Sunday 9 January 2022 will be forever remembered in the hearts of parishioners and the annals of the Congregation as a day of the inauguration of the new St Gerard Mayela parish church in Port-au-Prince. Almost 12 years after the earthquake that destroyed the old parish church, and after four years of hard work and sacrifice of many workers under the execution of the Spanish company Gateway Office Park (GOP) and the supervision of PROCHE, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Port-au-Prince, His Excellency Monsignor Max Leroy MESIDOR, inaugurated the new parish church to the joy of all present.
The archbishop was the first to enter the church in solemn procession, followed by priests, religious groups, authorities and the faithful. The new temple, although generously sized, was too small to accommodate all those who wanted to participate in the celebration. The ceremony was full of symbolism and was experienced intensely by all those present. The most moving moments were the lighting of the candles, the anointing of the altar, the incensing of the temple, the first consecration—all accompanied by songs performed by the parish choir.
In his address, Fr. Jean-Claudel PIERRE, CSsR, the pastor, thanked the Lord for this work and also thanked the Archbishop for his pastoral care of the faithful of St Gerard’s and the architects, engineers and workers who had worked to rebuild the first phase of this new building. Similarly, he thanked all the institutions and individuals who had contributed financially, to mention only a few: Adveniat, Koch Foundation, Eglise en détresse, Conference of American Bishops, Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, etc.
One should remember that the church’s construction has not entirely ended; there are still many things to be finished, but they remain for the second phase. That is why the generosity of parishioners and all people of good will is still needed to continue to collaborate financially in order to have in the Carrefour-Feuilles neighbourhood a worthy place to praise and glorify the God of life.
Fr. Renold Antoine, CSsR
