Haitian students visit sponsors

By Tanya Connor | The Catholic Free Press

“I was thrilled!”
Christine Doyle, of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Dudley, was raving about meeting Stephanie Vincent, whom she’s sponsored to attend school in Haiti.
“I’ve had Stephanie as a student since 2010,” through the Worcester Diocese’s Haitian Apostolate education program, she said.
They met for the first time Saturday at St. Mary Parish in Shrewsbury, at the 2019 Education Celebration for Haitian students and their benefactors. Bishop McManus celebrated a Mass, which was followed by a dinner at which awards were given to benefactors whose students were visiting.
Organizing their visit was Sister Marie-Judith Dupuy, the Sister of St. Anne who directs the apostolate, which coordinates the twinning of the Worcester and Les Cayes Dioceses, including the education program.
Students sponsored through the program and chaperones – 11 in all – arrived in Worcester May 14. Ms. Vincent arrived May 23. All were to return to Haiti yesterday.
“Sometimes we Americans think it’s all about us,” Bishop McManus said in his homily at Saturday’s Mass.
But, despite differences in color or homeland, we all belong to the same Church and are called to be missionary disciples. He said the United States is becoming a mission land and noted how the diocese has seminarians from abroad and ethnic communities who are “bringing this missionary spirit to us.”
Msgr. Michael F. Rose, St. Mary’s pastor, said the reason some of St. Mary Elementary School students came to the Mass was to show the solidarity of the school as well as the parish. The elementary school sponsors 14 students in the education program, Sister Marie-Judith said. Also, St. Mary’s Parish twins with St. Michel Parish in Roche-a-Bateau, Haiti.
Mrs. Doyle said she brought with her the photo she received of Ms. Vincent in 2010, which she displays at home.
“I just knew” which student she was upon seeing her in St. Mary’s Church, she said. She said they exchanged a “big hug, big kisses.”
“I said, ‘Stephanie!’ She said, ‘Chris!’”
She was delighted Ms. Vincent is in nursing school, since her own profession is nursing.
“I feel just blessed to have her in my life,” she said.
She said Jean Dupuy, Sister Marie-Judith’s brother, Haitian Apostolate program development coordinator, translated for them at St. Mary’s and now they are texting each other.
Mr. Dupuy also translated as Ms. Vincent told The Catholic Free Press she wanted to say “thank you” to Mrs. Doyle for taking care of her since she was 10 years old, though she indicated the words were inadequate. She said it was very exciting to see Mrs. Doyle for the first time, she hopes to see her again and she prays for her.
Some sponsors had already met their students.
Olivia Willis, a high school senior, visited Haiti with her sister, Rebecca, and their mother, Julie, in 2013, and met Olivia’s sponsored student and peer, Esterline Michel, now in grade 10. Olivia started raising money for Haiti after the 2010 earthquake there, through a project at the school she then attended, St. Bernadette Elementary in Northborough. She later became a sponsor and raised money and collected supplies and backpacks for the Haitian Apostolate.
Last weekend Esterline stayed with them, and Mrs. Willis said they loved having her. Memorial Day, Esterline’s birthday, the Willis family had a cookout for her and the other Haitian visitors, who laughed heartily as some tried their hand at “pin the tail on the donkey” and their legs at three-legged races.
Tuesday the visitors enjoyed the hot tub at the home of Lucina Pietrowicz, Bishop McManus’ secretary. Her sponsored student, Rebecca Fleuridor, 10, was here for the second consecutive year.
The Haitians also went to Washington, D.C., to see Rosette St–Firman and her sister Odette Michel, who sponsor Redjina Simpson, 14, and Lournia Simpson, 12, sisters who were visiting the Worcester Diocese for the second consecutive year. The women and their brother Berlus Michel also came to St. Mary’s for the celebration here.
“Everything was wonderful,” said Mrs. Michel.
Lournia, with Mr. Dupuy translating, said she enjoyed this year’s visit more than last year’s, as they got to visit their benefactors in Washington and did more activities. She said she liked the zoo best.
Etienne Supridieu, 16, here for the first time, said he liked the airplane and all the activities. He and Patricia Jean-Charles, 15, met their sponsor Sister Pauline Laurence, a provincial co-leader in Marlborough for the Sisters of St. Anne, whose family helps with the sponsorship.
Shaina Beauzile, 15, expressed a longing to see her benefactor, James Senko, who lives in Washington state.  
Sister Marie-Judith had some of the visitors help with the morning prayers she was taping for WTAG radio through the diocesan Communications Ministry. When not otherwise occupied, the visiting Haitians often played with cell phones, or sang, laughed and chatted happily with one another.
Mrs. Doyle has a message to share: “It is a heart-warming and welcome addition to anyone’s life” to sponsor a Haitian student. “Here is a country that has nothing,” and students are so grateful for the little bit people here give them, she said. Speaking of the $125 sponsors pay to send a student to school for a year she said, “It’s worth every penny.”


– CFP reporter Tanya Connor also sponsors a young woman, Rose-Andy Pierre, whom she got to meet for the first time during this year’s visit.

Click here for a photo album of the visit.