Marked with Love on Ash Wednesday

Fr. Rubens Sylvain, a Scalabrini missionary of the Congregation of the Missionaries of St. Charles Borromeo, preaches during a celebration of Mass at Louverture Cleary School.

Marked with love.

With Ashes on our foreheads and a little hunger in our bellies, the first day of Lent begins a period of spiritual simplicity. By going without the “extras” of life, we remember precisely that which we can never be without—the love of God.

During Lent, we prepare for the celebration of Christ’s resurrection through prayer and reflection. And amid the flurry of preparations, we look for practical ways to observe the holiness of the season in our everyday lives.

Within The Haitian Project community, there is an ever-present need to focus on what is essential. Pausing to remember what is important helps us offer our own generous and free response to the needs of others.

May this season of Lent be a time of renewal for you and your family. We appreciate your continued support to The Haitian Project as we all seek to remember that which is essential.

Special thanks to former Volunteer ('00-'01), staff member, and long time community member Mary Jo LeGrand for expressing the beautiful thoughts on which this article is based.

Sorrow and Hope: Reflections on the 10th Anniversary of the 2010 Earthquake

This special edition of Haitian Project News features personal accounts from members of the Volunteer community on the 7.0 earthquake that struck Haiti at 4:53 pm on Tuesday, January 12, 2010. It is dedicated to everyone who was lost on that fateful day and to those who lost family and friends. A PDF of this newsletter can be downloaded here:

January 2020 Special Edition Haitian Project News

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Betsy Bowman (THP Volunteer ’09-’10)

The real work began the morning after the earthquake.

On January 13, 2010, the sun rose over the soccer field at Louverture Cleary School (LCS) where hundreds of scared children and adults had huddled throughout that bewildering night while the earth rolled. At daybreak, as every day, there were songs to sing, prayers to pray, work to do. I watched the Philo (US Grade 12 + 1) students stand before the younger kids to lead them. And what song did they choose for that morning? They sang “Mesi Bondye pou tout ou bay nou” (Thank you, God, for all you give us). I stood to the side with tears in my eyes, profoundly humbled by their faith.

Louverture Cleary students camped out on the back soccer field until the campus buildings were deemed safe again.

In so many ways, even in those first terrifying hours, the strength of the LCS and broader community of The Haitian Project (THP) was evident. THP board member and Haitian private sector leader Patrick B. arrived at the school within hours after the earthquake, before even returning to check on his own home, and his presence was immediately stabilizing. To his trained eye, the terrifying cracks that slashed across walls were evidence that the buildings had performed exactly as they were supposed to, and many were safe. He helped us make decisions and—most importantly—he promised to come back in the morning.    

It was clear that the US Volunteers needed to act. We made pot after pot of spaghetti on our small stove. We rallied the kids to help with cleanup. We never ran out of food, and whenever we could, we did what Christina Moynihan (former head of LCS outreach) had taught us to do—we fed our neighbors. We led games for those who needed a distraction. And within 48 hours, we began to organize cleanup groups.

After a few days, Deacon Patrick Moynihan (President Emeritus, THP President 1996-2019) arrived back at the school along with former Volunteers and close friends of the Project. I recall feeling so grateful for their arrival. Deacon Moynihan rallied and organized everyone.

Christina Crow appeared and began to figure out how to get critical supplies and navigate the new normal of the shattered Port-au-Prince. Adam Osielski arrived with a friend who was also a trained electrician and led demolition work. John DiTillo arrived to stay, joining the team of Volunteers. Eventually, Christina Moynihan returned with the Moynihan children and things almost felt normal again as we organized basketball games with US troops stationed nearby and resumed a “para-curricular” school schedule.  

While the support from the THP community in the United States was a great blessing, the ways LCS students, staff, alumni and community members cared for each other and their neighbors was a beautiful witness to the power of community. I watched 17-year-olds translate between English, Spanish and Kreyòl for foreign doctors. I watched men from the school neighborhood sift through the rubble of the destroyed Cathedral and celebrated with them as they rescued precious artifacts. I marveled at children who answered the question, “how are you since the earthquake?” with responses like, “my family’s house is ruined and everything is lost, but we are safe and God is good.” 

I was present for one of the darkest moments in the history of modern Haiti. What I learned in those months is just another expression of what the THP community has always known: with education and the support of a loving community, Haitians already have done—and will continue to do—big and beautiful things.

