Felician Mission: Haiti
A Decade of Accompaniment
Felician Mission: Haiti is sponsored by the Felician Sisters of North America. Our commitment to justice and peace promotes the dignity of all individuals, with a special focus on empowering women and children.
Watch Felician Mission: Haiti
Why We are in Haiti
After a 2010 earthquake left Haiti devastated, Felician Sisters visited the country to assess the needs of the people. With the blessing of their congregation, Srs. Marilyn Marie Minter and Mary Inga Borko returned in 2012 to begin a compassionate ministry of presence.
God grew their ministry and their base of support increased. On October 10, 2018, the Felician Sisters of North America joyfully dedicated their mission complex in Jacmel, Haiti. Later, Srs. Marilyn and Inga were joined by Sr. Mary Izajasza “Izzy” Rojek and Sr. Mary Julitta Kurek, both from Poland. Today Felician Mission: Haiti includes a kitchen, mobile clinic, volunteer house, activity center, playground, computer lab and sewing school.
In late 2022, the U.S. Embassy urged the sisters to leave Haiti, for their own safety as well as to protect the mission. By empowering the mission staff and local partners, Felician Sisters have been able to continue to minister to the Haitian people through a period of political turmoil, responding with compassion, solidarity and commitment to human dignity for all.
Our Work in Haiti
Providing Health Care
There is only 1 trained doctor or nurse for every 3,000 Haitian citizens.
The Mother Angela Mobile Clinic — staffed by a Haitian team of medical professionals including two doctors, a nurse and a pharmacist — provides critical health care to residents of isolated mountainous areas in and around Jacmel, who otherwise would have no access to medical treatment.
Feeding the Hungry
1.3M Haitian children are malnourished.
“Mwen grangou” (“I’m hungry”) was one of the first phrases we heard from the local children. Before the gang violence, the Mother Angela Kitchen regularly fed nearly 100 children a substantial meal each day. We continue to provide meals for the mission staff and families, and we give out beans, rice and infant formula to those who come to the mission.
Filtering Water
40% of rural Haitians lack access to clean water.
We educate Haitian women about safely filtering water. Women each receive a filter and bucket for their home. To help spread the word and to pay it forward, they are required to provide water for three other families. More and more people in our area now have access to clean water.
Sponsoring Education
Most families live on less than $2 per day — survival, not education, becomes the priority.
We sponsor students in our Pay It Forward program by providing tuition, school supplies and uniforms. Students take on responsibilities at the mission, including tutoring younger children.
Madonna University offers the Haiti Education Leadership Program, which gives students a chance to earn a business degree, putting them on a path to be leaders in their country.
