Posted on

A Haitian Eyewitness

We’ve all been transfixed on the news stories coming out of Haiti recently after the devastating earthquake that country experienced. Recently I had a chance to speak to Catholic priest, Fr. Murat Dorcent, who was present during the earthquake that hit Haiti. I met him as he traveled through the Northeast telling Americans what they can do to help and to thank people for their generosity. Fr. Dorcent traveled a circuitous route through the Dominican Republic to get to the United States.

Fr. Dorcent is the pastor of Our Lady of the Nativity parish in Verrettes, Haiti. It is approximately 1.5 hours by car from Port-Au-Prince. His large parish encompasses one mother church, 14 mission chapels and 6 schools that educate over 1400 children. Some of the mission chapels can only be reached on foot. Fr. Dorcent’s parish community serves over 50,000 people. He described the area where he works as a mountainous area in the country. However, he happened to be in Port-Au-Prince the day of the earthquake. His country parish is now receiving survivors and refugees fleeing from the carnage of Port-Au-Prince. He related to me that he has told his staff to receive anyone fleeing Port-Au-Prince. He is providing food and shelter to all those who make it to his parish. Below is a map of where Fr. Dorcent’s parish is in relation to Port-Au-Prince.

In the weeks since the quake, Fr. Dorcent has received over 50 orphans into his parish and close to 1000 people who have fled the city. He is trying to equip one of his schools with sewing machines to teach the displaced how to sew so that they can have a skill in order to find work. He will feed them and house them as long as there is a need.

Fr. Dorcent speaks French and some English. The last time I spoke French was in high-school. The interview below is the best I could do given the language differences.

Father, can you tell us exactly what happened the day of the earthquake?

“I happened to find myself in Port-Au-Prince that day. I was near the Presidential palace. The earthquake was violent shaking up and down, left and right. Every building just fell down. I was outside, near the Presidential Palace and saw it collapse. I rushed to the seminary where 200 seminarians were trapped. Thousands of people screaming, fleeing, yelling. It was beyond awful in scope. No words can describe what I saw that day.”

How bad are things in Haiti now?

“Today, we talk only about matters of life and death. Like it says in the book of Isiah, suffering has been brought unto us. We have seen Good Friday, we don’t know when Easter will come.”

What are your immediate needs?

“Our short term need is for food. Any donations right now go toward feeding and housing the homeless. Our long term needs are for our schools. We have children but we also are trying to teach adults technical trades.”

I know you have traveled to the United States with a message for Americans. Can you tell us this message?

“May God bless and protect the people of North America. Now and forever. Haiti is forever grateful.”

Fr. Dorcent is returning to Haiti this week. To send a donation directly to him, I have listed his address below. He assured me that all aid he receives goes directly to those in greatest need. He has told the Huletts Current that he will give us further updates in the months ahead.

Pere Murat DORCENT
Cure de la Paroisse Notre Dame de la Nativite des Verrettes
Boite postale # 45 HT4310
Saint Marc, Haiti

Posted on

Is He or Isn’t He? There’s No “Communication”

In a surprise move early Saturday morning, the House Rules Committee, approved rules for debate on the health care bill. Included was an amendment to allow a vote to remove abortion funding.

The committee okayed a Rule that allows the House to vote on the Stupak amendment, offered by pro-life Rep. Bart Stupak, a Michigan Democrat, to the health care reform legislation. Stupak claimed to have approximately 40 Democrats who threatened to vote against the Rule and the bill if he did not get a vote on his amendment. I wanted to make sure I could represent Congressman Murphy’s view accurately on this important vote.

The health care bill, HR 3962, would fund abortions in two ways — by allowing the public option (or government-run health care program) to pay for abortions and by allowing the affordability credits the government would give to consumers to be used to pay for health care plans that fund abortions.

I contacted Rep. Scott Murphy’s office on Saturday to inquire if he was one of the 40 Democrats who were supporting the Stupak amendment and to inquire which way he intended to vote on HR 3692.

I repeatedly left messages with his communications staff and even went so far as asking the person answering the phones where Congressman Murphy stood on this important issue. No one called me back and no one could state anything about Congressman Murphy’s position. I was referred to his Clifton Park Office where another communication’s person could supposedly answer my question. The number I was referred to didn’t even have an answering machine attached.

You would think that on such an important topic someone on the Congressman’s “communications” staff could communicate something. I’m still waiting for a return call.

Update 10/08/09 6:05 a.m.

The Stupak Amendment passed 240-194. This means that abortion coverage would not be paid for by the federal government and would continue the Hyde Amendment. Congressman Murphy voted against this measure, meaning he wanted abortion coverage to be paid for by the federal government.

This vote cleared the way for conservative pro-life Democrats to support the health care bill, HR 3962, which passed narrowly 220-215. Congressman Murphy voted “No” for final passage. Hopefully his communications office will be able to explain the reasoning behind his vote.