Another event during the month of January was the annual fèt, celebration, at the Catholic Church in Meno. It was a really big event for my host family because it was their youngest daughter, Kitkit’s, first communion. I still don’t understand all that went on, but I believe the first communion activities began on Thursday and the children had 3 days of classes/preparation with the priest. (Kitkit even skipped school for 2 days.) Saturday morning they attended a church service and then went back to their houses for a reception with family and friends. I regret I didn’t get up to Meno in time for Kitkit’s reception – there were just too many other things going on that same day.

What I did get to see were the nighttime festivities. Hardly anyone in Meno slept that night! My host mother and many other women from the community were at the church making dinner for the priest and preparing to decorate the church for the mass the next morning. Down the hill from the church, surrounding the school, people had set up little stands, with lights, and they were selling all sorts of food items. It felt so lively! I couldn’t believe it – there were 3 different dances set up with 3 different generators, and at about 9:30 at night, 6 men from the community were climbing the Meno mountain, carrying another generator to provide light for the women to decorate the church. Almost everyone was helping with something – it was truly a community effort!

The next morning the mass was beautiful and brought tears to my eyes. The choir sang a plethora of songs and my favorite part was a group of young girls who performed synchronized dances during the music. I love the way communion is done during celebrations at Haitian catholic churches. As the offering plate is passed, everyone’s eyes are focused on a double line of slow moving dancers, rocking back and forth, as they make their way up the middle aisle. They are usually carrying baskets of produce on their heads, which to me, is such a beautiful visual reminder of bringing the very best of what we have been given, and placing it before God.

I wish I had some pictures of the actual mass, but I’m sure they wouldn’t have done it justice. It was so special to have spent the last 8 months living in Meno and then share this important community event with them. Below are two of my neighbors, the littlest, Jilianna, was baptized.


Another treat for me was meeting Leslie, the only SenJan (my host family) sibling I had yet to meet. Leslie lives and works in the Dominican Republic and he came home for the festival. In the picture below, Leslie is standing next to me in the black shirt. These are the 4 youngest SenJan kids, from left to right, Kiki (16), Roosevelt (18), Leslie (23), and Jean Frantz (21).