Cardinal-designate O’Brien looks for “greater progress” at trade school in Haiti

By Paul McMullen

pmcmullen@CatholicReview.org

GONAIVES, Haiti – While a pair of Catholic schools in the Diocese of Gonaives thrive, thanks in part to the support of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, another educational institution here with local ties is having difficulty fulfilling its mission.

One day before he helped bless the James M. Stine College in St. Marc, Cardinal-designate Edwin F. O’Brien visited a trade school named for his predecessor Jan. 28 and reiterated the archdiocese’s commitment to the Centre Cardinal Keeler Ecole Technique de Bigot (Technical School of Bigot).

The school opened in 2007, bearing the name of Cardinal William H. Keeler, then the Archbishop of Baltimore. According to Deacon Rodrigue Mortel, director of the archdiocesan Missions Office and the Baltimore Haiti Project, the archdiocese gave nearly $900,000 for the project.

“I am extremely disappointed,” Deacon Mortel said. “The reason the Archdiocese of Baltimore decided to build the school for youth is not being used. The building is sitting there, with very little in it. … … There should be some kind of oversight, but that is non-existent.”

According to Deacon Mortel, the gift was given with the understanding that half of the students at the Keeler school would be from his hometown, of St. Marc. The Salesian priests who direct the school reported that two students from St. Marc are currently enrolled, among approximately 250 total.

Deacon Mortel did not accompany Cardinal-designate O’Brien Jan. 28, a Saturday, when the apostolic administrator of the archdiocese toured the Keeler school.

The automotive repair area had a few junked cars, but no visible tools. Cardinal-designate O’Brien saw other classrooms that also lacked equipment, heard about plans to add carpentry classes and was a shown a low courtyard wall intended to display the masonry skills being taught. One wing in need of stabilizing was not open.

He later had a closed-door meeting with Father Jean Garry Joseph, director of the local Salesian community, and the priest administrators of the school.

“Progress has been disappointingly slow, for many reasons,” Cardinal-designate O’Brien said. “The Salesian fathers are very interested in seeing things fulfilled, seeing their plans progress more expeditiously and have asked us if we could help them do that.

“I assured them that we are standing ready to do that. We have to work closely together, so that our ideas and visions are in synch. I think – I hope – we’re on the right track. The cardinal (Keeler) has been generous and visionary in his establishing this school. I know he will be pleased to know that we’re now going to make greater progress.”

Did Cardinal-designate O’Brien receive any guarantees?

“We had a good discussion,” he said. “We’re going to submit a plan and a timetable, and we’ll start from there.”

That evening, Cardinal-designate O’Brien’s concelebrants at Mass in Montrouis included Gonaives Bishop Yves Marie Pean, who cited “hurricanes, two inundations in four years,” as part of the reason for the lack of visible progress at the Keeler school.

Bishop Pean was asked if he was satisfied with the conditions there.

“I see a kind of progress,” he said. “We cannot, at this moment, say there is nothing. There is something.”