By Ana Rodriguez Soto - The Archdiocese of Miami
Photographer: ANA RODRIGUEZ-SOTO | FC
Marie Claire Kernizan, secretary at St. Mary Cathedral School, prays during the Mass Jan. 13 for victims of the earthquake in Haiti. She knew her husband was safe but had not heard from her mother or brother, who live in Port-au-Prince.
MIAMI � Marie Claire Kernizan was talking to her husband in Port au Prince when the earthquake hit.
�He told me, �Oh, oh, oh, oh,� and after that, no communication,� said the secretary at St. Mary Cathedral School.
Seven hours later, she managed to speak with him for about three minutes on his cell phone, before communications were cut off again.
�It�s a miracle,� said Kernizan, who unlike many others in south Florida, knows her husband is alright even though their house is �a little bit damaged.�
But �I haven�t heard from my mother and my brother who live in Petionville,� Kernizan added.
Petionville is a suburb built on the hills above the Haitian capital, which was devastated by a Jan. 12 earthquake that measured 7.0 on the Richter scale. Initial reports are of widespread devastation, with the presidential palace, cathedral and United Nations headquarters all suffering extensive damage.
The emotional aftershocks of the quake are being felt by the large Haitian immigrant community in south Florida, who anxiously waited to hear about the fate of loved ones.
�Almost every child has relatives over there,� said Sister Jane Stoecker, a Sister of St. Joseph of St. Augustine who serves as principal of St. Mary Cathedral School. �It�s been very sad. They can�t reach them.�
Most of the school�s 380 students in pre-k through eighth grade are of Haitian descent. They gathered for Mass Jan. 13 to pray for strength, to pray for their loved ones, and to pray for those who will be helping with rescue and relief efforts.
�People are very scared. That�s very natural,� said Msgr. Terence Hogan, rector of the cathedral.
Photographer: ANA RODRIGUEZ-SOTO | FC
Berthony St. Louis, a student at St. Mary Cathedral School in Miami, prays during a school-wide Mass celebrated Jan. 13 for the victims of the earthquake in Haiti.
�Many of your relatives, many of your friends are going to suffer greatly,� Msgr. Hogan said. But he reminded the children that no matter what happens here on earth, �Jesus is right here in our midst. He is our hope and he is our salvation.�
He urged them to do two things: Pray for the victims and their rescuers, and �be very generous� when donations are called for. �Whatever it is you have to give, whether it�s a little bit of money or a jacket, be ready to do that.�
Speaking after Mass, Msgr. Hogan said he had no doubt Miami�s Haitian community would come together to help the earthquake victims.
�They�re very willing to help one another. That�s one of the beautiful things about the Haitian community,� he said.
He added that he could see, in the faces of the older children, �that they were concerned. They�re wondering about their relatives. They don�t know what�s happening.�
Photographer: ANA RODRIGUEZ-SOTO | FC
Carmen Pierre, right, and Sandrine Basquin, seventh-graders at St. Mary Cathedral School, pray the Our Father during the Mass Jan. 13 for victims of the earthquake in Haiti.
