‘I have had no information yet about the National Director in Haiti, or the seminarians. It is heart-rending. But the people of the Caribbean have spirit. Even in the depths of hell, we have joy in our spirit. I have put out feelers everywhere for information. I spoke with a journalist who had been to the Port-au-Prince Cathedral on Sunday. It was filled to capacity, people standing amongst the rubble of the collapsed building. The priest preached that “People will rise above the rubble of destruction”. Thank you for your prayers.’

With these words, Fr Donald Chambers National Director of Missio-Jamaica concluded his update on the situation in Haiti, his words striking a note of hope in the midst of the sadness and devastation within the already impoverished Caribbean island State. Although Fr Donald was writing from Jamaica, he knows Haiti well, having spent one year working there. Since the earthquake, he has taken on some of the responsibilities of Fr Clarck de la Cruz, the still-missing National Director of Missio-Haiti and is keeping in close contact with Missio offices across the world, updating them with whatever information he can discover.

The Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Bernadito Auza is someone else who has had to assume extra responsibilities during the past few days. The 50 year-old Filipino Archbishop has been the accredited representative of the Holy See in Haiti since May 2008 and has temporarily taken over the national leadership of the Catholic Church in Haiti on the death of Archbishop Miot of Port-au-Prince. With the help of the other bishops of Haiti, he has the grassroots knowledge absolutely essential to the effective distribution of the emergency help sent from across the world.

Immediately after the earthquake, Archbishop Auza personally travelled around the 62 parishes of Port-au-Prince to assess its effects. Until he had completed his assessment, he had no idea of the number of people he had available to him for organising help for a shattered population, and could not pass on to the outside world the desperate urgency of the situation.

Fortunately, the Church, although battered, was still present with its already clearly-defined local structure and established methods of channelling resources to the most needy.  For instance, each of the ten dioceses in Haiti has, for many years, annually identified its most urgent requirements and applied to Missio for the funding for a wide range of projects. These included several schools for deaf children, dispensaries, seminaries and a day centre for children with learning disabilities.

The Nuncio’s parish visits were critical: without knowing Haiti’s urgent necessities, the world can only guess at them. Food, medicine, weather and season are vital considerations for any agency, including the Church.

Even in such dire emergencies, ‘food’ is a cultural reality. There is a difference between eating and feeding. There is little benefit in sending rice, for instance, to people dependent on maize and vice versa. Although people might know how to cook unfamiliar food, it doesn’t satisfy hunger, even for the starving. They need the comforting security of foodstuffs that they recognise.

Again, Haiti’s needs during the dry season are different from those in the rains, when the threat of water-borne disease and malaria were very severe. Health services do not have the same requirements in the dry season as they did during the floods of 2009. During the past few days, there has been little risk of drowning, but there is an enormous incidence of dehydration and crush injuries sustained as a result of being trapped beneath crumbled buildings.

Although not an emergency aid organisation, Missio was already helping Haiti and in 2009 alone, gave £286,000 towards the Church’s work in basic and preventative healthcare, education, pastoral care and building projects, including major reconstruction in Port-au-Prince after massive flooding. It added a further £290,000 for immediate assistance, knowing that parishes across the world would come together to rebuild the shattered island where more than 80% of the 9 million people are Catholic.

Fr Osvaldo Leone, of Missio-Argentina also had a message borne from suffering: ‘Now it is our duty as human beings and as Christians not to remain indifferent and to fervently hope and pray. This is the time to become one with the sufferer! There are situations of greater and lesser suffering, major and minor concerns. We know that when we ourselves have experienced deep and poignant grief, where despair seemed the only way out, a helping hand and understanding helped us not to lose faith. Now we support the people of God who are suffering greatly. The Argentine people know the reality of suffering. Now is the time to 'get inside the skin' of another sufferer, and to go before the Virgin to pray the rosary for each of the earthquake victims in Haiti.’

Missio-Austria’s, Mgr Leo Maasburg, made an appeal calling for a united effort on the part of all Europe in bringing spiritual and material aid to Haiti's population and also announced that Missio-Austria would immediately donate €50,000 and collect further donations. 'I am deeply touched by the avalanche of solidarity for Haiti, which, within the space of a few hours, was felt within Austria and around the world’, he commented. ‘In addition to international aid, which must be distributed in an acute emergency, it is important for the Church to strengthen those with whom it works locally within the national Church. Only when all help together, can there be a guarantee of quick and comprehensive support. The destitute are the worst hit by such a catastrophe as this. They must be the ones whom the Church targets with its help.’

Fr Pierre Yves Pecqueux, of Missio France, stressed that the earthquake in Haiti 'invites us to prayer and to an unprecedented generosity. Missio, faithful to its mission, is committed - in emergency and long term - to serve the Church in Haiti and the men, women, and children she serves each day.'

Mgr John Dale, National Director for England and Wales, commented. ‘Missio has always supported the Church in Haiti, helping it to grow and develop in its own distinctive way. We will remain in the country, helping it to rebuild and find hope. Missio is not an emergency aid organisation, but just as we have been present for the Haitians in the past, we will be there for their future as they try to reconstruct their homes and lives.’

In the midst of the chaos and rubble, the Church is providing shelter for the homeless and water for the thirsty. It is giving survivors, not just material help, but also hope and guidance, offering light in the darkness.

Missio will send any help you can give directly to the Church in Haiti for:

·         the immediate relief and care of families and orphans

·         rebuilding and sustenance of essential orphanages, schools and seminaries

·         trauma counselling and the pastoral and spiritual care of survivors

You can donate to the Church in Haiti through Missio. For further information, please phone 020 7821 9755 or e-mail Monsignor John Dale at: director@missio.org.uk or visit www.missio.org.uk for website donations.