Haiti: Benedictine Monastery Opens its Doors to Homeless

Benedictine Missionaries of St. Ottilien in Haiti, spared in the Earthquake, open monastery doors to the homeless.

SANKT OTTILIEN, HAITI (Agenzia Fides) - Following the devastating earthquake in Haiti the Benedictine Missionaries of the Congregation of St. Ottilien (Germany) have sent a Benedictine monastery in Haiti the sum of 20,000 Euros from its disaster aid fund to respond to emergency needs.

The Benedictine monastery is located at Morne Saint Benoit, about 65 miles north of the capital Port-au-Prince,

"We are delighted that our brothers of the monastery of Saint-Benoit Morne remained unscathed in the huge earthquake," said Arch-Abbot President, Fr. Jeremias Schröder OSB, in a note sent to Fides.

"In this manner, our monastery has been able to help the victims. The first victims from the capital that was completely destroyed have already been taken in, among which there are 15 orphans. Every day more people from Port-au-Prince arrive in the area, in search of help."

The priory of the Benedictine Missionaries of Morne Saint-Benloit was founded in 1981 by the Monastery of St. Guénolé (France).

The abbot of the French monastery, Fr. Jean-Michel Grimaud, who at the time of the earthquake was in Haiti for a visit, reported that the tremors of the earthquake were felt strong again at the monastery, although they did not cause major damage to the buildings.

The disaster fund of the Benedictines of St. Ottilien was founded in 1987 during a terrible flood in Tanzania. Also, during the tsunami in Southeast Asia the missionaries were able to benefit from this fund for their emergency aid.