The Independent News Source
NCR on Kindle - NCR classifieds - YouTube - Twitter - Facebook - Email Alerts - RSS
Printer-friendly version
PDF version'I am humbled by these people'
Feb. 01, 2010
Fr. Tom Hagan (Courtesy of San Damiano Foundation)
Haiti -- First Person
Editor’s note: Fr. Tom Hagan, 68, a member of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, is founder of a nonprofit organization, “Hands Together” (handstogether.org), which began its work in 1985 when Hagan, then a chaplain at colleges in southeastern Pennsylvania, started taking students on visits to Haiti. Out of those visits grew a network of supporters and a respected relief organization. Hagan moved to Port-au-Prince in 1997 where he oversaw a program he had begun in Cité Soleil, that city’s largest and most desperate slum. The program is widely recognized as one of the most effective educational and health organizations in that area.
Tom Roberts, NCR’s editor at large, contacted Hagan by e-mail and asked him about his experience during the quake and his assessment of the future of Haiti and the church in that country. His response arrived by e-mail Jan. 24. With minor editing, the e-mail follows.
Dear Tom:
Sorry my first response did not get through! My setup here is a laptop on the ground next to a very loud electric gas generator and with what seems to be a thousand young all wanting to use the computer. I will try again.
This past week has been terrifying. I have lived through all the violence in Cité Soleil over the past years: being shot at and having guns held to my head, seeing people close to me down here shot, but none can compare to the horror of the earthquake. Doug Campbell, who has been with me for over 20 years and serves as the executive director of Hands Together, had just arrived. We were to meet with the archbishop the next morning about the situation in Cité Soleil.
Doug and I were sitting down talking when the quake began. I tried to get under a table that was only a few feet away but the floor was moving in the opposite direction. I felt totally disoriented and fortunately one of the young Haitians ran back into the house and grabbed me and Doug. There was almost total darkness and I could hear screaming but also singing, which seemed weird to me, but I was told that the people were praying.
I looked up at the rubble that was our house for volunteers, seminarians and street kids. I was bleeding from the head and there was a terrific pain in my back. Doug ran back into the rubble to try and begin to pull people out, but then we heard cries that the gas was leaking and that there would be an explosion. One of the street kids, Makenson, who was shot and is now blind and whom I found two years ago literally in the street, was crying out to me beneath all the rocks and debris but we could not get to him. [Makenson was eventually rescued.]
Preview NCR's Family Life Issue
Watch this video from NCR Editor Dennis Coday for highlights from our annual Family Life special section.
You won't find these articles on our website. Subscribe now to receive all the content from each biweekly issue.
It was then that two ex-gang members from Cité Soleil ran up to me and carried me to Mother Teresa’s nuns. When I entered their compound they were already treating the wounded and they bandaged me up and I hobbled back to my place.
Throughout the night we held vigil, and slowly we were able to get everyone out except two of the 21 seminarians who were living with me in the house. I remember vividly that night seeing people who were burned badly by the electric wires that had fallen everywhere. The next night we were all huddled outside when we would experience a very large aftershock.
It was very frightening. On the same night at about midnight we began to hear screaming and people were screaming that there was a tidal wave coming. We all started running, and for the next hour I, along with thousands of people, were moving to higher ground. We did not know what to believe.
I am ashamed to say that I am still frightened, but now I am also experiencing a feeling of being overwhelmed. When I go through Cité Soleil now I see the eight schools that we built (schools that were totally free and the only free schools like that in the country with more than 9,000 kids). I walk past what was once our clinic that took care of 20,000 -- again the only totally free clinic in the area. I see what once were the houses that we built for 150 people and the elderly projects for over 800. I look at the large kitchen area where people prepared hot meals each day for over 10,000 -- and all of it is gone.
There is also the problem of the destroyed prison, from which over 4,500 men were freed. They all escaped, and there is a side of me that is happy that they did. Many of them should never have been there. I would visit the prison every week and there were as many as 600 in one holding cell and many of them had never even been in front of a judge.
Unfortunately, some are psychopaths, and all of them are now back in Cité Soleil.