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Christina Crow Cruz (THP Volunteer ‘05, THP Director of Projects & External Affairs ‘06-‘08)

On January 12, 2010, I received a text message at work from Mary Jo (Dunne) Francois, a friend and colleague from my years of service as the Director of Projects and External Affairs for THP. “Did you see what happened in Haiti?” she asked.

The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption in Port-au-Prince.

Over the next few days I watched the news unfold and was asked countless times by family and friends, “Are you going back?” The answer came on January 18th.

Deacon Patrick Moynihan (President Emeritus, THP President 1996-2019) called and asked if I could come to Haiti to assist with coordination with relief organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the military. The next day I found myself in Miami connecting with Elizabeth (O’Connell) Cross, also a former THP Volunteer and staff member. There were still no commercial flights scheduled to Haiti, but we received a tip from Rachel Madhere, the head of American Airlines in Haiti and an avid THP supporter, that a plane was chartered and scheduled to leave Miami that morning. We found ourselves landing on cracked tarmac a few hours later, greeted by Deacon Moynihan who had made his way through the heavy traffic.

LCS was a whirlwind of activity. The guest house at LCS had become a safe haven to many international journalists, engineers and architects called in by the United Nations, along with LCS alumni who had returned to the school to assist. The first night of my arrival I spent several hours listening to alumni, Volunteers, students and staff recount their stories of the earthquake. What struck me that night, and over the time that I spent there, were the stories of action and service to the community.

THP board member and Haitian private sector leader Patrick Brun secures the doors at the entrance of the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption in Port-au-Prince.

I heard how the LCS community service groups had removed fallen rubble from the roads. I learned how LCS alumni had connected with each other and supported each other’s families through the aftermath. Soon I watched as students persisted in their education and support of the school’s neighborhood, offering meals, water, and shelter as needed. I worked with alumni who wanted to serve the arriving NGOs as translators and guides. Minel Lofficial from LCS’s Office of External Affairs (now the Dulcich Center for Career Advancement) and I worked together to ensure a continued supply of food to the school and community. I had the opportunity to meet with THP board member and Haitian private sector leader Patrick Brun and see the Mobile Max Pure Water filter that he, THP community member Mickey Ingles and I had written a grant for and collaborated with the US military to fly into Haiti to supply clean water to Cite Soleil and the surrounding area.

Although I was only able to be in Haiti for one week, I was struck by the community that LCS and THP had created, and the strength and resilience of the staff, students, and supporters on the ground. Many donors, supporters, alumni, staff, and of course, the Moynihan family were all standing up for Haiti.

As the Project moves forward to continue in their mission, the question remains… will you?

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Special thanks to Betsy Bowman for use of her photos and to both Betsy and Christina Crow Cruz for their stories.

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If you would like to read more on how the 2010 earthquake affected Louverture Cleary School:

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Looking for an Amazing Last Minute Gift?

This Christmas season, give a meaningful gift that will last generation after generation.

There is still time to give the Gift of Education in honor of a loved one this Christmas!

Simply submit the form, either online or on paper, and The Haitian Project (THP) will send a Christmas card notifying your loved one of the gift given in their honor!

Give the Gift of Education in any amount in honor of a friend or family member to support the mission they care about or introduce them to the THP community.

Your gift allows The Haitian Project to continue to feed, house and educate 360 students—Haiti’s future servant-leaders—each year.

In order for your family and friends to receive a card notifying them of your gift by Christmas Eve, The Haitian Project needs to receive your donation by Friday morning, December 20th. Thank you and Merry Christmas! 

A New President, A New Family on a Mission

Marisa (Reese) Grondin Elected President of The Haitian Project 

Marisa (Reese) Grondin, president-elect of The Haitian Project

The Haitian Project (THP) Board of Directors has unanimously voted to elect veteran employee and THP Volunteer alumna Marisa (Reese) Grondin as president of The Haitian Project as long-time President Deacon Patrick Moynihan steps down after 23 years at the helm.

A Rhode Island native, Reese currently serves as vice president and chief financial officer at THP and will assume the role of president beginning January 1, 2020.

THP’s Board of Directors also voted unanimously to appoint Deacon Moynihan as president emeritus of The Haitian Project in recognition of his significant contributions to the organization and his continued commitment to its success.

Reflecting on the transition, Deacon Moynihan said, “For my part, the change in leadership is not a departure, but simply a repositioning to open up space for the next generation of the Project’s leadership to allow our new vision for the Louverture Cleary Schools Network—a national system of ten schools across Haiti—to thrive.” Deacon Moynihan, who will serve as advisor to the president during the transition period, continued, “I look forward to supporting Reese and Jimi, lending them my experience when called upon, and focusing on the success of The Network in Haiti."

