Members of the Christ Church community have been privileged to serve in Haiti over the past 10 years. Our work is primarily in conjunction with the small rural mountain community of Lazil, three hours from Port-au-Prince. This work is carried out with the cooperation and support of many individuals and organizations including grant funding from the Diocese of Massachusetts; Christ Church’s annual budget; the Parish Partnership program of the Diocese of Haiti; and the time, talent and financial contributions of parishioners and many others.
Lazil Community
Our involvement with the rural community of Lazil includes:
- A parish partnership with St. Luc’s Church
- Financial and educational support for St. Luc’s elementary school
- A music program for the school/community
- A goat micro-finance project for the community
Hurricane Matthew Relief
Hurricane Matthew hit Haiti hard in early October 2016. While there was no loss of life in Lazil, heavy rain and high winds destroyed crops and damaged buildings, including St. Luc’s church.
The Christ Church Needham community responded with open hearts to an appeal to help our sister parish. In the weeks following the hurricane, we provided $6,600 worth of assistance. Donations were made to purchase cooking oil, rice and bean paste (Marmite) to meet the immediate needs of 35 St. Luc’s families. We provided metal sheets, nails, lumber, transportation and associated labor costs to repair the roofs of the school, church and parish members’ homes. We also supported pastoral outreach from the church to all of the village’s 150 families by providing enough seed to replant the devastated staple bean and corn crops.
St. Luc’s pastor Father Milor expressed gratitude for the generosity and friendship of Christ Church Needham.
Mission Trips
Our connection with Haiti is personal. Each year parishioners travel to Haiti to visit our parish partner in Lazil. Over the years, many members of Christ Church have visited Haiti on mission trips. Haiti is close to our heart and those who have participated in our trips have found them to be transformative experiences. We warmly invite all who are able to join in this work full of mutual blessings.
