Feature News

Archbishop: Help Haitians now

He asks Catholics here for money, U.S. government for temporary protected status

Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Ana Rodriguez-Soto - Florida Catholic

ANA RODRIGUEZ-SOTO | FC Randy McGrorty, chief executive officer of Catholic Charities Legal Services, speaks at a press conference Jan. 13 at the archdiocesan Pastoral Center. "If they're not going to designate Haiti (for temporary protected status) there's never a country, there's never a time, this can be used."

MIAMI SHORES — The Archdiocese of Miami is seeking more than monetary donations to help Haitians overcome the devastating earthquake that leveled Port-au-Prince: Archbishop John C. Favalora is asking President Barack Obama to grant temporary protected status to Haitians living in the United States, and the archdiocese stands ready to receive, house and find permanent homes for Haitian children who may have been orphaned by the disaster.

“This is at least the third or fourth time I’m exhorting our congressional delegation to do something on behalf of the Haitian people,” the archbishop said during a press conference held Jan. 13, about 23 hours after the 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit Haiti’s most populated city.

He urged Catholics to make their views known directly to Homeland Security Director Janet Napolitano by calling her office’s comment line, 202-282-8495.

In his prepared statement, he said not granting temporary protected status to Haitians “would be grossly inhumane and immoral on the part of the United States.”

Temporary protected status — known as TPS — allows Haitians who entered this country illegally to hold jobs and go on with their lives without fear of being deported. It is a humanitarian gesture that has been invoked in the past when immigrants’ country of origin has been beset by a natural disaster, such as an earthquake or a hurricane.

“If they’re not going to designate Haiti, there’s never a country, there’s never a time, this (law) can be used,” said Randy McGrorty, chief executive officer of Catholic Charities Legal Services.

He pointed out that TPS has been granted “when famine threatened Sudan and Somalia … when civil strife ripped through Liberia and Sierra Leone … when hurricanes affected Nicaragua and Honduras … when an earthquake rocked El Salvador. Haiti contends with all of these tragedies simultaneously. It was for this precise situation that the law of TPS was enacted.”

Although Napolitano says the administration has temporarily stopped deporting Haitians who are found to be here illegally, McGrorty said “that doesn’t address the situation of Haitians here who need to work and send remittances home, which is a very essential part of disaster relief.”

McGrorty joined the archbishop at the press conference, along with Deacon Richard Turcotte, chief executive officer of Catholic Charities of the archdiocese, Auxiliary Bishop Felipe Estévez and three of the archdiocese’s Haitian priests.

ANA RODRIGUEZ-SOTO | FC Deacon Richard Turcotte, chief executive officer of Catholic Charities, said his agency stands ready to receive and house Haitian children who have been orphaned by the Jan. 12 earthquake.

In his statement, Deacon Turcotte urged that “immediate humanitarian parole” be given to Haitian children orphaned by the disaster. Catholic Charities, he said, is ready to house them and set up temporary custody arrangements with relatives they might have in the United States.

This would be similar to the Pedro Pan program which brought 14,000 unaccompanied children to the U.S. in the early 1960s.

Archbishop Favalora also announced that a special collection was to be taken up at all south Florida parishes this weekend, Jan. 16-17, to help with relief efforts in Haiti.

“Come prepared to make a generous contribution,” he told archdiocesan Catholics.

Archbishop Favalora also expressed sorrow at the death of Archbishop Joseph Serge Miot of Port-au-Prince, whose body was found in the rubble of the archdiocesan offices that were located next to the cathedral, which was heavily damaged.

His vicar general also is missing as are many of the country’s seminarians.

“The center of government, as well as the center of the Church in Haiti, both in Port-au-Prince, have been completely destroyed,” Archbishop Favalora said.

“The archdiocese (of Miami) is in mourning over this tragic situation,” Bishop Estévez said.

According to Father Patrick Charles, associate pastor of St. Bartholomew Parish in Miramar, Archbishop Miot was a regular visitor to St. James Church in North Miami. He also visited Notre Dame d’Haiti Mission two years ago to celebrate Haiti’s patronal feast, Our Lady of Perpetual Help.

ANA RODRIGUEZ-SOTO | FC Father Reginald Jean-Mary, pastor of Notre Dame d'Haiti Church in Miami, said the death of Port-au-Prince's Archbishop Joseph Serge Miot in the Jan. 12 earthquake "was really devastating to all of us." Archbishop Miot had come to Notre Dame d'Haiti two years ago to celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, the nation's patroness. He also used to visit St. James Church in North Miami.

“It was really devastating to all of us” to hear news of his death, said Father Reginald Jean-Mary, pastor of Notre Dame d’Haiti, who had spoken with the archbishop by phone just three days earlier. “He was one of the most humble individuals, very simple, very kind, very compassionate.”