I just came from offering four Masses. Each time I would finish, another crowd would come up and ask for Mass. This is a real comfort to me and more than ever I realize that I, we, can’t survive if we do not simply put everything into God’s hands. I’ve got to work hard to practice this.
Tom, you ask about the church. Well, the people here lost a very holy man [Archbishop Joseph Serge Miot] and a very good bishop, especially one who was supportive of me in Cité Soleil. He was a good friend, and I will miss him greatly. But the church will survive.
It is during a time like this that I find myself very proud of my church. Everywhere you go, you will see the church reaching out now and helping the people. The Missionaries of Charity (Mother Teresa’s nuns) are just amazing. The people here have a great faith. When I go to Cité Soleil now, as I do every day, I see few tears. The people have an amazing resiliency. Maybe it is because they have few material possessions and apparently their happiness does not depend upon possessions. The sight of a sunset means more to them that their possessions. What makes me most proud of my church is that the message we give the people is that they have enormous worth in the eyes of God and that they are infinitely loved and that this terrible disaster is in no way a punishment from God.
I recently said this in a sermon and the people all stood up and began clapping and cheering. I had to ask the altar server why they were clapping (I thought that I had said some thing wrong because my Creole is not good) and he said, “Father, no one ever tells them that they have worth.”
The Catholic church will survive, and I am sure of it.
But the longer I am here, the less I know. I really could not speak with much authority about what will happen with the government or even what would be the best way to help the people. I also struggle a great deal even being here. I feel strongly that we can do a great deal of harm with the best intentions when we begin to be the benefactor.
Even with all this aid coming in, we must go slowly, and every step of the way we must include the Haitians in the decision-making.
During these very difficult days, I find myself really loving these people. These are the same people who endured the slave ships, a horrible system of slavery, and who would be the ones who would eventually defeat Napoleon. They would continue to suffer greatly but they have a strength that is remarkable. I am humbled by them and privileged to be with them.
Pray for me. Take care!
Tom Hagan, OSFS
I am very very touched by
I am very very touched by this article and email you got from Fr. Tom Hagan, about the beautiful faith of the Haitian People.
Signs of hope.
Signs of hope.
Thank you, Fr.Tom, for
Thank you, Fr.Tom, for representing the face of a loving God who lives on in the suffering and beautiful people you so lovingly work among. Thank you for reminding them of their worth. Thank you for re-minding me of what really matters.
May we never stop caring and
May we never stop caring and trying to be part of practical and spiritual ways of supporting the people of Haiti....may their suffering being eased. God Help Us All.
The wonderful immediacy and
The wonderful immediacy and honesty of this e-mail moved me to the point of tears. It should be read out from every pulpit in the world. God bless the people of Haiti and the selfless folk who work with them.
Dear Tom, Thank you for
Dear Tom,
Thank you for sharing Tom's reflections. This is the most moving testimony of the Church I have read. I am so inspired by Tom Hagan's commitment to the people of Haiti. He is truly Christ in this situation. Thank you, Tom.
Love,
Betsy
Amen to Anonymous' comment.
Amen to Anonymous' comment. However, I'm also touched by the hope, love, reality toward the future Fr. Hagan reveals in himself and others.
Thank you, Fr. Hagan for
Thank you, Fr. Hagan for being you. I pray for strength for you to continue to be such a big help to those wonderful people. I think we worked together years ago. Blessings SFJ
Thank you for this incredible
Thank you for this incredible message of love and hope. I am amazed and humbled at the strength and Faith of the people of Haiti. I pray that they may be told of their worth in abundant ways and that in their rebuilding process their worth may be fully honored by their full inclusion in decisions for a new Haiti.
This letter brought tears to
This letter brought tears to my eyes. It is so beautiful and hopeful.
It has been a long time since
It has been a long time since I have read a story that has touched me so deeply. Fr. Tom is a true missionary. His witness is so powerful. The seven people above are making the same comments. This Fr. Tom sounds like a "Jesus" man to me...he is filled with compassion,love,understanding,care . .. you name it and he's got it !!
