My Surprising Trip to La Gonave

Last Thursday I headed to the Ile de la Gonave for a blessing of the animals. Well little did I know at the time that this trip was bound to be completely different from what I expected…including a blessing of the animals without any animals!

I found out I was going on Wednesday and everyone kept calling it a ‘Grande Fete’ which to me meant big party…so I left bright and early the next day looking forward to some fun on the island, loving life and blessing animals. It would be the perfect break from my adjustments to Port au Prince.

So we get to St. Mark, which is the town we stopped in to catch what we had been told was a ‘Yacht’ to La Gonave. While the boat was very nice it was no yacht but I guess you would call it a power boat…whatever the next size up from a speedboat is. And we took it through the beautiful ocean water. It was amazing to see Haiti from the water. I was having a wonderful time on the water enjoying each choppy bump of the ocean and the tips and turns as Bishop Duracin stood there on the boat surveying the Ile de la Gonave ahead of him. I could just about taste all that I dreamed Caribbean island life to be like.


Well apparently I forgot that I was working for the church and that I was in Haiti. We got to the St. Francis’s church compound around 9:30 and quickly left for what would be an hour long (felt like 2hours) ride up a mountain driving over rock and some of the bumpiest most uncomfortable roads I have ever been on…oh island life.


I also forgot to mention that along the way we met up with a group of 6 Americans who are partners with various churches throughout the island who were also there for the Grand Fete. It was nice to spend time with them throughout the few days and hear about the work they are doing as well as lean on them for support for those few days. I will say that I admire the partners in these areas for committing to a relationship with a church that is so remote and difficult to reach.


Anyway we finally get up the mountain to this clearing of a beautiful church that has just been built by the partners and spend the next three hours blessing it as well as doing Baptisms and Confirmations. It was a long service even by Haitian standards from what I here.

Exhausted we all head back down taking another route. And our vehicles get stuck in the mud. Eventually we make it back very exhausted and wondering what the next day will bring.

So Friday we are told we will leave at 6am to do the next church blessing and Baptisms and Confirmations. We take a 2 hour car ride again on another crazy bumpy road and then we had to get out and walk. So we walked, for an hour and a half in the hot sun. Thankfully we had some donkeys which people took turns riding. At one point when we began our walk there was this amazing image of the Bishop walking ahead of all of us he seemed so comfortable in this setting and didn’t mind a little bit of walking. He also got up on a donkey at one point and looked a bit like a Haitian Clint Eastwood or John Wayne.

We have another long service (but not quite as long) at another beautiful new church. I will say that I admire the partners in these areas for committing to a relationship with a church that is so remote and difficult to reach. The walk back to the car was enjoyable because the sun was behind the clouds and you were able to really appreciate the beauty of the countryside. The other highlight was on the drive back we saw flamingos…a lot of them…just hanging out in the water…so cool

Saturday was a day of rest. And after the first 2 days we all needed it. There was also the chance to go to the beach. I did and it was so beautiful looking at the ocean and the mountains of La Gonave and looking back out to the main island of Haiti. But the one thing that distracted from all this was the trash which covered the beach. After getting past the trash I was out in the water swimming in the warm Caribbean for the first time, in my basketball shorts and a t-shirt because I left my swimsuit in Port au Prince. It was a bit awkward but totally worth it.

Now finally on Sunday we had the Blessing of the Animals. The church we were staying at in La Gonave is St. Francis. In the Episcopal Diocese of Haiti, as I understand it, on feast days of name sakes and what not many of the priests and seminarians try to go to the parish to celebrate. Hence why all this stuff was going on at La Gonave.

So Sunday we have church and I keep waiting to see some animals to bless. The service ends and the Bishop and others process out to the courtyard. I’m thinking the animals must be waiting outside, we can’t celebrate the blessing of the animals without animals. Well there were no animals outside. I was so disappointed. In Haiti most of the dogs and cats are strays and aren’t taken care of but I really did think some cows or goats or even a flamingo would make it out to be blessed. Later that day we were talking to the Bishop about pet blessings in America and he laughed with a smile that seemed like he was thinking how crazy we Americans are.

The next day we came back to Port au Prince and I was so happy to be back. My island party was nothing like I had expected and was exhausting. Although I didn’t have the fun in the sun I had hoped for it was a good chance for me to be exposed to various issues in Haiti such as rural life, roads, environmental issues like trash and the treatment of animals. It was also a great chance for me to learn more about partner relationships in Haiti and how they can be used and grow to benefit both sides of the partnership. Lastly I really did appreciate spending more time with the Bishop, seminarians and others who I will be spending this year working with.

Heads up…I promise in my next entry to share more about where I’m living and my responsibilities etc. And please let me know if there is anything you would like to hear more about.

Holding Haiti at La Gonave