In February, Bishop Alemany High School's Campus Ministry Department led a group of four students on a mission trip to St. Marc’s in Haiti. Like the past four years, we partnered with the Mission Office of the Archdiocese of Baltimore and the Mortell Foundation to visit Bon Samaritain's school, located about 2 hours north of Port-au-Prince.
At the school, we held an English language camp for fifth grade students. We played games, made crafts, and taught vocabulary lessons. In the late afternoons, we would venture out to visit different sites, such as a refugee housing area, an orphanage, a local Catholic Shrine, a rice processing location, and the surrounding city of St. Marc. We stayed in an apartment provided at the school, with one Haitian meal being provided each day by the women who cook for the school. All other meals we provided by ourselves using supplies we packed with us. We attended Mass on three days at the church of St. Marc, including Ash Wednesday, where the music and prayerfulness of the people was so beautiful. Our students were impressed by the spirit of community shared by the Haitian people, as they were challenged by the deep struggles the Haitians face to gain the simple things needed for living. On Friday afternoon, we visited a nearby resort for some time at a beach before departing on Saturday.
Everyone returned to their family happy, tired, and better for having had this adventure. Thanks to everyone who supported this trip and to our friends in Baltimore and Haiti for their generosity and partnership. Scholarships for students of Bon Samaritains start at $350.00/year. If you are interested in sponsoring a student, please contact Campus Ministry ([email protected]).