo beans and cassava. Brother André, Monsieur Sauvier does not worry about clearing a seedbed for his crops. Instead, he plants among the existing grasses and broadleaf plants already growing there. The soil is protected, moisture is retained through the canopy of leaves, and the new plants grow among the “weeds” there.

Both men work hard to teach their fellow farmers how they might be more productive if they change their methods. We have been providing them with resources they need to accomplish that. We have brought thousands of packages of open-pollinated (non-hybrid) vegetable seeds and a variety of gardening implements including grafting tools and tape. When Monsieur Sauvier wished to purchase a cow and bull from another part of Haiti to improve the breeding stock of the cattle there, we raised money to help him purchase the animals and transport them to Durcabon. And when Father Eddy wanted to create an agricultural development project to help villagers acquire hogs and chickens, we launched a separated fundraising campaign to help pay for it.”

While not part of the Lenten Alms for Haiti funding, it does show how we are learning and supporting our brother and sister Haitian farmers.  They can learn from us as well.  As the Catholic Social Teaching: Care for God’s Creation says, “We show our respect for the Creator by our stewardship of creation.  Care for the earth is not just an Earth Day slogan, it is a requirement of our faith.  (Whether in Haiti or the U.S.), we are called to protect people and the planet, living our faith in relationship with all of God’s creation.”

Picture 1: Preserving the soil
Picture 2: Drying grapefruit peels to make jelly.
Picture 3: Drying and storing corn.
Picture 4: Looking at local farming practices
Picture 5: Seeds arrive from Iowa.  Delivered by Fr. Eddy to the villiages of Norte Dame de Lourdes

                                                 

                                             

                                           
                                                            

      Lenten Alms for Haiti

Written by Linda Noll

The St. John Social Justice Committee wants to tell you about another exciting way education is working for our friends in Haiti.  Some very generous donors in the Cedar Rapids area are building a school in Cha Cha, Haiti.  Because of that, more than 300 children from three villages will have a safe and secure school in which to learn.  While not part of the Lenten Alms for Haiti donations, we want to also explain a side benefit of this project.  The building is being completed by 15 – 20 local Haitians.  Of those, several are doing construction apprenticeships to improve their skills and job opportunities in the future.  This is a great example of education for adults within the sister parish. 

Construction began last spring, next to the chapel.  The first step was site preparation and bringing in equipment and tools.  Crews next laid the stone foundation, installed metal rebar and poured a concrete floor to support the concrete walls.  Progress was slowed due to Covid-19 and heavy flooding from storms (which required the dirt and rock roads to be repaired first) but work has again resumed.
This also showcases the Catholic Social Teaching of The dignity of Work and The Rights of Workers.  (The economy must serve people, not the other way around.  Work is more than a way to make a living; it is a form of continuing participation in God’s creation.)

Video showing progress of building school at Cha Cha
click to watch video

Picture #1: Cha Cha school foundation trench
Picture #2: Cha Cha school stone foundation and chapel
Picture#3: Preparing for wall construction
Picture #4: Walls going up


                           
                
 

Lenten Alms for Haiti
by Linda Hansmeier

“Within the community of believers there can never be room for a poverty that denies anyone what is needed for a dignified life.” “God Is Love” Pope Benedict XVI, 2005, #20.

On January 26, 2000, All Saints parish in Cedar Rapids was twinned with the parish of Notre Dame de Lourdes in Belle Fontaine, Haiti. St. Mary’s, Vinton in 2004 and St. John in 2013.
The goals of the yearly visits that have usually taken place vary a little on the people who travel and their skills, but the goals are always the same:

1. To be a presence, to learn their needs and create a list of top ten priorities.
2. To provide Teacher In-servicing and VBS for the children.

The top priority needs have always been to support the education system in the village chapels. In Notre Dame de Lourdes there are 24 chapels. Each has its own school, teachers, and students. There are 105 teachers and about 4,500 students. Each teacher earns a salary of about $360 a school year if funds are available. The student’s family’s pay what they can, the three parishes, (All Saints, St. Mary’s, and St. John) work to raise funds to cover the rest.

It is January of 2018 and my first trip to Haiti. We had arrived at the village of Durcabon, one of the 24 parishes. I am excited because today we are going to visit the Sister’s school. The beautiful sounds of the children playing filled my heart with joy. But once inside the school, problems of inadequate facilities with many distractions were but one of several obstacles that Haitians have to overcome as they strive to provide a better education for their children.
The Ministry of Education provides little funding to support education, leaving it to private sectors to provide 90% of schooling opportunities. At the Sister’s school the children receive a free education. Many Children cannot afford to attend school. Some children need to work to make money for the family. Many teachers are not trained, equipped and/or given the proper resources to be successful, AND meals provided for the children are not an option. They do not exist for many schools.

 Our Catholic Social Teaching “Option for the Poor and Vulnerable” instructs us to put the needs of the poor and vulnerable first. Lenten Alms for Haiti will help do just that.



 

Lenten Alms for Haiti

Written by Linda Noll

Last Sunday, we blessed the health care workers in our parish.  Today, St. John Social Justice Committee would also like to recognize two young men who have studied to become doctors in Haiti.  Amilien Jean Desius started medical school at Quisqueya University in 2011 and Franckel Ulysse in 2012.  These two were identified as bright young men by the local priest who had an interest in medical school.  The Haiti Committee paid for their medical school education and room and board with donations raised from All Saints, St. Mary, and St. John’s parishioners.

Amilien is an outgoing and very well-spoken individual.  You may remember him as the person who visited our parish in 2016 and interpreted in English for the priest who accompanied him.  Amilien has now completed medical school, done his internship and social service year.  He graduated on December 17, 2017 and got his medical license in May of 2019.  He now works at a clinic with one other nurse.  ‘We see different cases,’ he says, ‘the majority of them are kids, pregnancy monitoring, parasitosis, typhoid, diabetes, people with high blood pressure, many people with dermatosis, make sutures….  We give vaccines to the kids.’  The clinic is far from the city, so they see everybody.

Franckel is a much quieter individual around strangers but speaks very eloquently in front of people he knows.  He was given the opportunity to speak after Mass one day in Ducrabon and spent 45 minutes giving a lecture on the benefits of hand washing, purifying water and food and staying healthy in general.  Franckel graduated on December 20, 2020 and is completing his social service year.  He hopes to get his medical license this summer.

Our Catholic Social Teaching “Rights and Responsibilities” says that the Catholic tradition teaches that human dignity can be protected and a healthy community can be achieved only if human rights are protected and responsibilities are met. Because few people in the Belle Fontaine area of Haiti can afford to pay for medical services, it is hoped that Amilien and Franckel can provide pro-bono service at the local hospital a few times per year in the future.  This is an example of how Lenten Alms for Haiti can provide education that benefits the community.