With profound gratitude, the Religious of the Sacred Heart thank all those who have contributed to earthquake relief in Haiti through the RSCJ community.

As of January 25, 2010, gifts in the amount of $49,164.00 - a total of 241 donations – have been received. These gifts go to the Haiti Fund and directly support the work of the RSCJ in Haiti and the needs around them that they feel are most desperate. The U.S. province is one of the five provinces responsible for the mission in Haiti, together with Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Cuba.

With regard to the status of Religious of the Sacred Heart in Haiti, Diane Roche, RSCJ, has sent the following information:

Eight young women have been meeting with RSCJ regularly in Port au Prince to discern whether or not they have vocations to religious life.  Josefa Corrada, RSCJ, has heard from only one of the eight and asks that they be kept in our prayers. Thousands of refugees from Port au Prince have returned “home” to Verrettes where they have relatives.  The price of food has tripled, and phone cards are getting scarce. Because of continued aftershocks, which can be felt in Verrettes but have so far done no structural damage, they have had to suspend programs for this month.  Read more about our mission in Verrettes.

Of 326 children enrolled in the RSCJ program, only one was in Port au Prince at the time of the quake.  She suffered a broken limb and is now recovering at home in Verrettes. 

Sister Roche also sent two more links for contributions:

Fonkoze is a kind of cooperative bank that does micro lending to very poor women and men so they can start small businesses.  Fonkoze has partnered with Dr. Paul Farmer’s group (Partners in Health) to establish a branch office next to each of his clinics so that people can stabilize and improve their lives after their health care needs are met.  Learn more at Fonkoze.org.

Albert Schweitzer Hospital, which suffered no structural damage during the quake, is just down the road from the RSCJ house in Verrettes.  Founded about fifty years ago by Andrew Mellon and his wife Gwen, the Hospital has been working hard to provide care to thousands of earthquake survivors during the past 15 days. Learn how they have been dealing with this tragedy.

And anyone who would like to help the Religious of the Sacred Heart adapt its educational work in Haiti to accommodate the new and pressing needs of displaced children can donate online or by mail (Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund, Society of the Sacred Heart 4120 Forest Park Avenue St. Louis, MO 63108).