The Grondin Family (from left): Jimi, Maggie, Reese and Gabby

Reese and her husband, James (Jimi) Grondin, a Volunteer alumnus as well as THP’s director of new school construction, along with their two daughters, Gabriella (Gabby) and Marguerite (Maggie), are stepping forward to serve the Project at an exciting time in THP’s history.

States THP Vice Chair and Haitian private sector leader Patrick Brun, “Reese embodies the Charism of THP, and her experience, from volunteer to accountant to vice president, has prepared her well for the position of president. Because of her all-encompassing attributes, she is also both loved and respected by the LCS community.”

The Grondin family has been an important part of the THP community since both Reese and Jimi joined as Volunteer teachers at Louverture Cleary School (LCS) in 2001. As a senior at Notre Dame, Reese knew that she did not want to take the typical career path. As Divine Providence would have it, Reese’s sister, a parishioner at St. Joseph's Parish in Newport, RI, saw a notice in the parish bulletin for THP around the same time Reese learned about the Project through Notre Dame’s Center for Social Concern. Reese was drawn to THP and LCS because she saw that the school “was about much more than the Volunteers. It had made progress and had a clear mission.”

As a Volunteer, Reese quickly grasped THP’s charism and the transformative potential of an LCS education. As her first year drew to a close, she knew that she wanted to stay involved. She approached THP President Deacon Moynihan about a second year, and he offered her the opportunity to serve the Project in the US as assistant executive director.

For Reese, learning about all the work that was needed back home to keep everything running smoothly in Haiti opened up a host of new opportunities and gave her a greater appreciation for the complexity of running the Project. “I really enjoyed learning about the US side of operations. I helped with Volunteer recruitment and took on some accounting responsibilities. It was a privilege to be with the Project at that time and watch it grow,” she said.

Volunteer teacher Reese Jarret (Grondin) with an LCS student in 2001.

During her 17 years with the Project, Reese has served in almost every segment of the organization, including spending two years as acting president.

“I had been working very closely with Deacon Moynihan, so it felt natural. It was what needed to be done at the time and it was an amazing opportunity. I had the chance to work closely with Esther Paul [director of operations at LCS] and the people on the ground in Haiti and in the US,” she stated. “To watch what the Moynihan family has contributed to the Project and being a part of something that is bigger than you, but also knowing that your work will make an impact…it has been a privilege,” she continued.

For Jimi and Reese, THP has always been a family affair. Jimi has been supportive of Reese’s work with the Project and stayed involved himself since his Volunteer year. Recently, he stepped up his long-standing support by accepting the position of director of new school construction, a role that will rely heavily on his experience working in Haiti and his significant professional construction experience. 

 That deep knowledge of THP and LCS’s charism extends to the couple’s daughters, who have grown up with the Project. “A couple of years ago, Gabby told me that she wanted to be a doctor and a teacher and, on the weekends, work for THP,” Reese smiled. The family model has been an integral part of THP’s success over the years, and the Grondin family’s decades of involvement and renewed commitment will be vital moving forward.

For Reese, the future holds infinite promise, and she feels motivated to lead the Project’s effort to build The LCS Network. “For me, seeing the certainty and excitement that people like Patrick Brun and others in Haiti have that The Network is the solution is a really powerful witness,” she said. “It shows me that we are following God’s plan and that we just need to keep working towards it,” she continued.

THP will continue its progress toward that mission that drew Reese to sign up as a Volunteer almost twenty years ago: to enact change in Haiti through education.

“My goal is to keep our excellent program strong and to work with our partners in Haiti to realize the [Network] plan,” she said with confidence. “When you talk to our students and graduates, you realize this is what the country needs—you can see that they feel it,” she continued. “Imagine if we have 500 amazing graduates each year going out and making a difference in Haiti. Imagine what that will be like and what that will be for Haiti. It will be incredible.”

To download a PDF of this article, please click here!

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Please consider a gift in honor of Reese and her family and in support of a bright future for Haiti:

December 2019 Newsletter

Site Evaluation & Advisory Team members Patrick B. (left) and Michael Moynihan (right) visit a potential Louverture Cleary School location in Les Cayes in the Sud Department of Haiti with His Excellency Chibly Langlois, Cardinal of Haiti (left center), and pilot Bernard Celestin (right center).

The December 2019 edition of Haitian Project News is here! CLICK HERE to read about how The Haitian Project is ready to forge forward with The Louverture Cleary Schools Network with the development of a Model Campus that can be replicated across Haiti—and much more!