“Meekness and humility was his way of life,” said Father Charles. “He would touch you with his meekness and humility, the way he ministered to people.”

Father Charles said the earthquake has affected everybody in Haiti, regardless of social class, as well as his parishioners at St. Bartholomew.

“We have parishioners who went (before the earthquake) and are missing. As of today, we don’t know where they are. We hope for the best and prepare for the worst.”

The tragedy also has personal ramifications for the archdiocese’s dozen or so Haitian priests, many of whom have most of their families in Haiti. Father Charles has an uncle, cousins and nephews who live near the cathedral in Port-au-Prince.

“I’m just hoping that nothing happened,” he said.

While hurricanes have been more likely to wreak havoc on the island over the years, Father Charles said he remembers growing up and hearing people speak of a 1942 earthquake that destroyed some churches in Cap Haitien on Haiti’s northern coast.

The country sits along the fault line that separates the North American and Caribbean plates. The earthquake’s power was magnified because it occurred just six miles below the surface of the earth.

“Anytime we know that (this) could happen but we never knew it could happen at this magnitude,” Father Charles said.

The archdiocese has sent one of its priests to Haiti to provide assistance and assess the situation: Msgr. Jean Pierre, pastor of St. James Parish and the first Haitian priest to be ordained for the archdiocese, flew to Haiti the afternoon of Jan. 13.

My husband and I have four children. We live in Overland Park, KS and we would be honored to adopt/foster any of the children of Haiti. Our home would be their home. Please contact us.

Please let my family help. We are a Godly family that wishes to help . Please send us further information on adoption/fostering . Our home is open and we are financially ready to help . More importantly they would be loved, cared for and safe. Thank you for all you are doing for all the People, mostly the children. God Bless you and everyone that is working so hard for these little angels.

We would love more information about the orphaned children in Haiti. We have 2 adopted sons and are would welcome another child into our home if it is God's will. Our prayers are with all of the people in Haiti.

Our family would love to open our home and hearts to adopt a Hatian child. Please contact us if this option becomes available.

I just saw your segment on Fox News. I am a stay-at-home mom, married with four children (one is away at college). We live in California and have our home open to these children in need. I am also available to go Florida to work/help you in any way with facilitating this process. Please contact me - I am waiting!

If foster/adoption of Haitian children becomes available, we would be more then happy to open our home to a child (Massachusetts). Please contact as more info becomes available. Thank you.

If adoption/fostering of Haitian orphans becomes possible, our family would be honored to open our home. Please send us further information as it becomes available. (We live in Wisconsin.)

My name is Annette Rodriguez, I was born and raised in Miami Florida as a child of Cuban Immigrants. I have family members that benefited from the Peter Pan flights in the 60's. I have a son which I adopted from Siberia, Russia. We have always wanted to adopt again. We are now living in Atlanta Georgia but my family and parents are still living in Miami, Florida. I have been desperately looking to help get the children out of Haiti before its too late. I have already donated financially, but I would like to give my home and love to the children personally. Please, Please, Please continue the efforts for the Pierre Pan flights out of Haiti. We must safe the children, they are the future.

Our family would be interested in recieving information on the fostering and adoption process as it becomes avalible. We want to reach out and help these orphans in any way we can. Please contact us with any new information. Our prayers are with all who have been affected by this tragedy and all that are helping in any way they can.
Thank you.
God bless

Our family would be interested in fostering/adopting a child from Haiti. I am a former pre-K teacher and my husband is an attorney. We have one eight year old daughter and have been considering adoption for some time. We are truly moved by the tragic events in Haiti and want to help in any way we can. Please contact us with any information regarding your efforts to help the orphaned childern of Haiti.

I am a mother of two and I would be more than willing and able to take in a child as either a foster child or as an adopted child. We are also in the process of collecting donations to send to Miami so that the victims may get them. Thank you!

I too want to help these Haitian children. I am able to travel to Florida to help identify and coordinate children and adoptive families. I would also like to open my home to some of the children left alone in this tragedy. If anyone has any information as to how I can go further please contact me. 802-442-5097 or at ekh_@hotmail.com. If we put our heads and hands together we can make a difference.

God Bless.

My husban and I have a three year old daughter whom we adopted in the Dom. Rep. We would be fortunate if given the oppotunity to welcome a child from Haiti into our home. Thank you for your efforts in Haiti.

I live in California and would love to house/foster Haitian orphans. I know several families that would do the same. Contact me if there is a need for homes for these kids.

As an average citizen hearing about tragedy like that in Haiti pulls on my heart and frustrates me that I am limited in resources to help. Your Archdiocese's suggested action of fostering or adopting a Haitian child, to allow them opportunities, love and assistance at this time, speaks out to me. So many Americans would embrace a child warmly knowing that they could make a difference in a child's life and future. If this becomes a possibility my family and I would be very interested in helping. We are all God's children.

