Pourcine Pic Makaya – Five hours on foot from the nearest paved road, across steep hills, valleys and riverbeds now almost devoid of water. This is the journey required to reach Nan Miel, one of the most isolated areas in the Haitian hinterland, where Father Massimo Miraglio, MI, parish priest of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Pourcine Pic Makaya, recently visited the Chapel of St Bernard on the occasion of the patron saint’s day.
“It is a difficult area to reach,” the missionary tells Fides. “Along the way, one encounters small villages inhabited mainly by farming families who lack basic services. There are no schools, clinics or access to drinking water. Electricity is not even something people can dream of.”
Despite the difficulties, the community warmly welcomed the missionary, and the celebration of the feast drew faithful also from neighbouring areas, many of whom had walked for several hours to attend. In the afternoon, there was a football match, followed by music until the small generator ran out of petrol. “With a football and two speakers,” Father Miraglio recounts, “the people spent a wonderful day, without any incidents.”
During his three-day visit, there were numerous meetings with the local residents. The recurring theme was the abandonment of the most isolated areas by the State, compounded by the effects of drought. “The last harvest failed just as the new school year was about to begin. With the shortage of agricultural products, meals are reduced to very little for everyone, children and adults alike.”
The return journey took place with a small delegation. Along the way, mules continue to be an indispensable means of transporting the few goods available. “From time to time we greeted the people we met, and we committed ourselves to returning as soon as possible.”
One of the priorities identified by the community is the construction in Nan Miel of a small wooden and corrugated-metal structure to host religious celebrations, community gatherings and the first steps towards establishing a school. A second initiative concerns the restoration of the local spring, which is essential for the community’s water supply.
“As in the time of the first Christian communities, visits to other communities are important today as well: they foster hope, strengthen faith and, in the long term, help improve people’s living conditions,” Father Massimo stresses.
The missionary describes a difficult situation throughout the country, not only in the major cities, where armed gangs have brought increasing insecurity. “Every time I travel, I see first-hand the enormous difficulties of the Haitian reality. Haiti is a country in disarray, not only in the major cities because of the armed gangs, but also in the most remote inland areas. Here, a ‘war on the home front’ is being fought, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to sustain.”
In this context, the Church’s mission continues to focus on standing alongside the most vulnerable. “In our effort to pass on the faith,” the Camillian concludes, “we are working to build communities marked by peace and solidarity.”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.