Give Education. Give Hope. #GivingTuesday.

Today, millions of people around the world will participate in #GivingTuesday by making a contribution to a cause they care about.

When you join them by making a donation to The Haitian Project, you are supporting one of the best programs in Haiti. You are transforming lives through education, and in doing so, giving hope to a new generation of servant-leaders in Haiti.

Our mission in 60 seconds:

A Special Thanksgiving Message from Deacon Moynihan

Appreciated Members of the THP Community,

It is always a privilege to write our Thanksgiving Message. It is also very easy to do given the many things for which we at The Haitian Project have to be thankful, not the least of which is your support.

This year it is especially easy for me to write a letter of thanks because I am taking stock in a special way how wonderful it has been to be at the front of the great work you have made possible for over two decades. So, this year, I want to lead off the recount of what we are thankful for by saying, "I am thankful for having the opportunity to work with you in our great mission and be a part of so many wonderful people's lives in Haiti and in our US community!"

As you may have read, I will be stepping down (but not away) at the end of December. I am so proud, hopeful and relieved that Reese Grondin has agreed to succeed me as president of THP. She and her husband Jimi are stepping up in a big way. Their combined talents are, as God would have it, just what THP needs in its next first family.

I am excited and thankful that the transition will allow me to continue to contribute to the community, especially with pushing forward with the Louverture Cleary Schools Network. I look forward to supporting Reese Grondin and Patrick Brun in this effort in the role of Emeritus President.

Please keep giving. YOUR SUPPORT is the very support we have to give to our amazing students, staff and graduates. The results of your generosity are spectacular.

Feel good about the work you have made possible and the lives you have changed—and the many more lives that those lives will change.

Pax et bonum. (Latin for Happy Thanksgiving—almost!)

Deacon Patrick Moynihan

Go Forth and Serve

In the early 19th century, a young woman named Pauline Jaricot was moved by the poverty and destitution throughout France and the world. Inspired by her brother’s letters about his work in missions abroad, Jaricot gathered groups of people, asking them to pray daily for the missions and to give a penny a day—a significant sacrifice at the time—to support them.

THP President Deacon Patrick Moynihan (left) speaks with a parishioner of St. Raymond’s Church in Providence, RI.

Through her advocacy for the worldwide missionary work of the Church, Jaricot created the Society for the Propagation of the Faith—one of four Pontifical Mission Societies within the Catholic Church that informs members about global missionary work and encourages active participation through prayer and sacrifice.

Today as part of Diocesan Propagation of the Faith, missionaries all over the world visit parishes to bear witness to their work and ask for support for its perpetuity.

Throughout this past summer, THP visited the four parishes to which it was assigned by the Diocese of Providence. While St. Francis of Assisi Church and its St. Romuald Chapel in South Kingstown, RI, were known to THP, St. Ann Church, Blessed Sacrament Church, and St. Raymond Church, all located in Providence, RI, were new to the Project, bringing a fresh audience to THP’s mission. Most recently, THP was present for Propagation of the Faith at St. Sebastian Church in Sebastian, FL in November.

Deacon Moynihan assisted and preached at each Mass, and members of the THP staff and community were able to engage with parishioners to share updates and materials on THP’s mission, exciting plans for the future, and ways to further get involved. At each Mass, a second collection was taken up to benefit THP.

THP often proclaims that a mission is as strong as the community that sends it. Thanks to the parishes that will welcome THP summer after summer, as well as many growing communities around the US and the world, THP’s mission is well positioned to take root and change lives throughout all of Haiti through the Louverture Cleary Schools Network.

In this season of thanksgiving, The Haitian Project is thankful for our supporting parishes.

Want to get THP involved in Propagation of the Faith in your home diocese? Contact THP at [email protected] or call 401-351-3624 or to find out how!

Looking for a Meaningful Way to Bring Family & Friends Together this Season?

The holiday season is upon us again! Why not do something a little different this year to bring family and friends together? In the spirit of giving, you could host a holiday party to benefit The Haitian Project (THP)!

Already planning a gathering? Great! It’s easy to incorporate THP into your event!

It's as easy as 1, 2, 3!

1. Call or email to let us know you’re interested in supporting THP at your holiday party. We’ll send you a “party kit” with THP literature, delicious Haitian coffee to serve your guests, and tips on how to make your event as successful as possible. We can also provide invitations to mail/email and even send them for you!

