Haiti Partnership Story
Our partnership with Bonne Nouvelle goes back to 2008
Eglise Episcopal Bonne Nouvelle (Episcopal Church of Bonne Nouvelle) in Bigonet is one of the first Episcopal churches in Haiti, established under the leadership of African-American Bishop James Holly, in the late 1800s.
Bigonet is a village — more accurately, a zone — in the mountains southwest of Haiti’s capitol city of Port au Prince. Bonne Nouvelle is a church, a school ( ± 300 students, preK through 9th grade) and the central gathering place for civic activity for the region. The partnership of Bonne Nouvelle and Sts. Luke and James has mutually enriched our lives — in Haiti and Minnesota.
Haiti’s government provides no funds for rural education. So, a central theme of our partnership is assurance: for every family that their children can attend school, for every teacher that they will be paid for their work. Together, we’ve purchased computers for teachers and classrooms, equipped and staffed sewing and music programs, built an area for soccer and other play, maintained regular internet connections, and much more. Our partnership takes collective pleasure in Bonne Nouvelle’s 90 - 100% yearly pass-rates on Haiti’s national exams.
In January 2010, within 40 seconds, earthquake destroyed everything in Bigonet. Homes. Church. School. Clothing. Cooking pots, Livelihoods. For some, even confidence in the earth itself.
But, not everything. The people of Bigonet never lost their commitment to one another and to the well-being of their community, and through the years that followed they re-built their school and their homes. In this village where average yearly incomes are less than $500, the church took a monthly collection to, someday, rebuild their church. In 2018 they reached their goal of $800. They hired an engineer and laid a cornerstone — a symbol of hope.
In mid-2020, the walls have risen and the roof nears completion — the result of skilled research, hundreds of hours of volunteer labor, and careful stewardship of money raised, in both Minnesota and Haiti.
The goal: by year’s end to complete the roof, thereby allowing the people once again to worship together in their church. Someday Bonne Nouvelle hopes to have a floor. Maybe new pews. Maybe other comforts of worship. For now, it will be enough to have a roof.
See where the spirit leads...
In 2008, at the beginning of our partnership little did we anticipate the meaning of our stated goal, “See where the Spirit leads us.”
In fact, the work of the Spirt has sometimes left us breathless.
We’ve shared food and friendship, births and deaths. Together, we’ve faced-down Hurricane Matthew — raising money and tilling the soil to re-build farms and livelihoods. We’ve prayed with one another; sung songs of praise and thanksgiving; shared baptisms, pageants, even a wedding. We feared for the safety of friends following earthquake. Together have celebrated the success of children in school, the beauty of artists creations. Together we’ve suffered disappointment — grants not received, travel visas denied, opportunities lost.
We’ve celebrated the expansion of “we” — as others have joined our partnership, shared in our joy, done the work together. Trinity Lutheran Church in Hovland, Minnesota. Anwatin Middle School and Kenwood Retirement Community in Minneapolis. St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in St. Paul: these organizations and others have joined in the work and rewards of friendship and shared goals.
The people of Bonne Nouvelle walked with the people of St. James on the Parkway as we walked into years of uncertainty in closing our building — they celebrate with us as we joined in consolidation with St. Luke’s Episcopal Church to form Grace Episcopal Church.
Together we walk bravely, to see where the Spirit leads us.
