Haiti's needs "immediate and compelling"

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

News of the earthquake and resulting humanitarian disaster in Haiti have touched us all very deeply.

The situation has been very personal for some of our Society members.  Jere Wells is in Haiti on an island 18 miles west of Port-au-Prince.  Please keep him and his wife Della in your prayers as you pray for all those many affected by this disaster.

The scope of the situation is incomprehensible, and yet it seems the full story is yet to be revealed.  We do know that many are dead and injured in a place that before this disaster did not possess sufficient infrastructure to support a reasonable standard of living for its citizens.  The need for aid now is immediate and compelling.  I urge you, as people of proven compassion and commitment to embodying the gospel of Jesus, to act generously to support the humanitarian relief efforts in Haiti.

Providing such relief is not within the mandate or capability of the Society.   I would point you to the following organizations that are well-equipped to address this situation.

Episcopal Relief and Development                              https://www.er-d.org/donate-select.php
The Primate's World Relief and Development fund      http://www.pwrdf.org/give/
The International Committee of the Red Cross            http://www.icrc.org/web/eng/siteeng0.nsf/html/helpicrc

Once the initial humanitarian issues have been addressed, there may be ways in which the Society can support our Anglican brothers and sisters in the Episcopal Diocese of Haiti.  I have received reports that suggest the damage to the buildings of the Diocese is staggering.  The diocesan cathedral, Cathedrale Sainte Trinite, and the entire cathedral complex, including the Holy Trinity  School adjacent to the cathedral, are described simply as "gone".  The Episcopal Bishop of Haiti, Jean Zache Duracin is reported to have survived the earthquake, though his wife, Marie-Edithe, injured her foot.  The neighbouring Bishop of the Dominican Republic has reported seeing Bishop Duracin in a news report working to dig people out of the rubble.

I count Bishop Duracin as a dear friend and have no doubt that this report is true.  As he grieves the dead of his flock and struggles with his bare hands to care for those still living let us act and stand in solidarity with him.


Yours in Christ,

Bishop Philip Poole
President
The Compass Rose Society