The Haitian Conference of Religious (CHR) and the Archdiocese of Port-au-Prince orchestrated a day devoted to prayer, meditation, and Eucharistic adoration on January 24. The primary intention was to implore divine intervention for the liberation of six abducted nuns belonging to the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Anne, alongside other innocent victims. The distressing incident unfolded when an armed gang forcibly commandeered a bus transporting the nuns and several others, as verified by Father Morachel Bonhomme, the president of CHR.
Confronted by this appalling act, the CHR and the Archdiocese rallied priests, members of religious orders, and the laity to collaboratively establish ceaseless prayer chains throughout parishes and communities. Their joint statement not only vehemently denounced the specific abduction but also decried the escalating trend of kidnappings in Haiti. The statement underscored the alarming impunity with which such criminal acts transpire and highlighted their adverse effects on the nation’s global reputation.
The Church in Haiti demonstrated unwavering solidarity with the Congregation of Sisters of St. Anne, the families of the victims, and all those afflicted by the violence perpetuated by criminal factions, which presently exert significant control over portions of Port-au-Prince. The statement concluded with a heartfelt plea to the captors’ conscience, urging the safe release of the hostages. Bishop Pierre André Dumas of the Diocese of Anse-à-Veau and Miragoâne, in an act of remarkable courage, volunteered to take the captives’ place, underscoring the gravity of the crime and its inevitable divine judgment.
Bishop Dumas revealed that the abductors were demanding a $3 million ransom for the release of the nuns and their companions. He emphasized the substantial humanitarian contributions of the Sisters of St. Anne in Haiti, highlighting their dedicated efforts to alleviate the suffering of one of the world’s most impoverished populations.