Tom's statement that was full of wisdom was this one: Even with all this aid coming in, we must go slowly, and every step of the way we must include the
Haitians in the decision making. What respect Tom has for these people!
Thank you Tom, you made my day!
Father Tom is a confrère and
Father Tom is a confrère and a friend. We Oblates of St. Francis de Sales are so proud of this good and humble man! He is what Church is all about: the compassionate face of Jesus among the poor.
Father Tom is a confrère and
Father Tom is a confrère and a friend. We Oblates of St. Francis de Sales are so proud of this good and humble man! He is what Church is all about: the compassionate and loving face of Jesus among the poor.
I am moved by Father Tom's
I am moved by Father Tom's account. Our Sister Mary Finnick (A Grey Nun of the Sacred Heart) sends similar e-mails to us. She is in a section called Delmas 33 - at Matthew 25 - and has been aiding and caring for all who come to her house and working with the doctors who have been ministering there. She begins many e-mails by saying "it is 4 a.m. and the Alleluia's have begun." Such faith!
Brother Tom, I want you to
Brother Tom, I want you to know that I appreciate what you're doing. I'm not Catholic, but it doesn't matter. What you said to your people about their worth, God's love, and that the earthquake was not a punishment from God, is a universal truth that transcends church affiliation. Some of the questions you pose at the end of your reply are ones I have asked myself. I wanted to go to Haiti but I'm not able to. However, I was struck with the enormity of the task and asked myself, "where do you start". I weep for you my brother because of the loss of all the buildings that were lost that did so much good for the people you minister to.
It is easy to say what I'm about to say, especially given that I'm not even there, but what I know is that this event did not surprise God. He has not stopped caring for the Haitians so that can only mean that good will eventually come from this. As it says in the scriptures about Joseph, what happened to him was meant for evil, but God meant it for good.
I will pray for you, my brother, and the people you minister to.
God Bless.
Fr. Tom Hagan humble servant
Fr. Tom Hagan humble servant states "What makes me most proud of my church is that the message we give the people is that they have enormous worth in the eyes of God and that they are infinitely loved and that this terrible disaster is in no way a punishment from God."
How perfect, this is how we all can grow faithful. Allow everything else to fall away until those around us see only love.
Thank you Father Tom for
Thank you Father Tom for being another Jesus to the people.
Father Tom Hagan is an
Father Tom Hagan is an example of compassion. Our Sister Mary Finnick (a Grey Nun of the Sacred Heart)is ministering in Haiti and having many of the same experiences. She lives in the Delmas 33 area of Port-au-Prince at Matthew 25 (a hospitality house) and has converted her home and the area near it into a tent city. As a nurse, she has worked with many doctors to aid the suffering people. She is awed by their faith and their praise of God.
Fr. Hagan certainly expresses
Fr. Hagan certainly expresses his love for the Haitian people in a very concrete
way for all of the work he has been doing. I worked in Haiti and visited Cite'
Soleil when I was there in 2001. There is no way to explain what was then Cite'
Soleil. No roads, one room shacks for husband,wife,children and grandparents.
Buses that never worked. Before Mother Theresa's sisters came to Port-au
Prince and opened a hospital there, infants were left to die on the streets.
Women spent there days sitting on the roads selling what meager offerings they
had to buy food for their family.
I hope that we can promise
I hope that we can promise not to leave the Church or the people without our continued prayers and generosity. The nation (as I witnessed it in Dec 2008) was impoverished then, I hope we can help them build a new life, and cling to the hope of their faith. Thanks for these words Fr. Tom, and for the witness you and the OSFS community is living.
Mary Elizabeth clark and
Mary Elizabeth clark and others may like to view this video about the work at St Damiens Orphange, before the earthquake, about dealing with abandoned orphans
"A Hundred Dead People In My Truck:
In 2008, RTÉ Correspondent Jim Fahy and producer Caroline Bleahen travelled to Haiti to report on the work of two Irish women who have been battling to save the lives of some of the poorest people in the region."
http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0122/haitifeature.html
Irish aid workers in Haiti, Gena Heraty and Dr Louise Ivers, are contactable through the following websites.
