Haiti: Rebuilding continues

MIAMI | They met from early morning to late afternoon, taking only a break for Mass and lunch. 

No, these weren�t the cardinals planning a conclave, but Haitian bishops and priests, along with representatives of the Church in Europe and the U.S., working out plans for rebuilding Church structures in Haiti.

The joint steering committee of PROCHE � an acronym which stands in both Creole and English for Partnership for Reconstruction of the Church in Haiti � met at the archdiocesan Pastoral Center Feb. 25.

Among those present at the meeting were Archbishop Thomas Wenski, a member of the U.S. bishops� Haiti advisory group; Archbishop Bernardito Auza, papal nuncio to Haiti; Bishop Chibly Langlois of Les Cayes, president of the Haitian bishops conference; Bishop Marc Stenger of the Diocese of Troyes, France; representatives of the German bishops� aid agency, Adveniat; and bishops and priests who work in the areas most affected by the Jan. 12, 2010 earthquake.

PROCHE�s task is to make sure that the money set aside for reconstruction of Church facilities in Haiti � church buildings, schools and seminaries � is spent transparently and efficiently. The hope is that by having PROCHE oversee the construction, the new facilities will be able to withstand hurricanes and earthquakes.

According to Archbishop Wenski, more than $100 million collected by the U.S. Church after the earthquake already has been spent on humanitarian relief. The U.S. bishops set aside another $32 million for Church reconstruction projects � although more will be needed.

In his homily at the Mass, Archbishop Wenski called PROCHE an example of �solidarity that is not just affective but effective.