I am the adoptive mother of a 9-year-old son from Haiti. There are many families in this country and Canada who are raising Haitian children and would be more than willing to foster or adopt another child or sibling group. I would be happy to help with any coordination or identification of prospective foster/host/adoptive families. Thank you for your efforts on behalf of the children of Haiti.

Please, my family would like information about how to adopt a child from Haiti. My husband was born and raised in Haiti and we are truly distraught over what has happened and want extend our home to a child in desperate need. How can we help these children, they need so much and have suffered so much already? Please contact us.

I just rented a large 2500+ sq. ft. home to Winning Kids Club of Lee & Charlotte counties which will be run by Gail Hallas a p.h.d., registered nurse, and president of the Winning Kids Club who is attempting to bring some of the Haitian children here to house and care for. This wonderful woman has a heart of gold and is the greatest with children. Hopefully, Winning Kids Club will be able to help with your accomplishment.

We have been to various seminars to international adoption. We have 2 boys of our own, and would like to adopt a baby who has survived the tragic events. Please advice us to how we can accomplish this mission that has been on our hearts for so long! Now is the time...May God Bless all who are contributing to the Haiti Relief

My heart has been broken seeing the devastation in Haiti. I am 42 years old and have children in college. I would be more than appreciative to help out any child or children in this time of need. Please keep me in mind for foster care or adoption as I will keep the people of Haiti in my prayers.

I'm an elementary teacher in Virginia and would love to adopt a baby or child from Haiti. I am the mother of a nine year old boy and have room in my heart and home for another child. Please keep me in mind if there are children who need homes.

My husband, children and I would love to adopt an orphan from Haiti. We would like to do whatever possible to help an orphaned child. We are in the Miami are, please keep us in mind. Thank you and God Bless you.

My husband, my children and I would love to adopt an orphan from Haiti. We live in the Miami area, and would like to help in any way we can.

My heart breaks when I see the devastation on the country of Haiti. My husband and I would love to help by adopting an orphaned child or children. We live in Missouri but would not mind traveling to Miami. I am 39 years old, a registered nurse and my husband and I have not been able to have children of our own. We would provide a very stable home with lots of love. Please consider us if the opportunity arises. Thank you so much for all you do!

For the first time I feel I may be able to help these poor children. Please know our family would house children and love them until placed with permanent families. We would also adopt a child and consider siblings. Whatever God needs from us at this horrific time. I do believe we will come together to help,as we are meant to do. God bless you for your efforts.

Even though I'm not in the Miami area, I'm willing to adopt an orphan from Haiti. I live in the Chicago area and I will love to help a young child. Please keep me in mind, I have so much love to offer to this little souls in need.

Thank you to everyone who has posted comments and is willing to help.

People willing to provide resources for this disaster can email Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami at info@ccadm.org. At this time Catholic Charities is collecting only contact information.

I am 39 yrs old, mother of two and Miami resident. I am willing to adopt an orphan from Haiti or at least act as a foster home until adoptions go thru. The most important thing is to get the small children out of Haiti so they don´t starve nor get sick. We are very blessed with what we already have and it is time to give back, I encourage more poeple to do the same!

You all have my unconditional support to protect and nourish with love those orphans from Haiti. I am very interested in adopting a child from Haiti, I am a mother of four lovely ladies and proud grandmother of three beautiful children. I am bless with the heart our mighty God has given me, there is plenty of room to love and care for more. God Bless you all for everything you are doing.

I am so very overcome with gratitude that your wonderful church was so quick to respond to one of the very most important and immediate needs that Haiti faces. Children faced with no one to care for them. The Pedro Pan Program sounds like it produced many wonderful caring individuals who are very eagar to give back to these children and even though I am Fifty my husband and I would gladly, with open arms adopt a haitian child. Please keep me updated about the progress of the proprosed program. I too am sending President Obama a message with a request for and executive order. God bless you all.

I lived in Miami some 33 years ago and through my parish worked with Haitians on immigration issues, among others. Also spent 10 weeks in Haiti as a volunteer. Now I am
so sad to learn of the tragic earthquake and human suffering. Reading the Archdiocese of Miami website, I am so encouraged to learn of plans to receive orphaned children, similar to the Pedro Pan program in the 1960s.
I have sent a donation to the Archdiocese for the program to receive refugees from Haiti, and I know countless others are giving in many ways. Perhaps homeless adults from Haiti could also be relocated in our very blessed country, in Florida, New York, etc. I sent President Obama a message asking him to issue an executive order opening our borders to receive Haitian refugees with a minimum of "paper work", at least on a temporary basis.
God help us all.