2. Host your gathering! It can be as simple or elaborate as you’d like. At some point during your event, tell your guests why THP is important to you, perhaps show one of our videos, and ask them to consider making a contribution. Don’t forget to have a great time, too!

3. After the party’s over, mail any checks or cash received to The Haitian Project. Donations made online will already be on their way. We will personally thank everyone who donates for being part of the THP community!

If you are interested in supporting The Haitian Project at your holiday event, please call 401-351-3624 or email [email protected] to learn how easy planning a Holiday Party for Haiti can be!

Deacon Patrick Moynihan to Step Down as THP President

After 23 years leading The Haitian Project (THP), Deacon Patrick Moynihan will step down as president on December 31, 2019.

Deacon Patrick Moynihan presents a diploma at a Louverture Cleary School graduation.

Deacon Moynihan will be succeeded by current THP Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Marisa (Reese) Grondin, who on Saturday, November 9th, was elected by a unanimous vote of THP’s Board of Directors to take over as president effective January 1, 2020.

Like the Moynihans, the entire Grondin family has been dedicated to THP’s mission since Reese and her husband James (Jimi) both served as volunteer teachers at THP’s Louverture Cleary School Santo 5 (LCS) in 2001. Jimi will also take on a critical role in the mission next year as director of new school construction. (Look for more about Reese’s history with THP and her recent election in a special edition of Haitian Project News coming out in early December.)

Reflecting on the transition, Deacon Moynihan said, “For my part, the change in leadership is not a departure, but simply a repositioning to open up space for the next generation of the Project’s leadership to allow our new vision for the Louverture Cleary Schools Network to thrive.”

THP’s Board of Directors also voted unanimously on Saturday to appoint Deacon Moynihan as president emeritus of The Haitian Project in recognition of his significant contributions to the organization and his continued commitment to its success.

Deacon Moynihan, who will serve as advisor to the president during the transition period, said, “I look forward to supporting Reese and Jimi, lending them my experience when called upon, and focusing on the success of the Network in Haiti."

THP President Deacon Patrick Moynihan (standing, center) and wife Christina (seated) with their children: (from left) Robert, Marianna, Timothy, and Mikhaila.

Encouraged by his wife Christina, who was the first to hear the call for the Moynihan family to go on mission, Deacon Moynihan left a successful career as a commodities trader with the Louis Dreyfus Corporation and moved their family to Haiti to live and work as leaders of The Haitian Project Community in February of 1996.

“The decision to step down represents a significant, albeit positive change for the whole family, especially Christina,” Deacon Moynihan said. “Not only was Christina the motivation for the Moynihans moving to Haiti, she was without a doubt the foundation upon which everything was built.”

At LCS, Christina was integral in providing social and spiritual support to both the students and to the families in the surrounding neighborhood. In addition to teaching and heading the Office of Campus Ministry and Community Outreach, she quickly put in place Ekòl Ankourajman (School of Encouragement), an after-school literacy program for youth and adults from the neighborhood who could not attend the school.

In response to the pressure added on parents in the local area after the earthquake in 2010, Christina devoted much time and energy to the expansion of LCS’s early childhood development center for children from the neighborhood—keeping countless children out of orphanages by providing families with the support they needed to stay together.

When Deacon Moynihan became president in 1996, the Project was struggling with debt and the school served just 75 students. Today, LCS serves 360 students, has hundreds of successful graduates, and operates the largest university scholarship program in the country providing university support to over 100 graduates annually. Its graduates regularly go on to earn 12 times the per-capita income of Haiti just several years out of university.

Having raised more than $16 million for THP’s Annual Fund during his tenure, Deacon Moynihan's leadership and drive increased the Annual Fund 20-fold to nearly $2 million in 2018.

Additionally, he successfully led multiple consecutive capital campaigns totaling nearly $4.5 million in gifts and pledges to ensure the perpetuity of the mission. Deacon Moynihan also led the development of THP’s 20-year strategic plan to create The Louverture Cleary Schools Network, which THP's Board of Directors adopted last June.

“Deacon Moynihan has been a good steward and an infallible model of servant-leadership throughout the years as president of THP,” said THP Board Vice Chair and Haitian private sector leader Patrick B. “At this turning point in our history and on behalf of all the people of Haiti, I thank Deacon Moynihan and his wife Christina for their years of selfless service and engagement toward breaking the chains of ignorance and poverty in Haiti.”

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Your donation keeps THP moving forward. At this significant and exciting moment in THP’s history, please consider a gift in support of a bright future for THP and for Haiti.