Gena Heraty/ NPH International: www.nph.org
Dr Louise Ivers/Partners in Health: www.pih.org
"I just came from offering
"I just came from offering four Masses. Each time I would finish, another crowd would come up and ask for Mass. This is a real comfort to me and more than ever I realize that I, we, can’t survive if we do not simply put everything into God’s hands. I’ve got to work hard to practice this."
You do work hard to practice this: by saying Mass. Thank you so much. Peace and more comfort to you.
What an inspiring story. What
What an inspiring story. What dedication. Where can you send a donation to help them rebuild?
"EVERY STEP OF THE WAY, WE
"EVERY STEP OF THE WAY, WE MUST INCLUDE THE HAITIANS. "
YES, FR. ST. SAUL ALINSKY (FRIEND OF ST. PAUL VI WHO WAS AN ALINSKY FRIEND AND BACKER). U ARE RIGHT ON TARGET.
Dear Tom, Thank you so much
Dear Tom,
Thank you so much for sharing this e-mail with us. I pray that we all carefully read and remember the very wise and humble words of Fr. Hagan. I was so struck with his pointing out the harm we can do when we take on the role of "benefactor", (me as an individual), or "benefactors" (as a group). We do have much to learn from the people we seek to help.
Dear Tom, I am not much of a
Dear Tom,
I am not much of a reader of emails that are sent to many people, but an email from my Knights of Columbus brother Mr. Foster, struck me, since it stated that your life passed through Princeton.
There's so much that we take for granted that experiences such are yours are truely life changing to others. I admire your courage and faith to humbly help people in such suffering, while even your life is at harms way.
As I read your account of what happened, I could not hold my tears. As death flashes its presence in our lives, it makes us wonder what is important. I am thankful that a young Haitian saved your life, for you have inspired many people as you have inspired me with a few words.
I send you a warm embrace and pray that our God keeps you among us.
Diego,
Knights of Columbus, Princeton.
I will pray, please pray for
I will pray, please pray for us
Fr. Tom is an inspiration to
Fr. Tom is an inspiration to us all! We who had the priviledge to know him always felt God's love through him (he was our chaplain at college right before he moved to Haiti).
Truly God's love is manifest through him. Kudos and God bless!
ps - @Anyone who wants to donate i.e. Carol R Trainer or whoever, hands together's website has a convenient link where they can take donations. They're even tax deductible. I don't work for them, nor am I making any demands that you do donate, I'm just pointing out for those who are interested. Truly anyone would be hard pressed to find a worthier cause.
http://handstogether.org/
I have had the distinct
I have had the distinct privilege of working with Father Tom and the Missionaries of Charity the past 5 years in Port-au-Prince. To say I'm proud to be a Catholic is an understatement, especially after having witnessed the spirit, devotion and love of God practiced by our Priests and Sisters, in total anonymity. Father and the Sisters teach us every day to see Jesus in everyone we touch, in everyone we help. God must have a reason for their survival of this catastrophe - to continue their important work.
Father and Sisters, I think of you every day and pray for your strength, courage and continued service to our beloved poorest of the poor in Haiti.
Thank you Fr. Tom and all the
Thank you Fr. Tom and all the rest who are with the people in Haiti during this time of sorrow and stress. My their service and prayers let the people know their inherent dignity and worth. Kudos too to NCR for getting this message communicated. Now someone get Fr. Tom's email (and others like it) to CNN so that the ludicrous comments of Pat Robertson do not get promulgated as the "Christian" interpretation of these events. Peace, Rick
Thank you Fr Tom, for showing
Thank you Fr Tom, for showing great faith being a beacon of light and hope for the people there.
God Bless
Father, Pray for us who
Father, Pray for us who cannot see what you see. You are a true man of God. May he guide you as He is doing now.
I was honored to be mentored
I was honored to be mentored by Fr Tom Hagan for 3 years at Lafayette College. He changed the way I and many others saw our relationship with those in need. He taught us to live our Christian love through service to others, but most importantly, he taught us to do it in ways to protect and uphold the dignity of those we served. I am so glad to see that he continues to live his faith in this way in Haiti. 'We know he is Christian by his love, by his love...' God Bless you Fr Tom and Doug Campbell. Our prayers are with you and our Brothers and Sisters of Haiti. Dan
Dear Father Tom, Thanks for
Dear Father Tom,
Thanks for all your service and compassion for the people of Haiti. Your actions are a reflection of the way you have lived your life going back to your days at North Catholic. Take care.
