August 7, 2011

Well, for starters, I’ve had better weeks. Fr. Alberto arrived on Monday. He is Ecuadorian and the provincial of the South American/Caribbean Province. He is about 42, a priest for seven years and an Oblate for about 14 years – very outgoing, full of energy; a kind of roly-poly, happy go lucky guy. However he speaks only Spanish and Portuguese, no English. Fr. Leoclides, on the other hand is 59 (we celebrated his birthday on Thursday), the assistant Provincial, is a very wise and respected member of the province. He’s very nice, smiling and he seems very balanced. He speaks English somewhat. He arrived on Tuesday for this very important meeting.
The first day, alone with Alberto, I tried in my very poor and broken Spanish to talk with him about some of the issues we needed to discuss. He seemed open and something of a kindred spirit. Tuesday afternoon after Leoclides arrived and had dinner and a siesta we began our meeting. Tom Hagan joined us later. I’ve made a summary of the meetings and I’ll insert the first part of that report how.

Summary of the Discussions during the Canonical Visitation
Monday, August 1, 2011, 4:00-6:00
Fr. Alberto met for the first time with Tom Moore. It was a rather informal beginning since Fr. Alberto does not speak English and Tom’s Spanish is very poor. Some of the issues raised were: the possibility of having a novitiate here in Haiti since there are seven candidates ready for a novitiate: five who just finished their two years of philosophy and two who are studying theology; the question of building a house of formation on our property, and the budget for 2011-2012. Tom gave Fr. Alberto a copy of the official documents concerning the purchase of the property which cost $250,000.00 (USD) plus closing costs.

Tuesday, August 2, 3:30 – 7:00
Present for this session were Fr. Alberto, Fr. Leoclides and Tom Moore. They were joined at 4:30 by Fr. Tom Hagan.
The session began with drawing up an agenda.
1.Novitiate, 2. New Building, 3. Return of the Scholastics in early 2012, 4. The question of accepting new candidates, 5. The Budget for 2011-2012 and 6. Drawing up a 5 Year Plan for the Oblate Foundation in Haiti
Before beginning to discuss the agenda items, Tom gave a brief explanation of why he was in Haiti and how his coming came about. Tom feels he is here as the result of an inspiration he received during a retreat in October of 2007. He thought his story was relevant to the discussion.

Novitiate

Tom began with a presentation of the reasons for having a novitiate in Haiti beginning in early September. There are seven candidates ready for a novitiate. Making a novitiate in Haiti would follow the rhythm of Haiti and the Haitian school year. Tom is also convinced that sending our candidates to Brazil at this time not a good idea for many reasons. The fact is the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales have a reputation problem here in Haiti since the departure of Fr. Carlos and the seven scholastics immediately after the earthquake. It is considered by many priests and religious as an unbelievable move given the drastic needs of the country in that moment. Tom said he could understand the desire of the provincial and the province to have an “integrated” novitiate with candidates from the various regions and countries but because of the special needs which are present here in Haiti at this time the greater good would be achieved by having a novitiate in Haiti, not Brazil.
Fr. Tom Hagan joined the conversation at this point. Shortly after his arrival, Fr. Alberto presented to Fr. Tom Hagan a beautiful metal plaque in gratitude for the witness Tom has given to all of us Oblates with his dedication to the poor and his work in Haiti. The plaque also recognizes the generosity of the Hand Together organization for their financial support in founding and maintaining the house of formation in Haiti. Without Tom Hagan and Hands Together the Oblates would not be here.

Fr. Alberto also presented a plaque to Tom Moore thanking him for his dedication to the Oblate foundation in Haiti. Tom accepted the plaque with gratitude but later said that the plaque should be part of the archives of the SA/C Province. Fr. Alberto and Fr. Leoclides invited Tom Moore to come to Brazil for either the perpetual vow ceremony of Mardochée in August or the diaconate ordination of Lionel in October.

The discussion continued about sending the seven candidates to Brazil for their novitiate. Tom Hagan reaffirmed all that Tom Moore had said and spoke very clearly and emotionally about the damage done to the reputation of the Oblates in Haiti by the choice of the seven scholastics to leave the country right after the earthquake. He feels very hesitant about exposing the Haitians to the comforts of life in Brazil. It cannot but harm the dedication future Haitians must have to live with and work with the very poor. That is the aim and the reason for the Oblate foundation in Haiti.
Despite this reasoning from the two Oblates who have been living in Haiti before, during and after the earthquake and who know the situation Haiti presently, both Fr. Alberto and Fr. Leocledies insisted the greater good at this time was to have the seven candidates come to Brazil for their novitiate. This decision effectively means that because of the difference in the school years the candidates will lose a whole year. Tom Moore declared that he was totally opposed to this idea but that he had to bow to the decision of the South American/Caribbean Province and accept it as God’s will. The meeting finished with Evening Prayer and dinner.

I guess I should add that I had offered to be novice director if they had no one to send. But it was not to be. So you see, we lost, the seven men are to go to Brazil for a novitiate which will begin in February. They are to leave Haiti around September 20 to get to Brazil to begin language study in preparation for the novitiate. The next morning we began our meeting with a prayer to the Holy Spirit and then asked Alberto and Leoclides if after a night to sleep on their decision they still thought it was God’s will and in the best interest of all for the seven go to Brazil. They said yes. I reiterated that I was totally against the decision but that I would not speak against it and that I had to accept it as God’s will. I mentioned that St. Francis de Sales encourages us not just to “accept” God’s will, but to “love” it. I said I had done the first part and I was working on the second part. I also said that I would not go to Brazil for the final vow ceremony nor for the deacon ordination simply because in doing so it would mean I agreed with the decision of the seven scholastics to leave the country right after the earthquake and the decision of the former administration to have five other Haitians come to Brazil for their novitiate which is going on right now. That meeting was rather brief since we had arranged for the two visitors to see Cité Soleil and the work of Tom Hagan and Hands Together.

After dinner I suggested that Alberto speak to the seven postulants he was inviting to Brazil. That was done and the rest of the afternoon we used to go visit our newly purchased property. Tom Hagan invited us out to dinner at a restaurant that evening.

The other things that were decided included the decision to begin building a house of formation on our property which is positive, how we would handle any requests to join the congregation, our house budget for this fiscal year and most important the beginning of a clear five year plan for the Oblate foundation in Haiti. Tom Hagan was present for that meeting and he was very very good. I hope we can accomplish what we talked about. That should take another blog.

Alberto left on Friday but alas there were mechanical problems with his plane so he returned to the house in the late afternoon. He left yesterday.Leoclides will leave on Thursday when I do.

Frankly, it’s all very frustration. These are not bad men but it’s the same problem I had with the former administration. I (“we” Tom and I) an here in Haiti and they are in South America. They either cannot or will not listen to what fwe have to say abouaat the situation here and the needs that are particular to Haiti especially since the earthquake. So, we do what we can.

Blessings to all. Tom

P.S. I leave on Thursday for a few weeks in the States. I think I need a change of scenery.