Retreat in Port-au-Prince

Friday, September 30, 2005

I have spent this whole week in Port-au-Prince with Sr. Carmelle and Sr. Simone, who together are responsible for the Sisters of St. Anthony of Fondwa, and Claudette and Melicia, two novices who will make their preliminary vows on October 4^th.

I have been translating for Fr. McKnight, an African-American Spiritan priest from Brooklyn who is leading them on retreat. Fr. McKnight arrived in Haiti just two weeks ago, after deciding to retire to Fondwa at the tender age of 78 years old. He may be getting up there, but his spiritual energy is electrifying, and his sermons on the relationship between the spiritual and material world, the need to know yourself, and even the spiritual consequences of quantum physics are always engaging.

Translating personal reflections has been no problem, but putting the wisdom of esteemed theologian Ronald Neibuhr or the philosophical insights of scientist Max Plank into Creole (on the spot no less) has my head spinning. At least I know that after spending a week with these deeply spiritual people I can’t help but have a bit of positive energy rub off on me.