Joe Conahan
Joe, I have been trying to
Joe,
I have been trying to find guys from the neighborhood back in Philly. I did a search for Joe Conahan and it led me to your reply to Father Tom at the National Catholic Register. Just hoping your the same Joe Conahan that me and my brother Joe (Deuce) grew up with....drop me an email if this is you....
I spent 22 years in the Navy...retired as a Chief Petty Officer and now live in Columbus Ohio with my wife Cathy...we have three kids...Martin Jr., Lisa and Melissa....and one grandson....
I cherish the long nights on the basketball court at Cyone playground...you had a heck of a jumpshot...and always beat me one-on-one....
Let me know how you are doing.....
Marty Duccilli
Father tom, I am an ob/gyn in
Father tom, I am an ob/gyn in north carolina and have been looking for a medical trip in march or april. Can you dirct me to any opportunities in haiti during that time? Thanks ,may God bless you in your mission work.
Tom, Greetings from a
Tom,
Greetings from a former oblate (Childs, class of 1960 postulancy). Keep up the good work. The whole world was watching and is so proud of you. You are an inspiration to all oblates and xoblates. Bill
Thank you Fr. Tom for your
Thank you Fr. Tom for your good work. As always, your life and work shines a like a brilliant candle in darkness of an often hard cruel world. Thank you for your shinning example. Thank you for the hope you bring to the people there who need your presence. Thank you for the hope you inspire in me and others. But please look after yourself as well since such trauma often reverberate for some time, even if it is not visible. I hope you find a break from everything. I see the suffering of the Haitians is mind boggling, but for the poor there, I have learned from you that this has been the case for sometime. I can only hope, some greater good will come to the people there, maybe now that the world is looking. Thank you. Your stories and perspective are always inspiring.
Fr. Tom and Doug
Fr. Tom and Doug Campbell,
Thank you for all you've done and continue to do not only for the people of Haiti, but for the inspiration and hope you give us. You are our heroes. Our love and prayers are with you every day.
Thanks, Tom, for being who
Thanks, Tom, for being who you are to the Good Lord in all the people around you. My poor prayers continue for you, all the Oblates and Oblates-to-be there, and all in Haiti. From your fellow Longshore Ave. dweller and former confrere, Joe
Dear Father Tom, You spoke
Dear Father Tom,
You spoke about the Hands Together Organization at our parish yesterday (Our Lady of the Fields, Millersville, Maryland). Thank You for your hard work and dedication to your ministry and mission. Prayers and Positive thoughts to you and everyone.
God Bless Haiti
Laura Holmes
There are many men that share
There are many men that share my name, but none that I am so proud to be a namesake of, like Father Tom Hagan. Surely, a living Saint in our time with his dedication to the poor people of Haiti.
I am blessed to have wonderful grandchildren, doing well with their lifestyle and education. This Christmas, I am sending a donation to Hands Together in their name. And to let them know about Father Tom and his work with the childdren of Haiti.
We continue to pray for his good health and success in his mission. God Bless !
Fr. Tom Hagan was assigned to
Fr. Tom Hagan was assigned to speak to us from the heart of the Lord at homilies for each mass at St. Hugo of the Hills Catholic Church in the Detroit Archdiocese for Missionary Sunday on July 17, 2011. God the Holy Spirit led him and powerfully poured forth through him a message filled with wisdom that came from the heart of the Lord. He is a beautiful witness of wisdom, love and grace. Please see the extensive website of HANDS Together at http://www.handstogether.org/ It beautifully and specifically shares in a transparent manner the mission, the conditions and the needs of the poorest of the poor to whom he ministers in the Cite Soleil in Haiti. Please pray how the Lord would have you support this work of the Father. Fr. Tom needs you. The Lord Jesus needs you.
Post new comment