On August 22,
the Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed
Virgin Mary, Bishop Guy Sansaricq will
celebrate the second anniversary of his
Episcopal ordination. It will be another
time of abundant blessing for the black
Catholic ministry and the entire Haitian
Catholic community in the Diaspora.
This anniversary is an another opportunity
for all of us to reflect with deep
appreciation on the colossal work
accomplished by our pioneers and builders of
faith. The elevation of Bishop Sansaricq,
the first Haitian-American Catholic bishop
in America, is a testimony to our faith and
to such pioneers as Mother Lange and Pierre
Toussaint. Remember: In 1968, we had only
one black Catholic bishop and 168 black
Catholic priests to serve the entire
Catholic Church in the United States. By
1984, there were 10 black bishops and 300
black priests. So we have made real
progress. But try to imagine the struggle of
the first Haitian priests in this country to
gain for our community a real place in the
larger Catholic Church in America. Their
example was pivotal, but so are our faith in
God and our determination, which can always
help us to overcome our difficulties and
continue to motivate us to take our rightful
place in the American Catholic Church.
Yes, we have come a long way, through the
example and the hard work of our pioneers,
and through our own faith and determination.
But many challenges remain. We are trying to
make our way in a culture very different
from the one we left behind in Haiti, and we
are still a small minority in a large
country. If we are to continue to build our
influence within the church and the broader
community, we have to understand that we
have to keep working toward a better
collaboration and unity among the members of
our community of faith—and especially among
our leaders. In facing this difficult
challenge, we need to remember that unity is
possible only if Jesus Christ stands at the
center of our life and if all of us are
ready to accept some sacrifices for the
advancement of our community.
Bishop Sansaricq steadfastly believes that
unity is possible even in diversity. In
fact, unity is an imperative of our time.
Today we have a Haitian bishop, and some
Haitian priests are pastors or
administrators of parishes. Some have been
given the title of monsignor. And we have
Haitian seminarians studying for the
priesthood in this country, and others
recently ordained. Still, our community
faces some difficulties, such as struggles
for better education, battles over
immigration status, unfortunate divisions
among us, and crises of leadership. In this
challenging environment, it is essential
that our leaders work harder than ever to
demonstrate that we can live out our faith
as people of God in this country.
The bishop is very conscious of his mission.
Since his elevation, he has worked very hard
to meet with all segments of our Haitian
society in the Diaspora. His recent meeting
with Haitian professionals on March 29 shows
all of us that he is sensitive to the
sufferings of the people of our motherland.
He always takes time to answer his e-mails
and to return the calls of everyone who
telephones him. He has a close relationship
to laypeople, especially the youth. All of
this is because he fervently desires that
the way he conducts his episcopacy will help
everybody to grow closer to God.
Our bishop is ready to sit down with all
Haitian Catholic spiritual leaders, to
discuss ways for us all to be on the same
page, to do something for our community. But
we have to be realistic: It is going to take
a while for our community to understand the
necessity of unity. Meanwhile, we must not
be afraid to question both our leaders and
our own dedication to creating greater
unity. We have to examine our consciences,
without fearing the challenges and the
difficulties that now prevent us from
becoming a stronger, more united, more
vibrant community of faith.
And now: Happy anniversary, Bishop
Sansaricq. Our love and our prayers are with
you. And we hope that your prayers are with
us, so that both laypeople and ordained
leaders can work together to build our
Haitian Catholic community and the kingdom
of God.
