In the rural areas where Chalice works there has been less extensive destruction than that seen in Port au Prince but getting food and supplies that normally come from the capital is slow and uncertain as roads are currently blocked and impassable. Tremors continue and many families are in shock at the loss of family and friends. Chalice has been giving support and assistance to our sponsor sites since the day of the quake. We will continue to do so, as we determine the full impact on our sponsored families and their towns and villages.

Haiti, like California and British Columbia, lies on tectonic fault lines that have on several past occasions caused earthquakes of severe proportions.  An earthquake struck in 1751, and another in 1770, both while the island was under French control. According to French historian Moreau de Saint-Méry "only one masonry building had not collapsed" in Port-au-Prince following the 1751 earthquake, but "the whole city collapsed" during the earthquake of 1770. Another earthquake destroyed the city of Cap-Haïtien and other towns in the northern part of Haiti in 1842. In 1946, an earthquake struck the Dominican Republic and also shook Haiti, producing a tsunami that killed almost 1,800 people.

In those occasions no one came to their aid; they suffered alone. Today, they are not alone. The world is there and for this we give thanks. An earthquake is not an act of God but every act of loving kindness and mercy can reveal God's presence.  Please pray for those who are suffering so grievously in Haiti and pray for those who are working so hard to bring them hope and comfort in their time of need.

In Communio,

Father Patrick Cosgrove