Catholic volunteer dies in Haiti

by Heidi Schlumpf on Jan. 18, 2010

Among the tens of thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands, who lost their lives in the Haiti earthquake were two Americans at a Catholic orphanage for disabled children operated by Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos (NPH).

Molly Hightower, 22, of Port Orchard, Washington, and Ryan Kloos, 24, of Phoenix, Arizona, were found in the rubble of a collapsed seven-story buildling, MSNBC reported.

Hightower, a graduate of the University of Portland, was volunteering for a year with the organization, doing physical therapy with disabled children. She had hoped to go into the field of international adoption.

Kloos was visiting his sister, Erin, who was volunteering with the organization. Erin and another former volunteer who was visiting Molly survived the quake.

Hightower's uncle is a Jesuit priest serving as director of campus ministry at Gonzaga University in Washington. Her blog about her experience, 525,000 Minutes, is being flooded with condolences to her family.

May they--and all the victims--rest in peace. Amen.

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