Holy Family Cluster completes 8th medical mission to Haiti

The Holy Family Cluster in Wright County includes St. John parish in Clarion, Sacred Heart parish in Eagle Grove, and St. Francis Xavier in Belmond. The cluster has supported Our Lady of the Assumption, in Anse Rouge, Haiti through the Parish Twinning of the Americas program since 2003.

The Holy Family cluster supports the main parish in Anse Rouge, eight outer chapels, and five schools. A sewing and trade school was started in 2013, after a new school was completed in 2012. This helps nearly 30 young women in the two-year program. Medical Mission trips started in 2010. Dental care was added in 2015.

Monica Staudt, one of the trip leaders, said, "We landed in Port au Prince, Tuesday February 13 and met up with three parishioners from St. Francis Xavier from Baltimore, Maryland (the other Catholic church now twinned with Our Lady of Assumption). We drove half way to Anse Rouge and stayed the night at Gonaives with Father Dorlean, the previous pastor. On Ash Wednesday, we started our Lenten journey with Mass, then drove 26 miles over mountainous, rocky roads to Anse Rouge, which took us over two hours. That evening we prepared the medications for the next three days of clinics."

For the full story, and comments from all the members of the missions team, see the March 22 edition of the Monitor.