25439: Nlbo: heard of another catholic church sold to a Haitian evangelical group (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Nlbo@aol.com

Is anyone here from Waltham, Mass? or knows anything about the Waltham
Haitian church community?  Someone told me another Haitian evangelical pastor who
had/has a church in Main St. Waltham bought St. Joseph's. Haitians used to have
mass in St. Joseph's which was  a French- Canadian parish. There is no website
or newsletter in the Haitian church community or there hasn't been a
newsletter or meetings with all church communities since the inception of the Haitian
ministry in l972. In the 21rst century, the only way to have news in the
Boston Haitian community is on the radio ( which I don't have time listen to ) or
tele or radiodjol ( hearsay, word of mouth). Except for one closed Hispanic
parish pastor in Charlestown, Mass that got a lot of coverage, Boston Globe
doesn't give too much coverage to the Black or immigrant Catholic church community.
I can't possibly read every local communty newspaper.

I am hearing a third Haitian evangelical pastor is trying to purchase a
closed Catholic church also because his is too small.

I find the whole thing an enigma. Besides the evangelicals were Catholics, I
am wondering where do those people who work for so little money get all that
money to buy those churches. I used to be in adhoc parish council before the
priest told me "my presence is conflicting". In other words before I got I
kicked out, there used to be $48.00, $75.00 in the Sunday collections. When we
collected $100.00, 148.00 in mass attendance of 200 people, we would say there was
an improvement. How do those protestant pastors get low paid workers to
contribute all that money to buy the churches.

As a public school educator, I am aware that most Haitian kids whose parents
go to those churches get free lunches. Many of those kids can't go to field
trips if we don't find a way to pay for them.  They don't have pencils,
notebooks, not to mention a dictionary, or any book.

Should I be concerned about Haitian protestants buying churches? Knowing so
many needs in the community, it's mind- boggling.

Nekita