26701: J.David: Pere Michel Graves in Hayti? (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: J.David <his_voidness@yahoo.com>

I was a member of Pere Graves' congregation. He baptised me and
performed our marriage. I was one of two blan who came to services at
the chapel there at his house on Morne Calvaire.

The chapel is gone, our haitian Priest sort of disappeared after the
death. He didn't want to lead the parish. Our haitian Deacon has
continued practicing and does services at Les Anges orphanage down in
Bon Repoz. There is an Orthodox chapel there.

The school finished out the year, then a haitian priest whom Pere
Graves ordained and now heads another orthodox parish (crazy politics
within splittist orthodox jurisdictions) came to take it over with a
court order declaring him the recognized Orthodox Church in Haiti. But
the land lord took the building back, which had two years rent owing on
it.

The clinic was sold, it was not listed as owned by the church.

The US consulate required an autopsy (sp?). It is said that one of his
sisters said that the autopsy showed poison in his system, but nothing
was done. I doubt it myself. He was terribly stressed out and spent
most of his last year doing work for the partizan of Aristide rather
than the Church. He was 75 years old and was sick the past few weeks of
his life and refused to see a doctor.

There was a big memorial service in the Episcopal church in
PetionVille. One Ethiopian man flew in from Canada for the memorial. He
said that Pere Michel had performed his marriage. Nice.

But the church basically doesn't exist anymore. There are two other
active Eastern Orthodox congregations active in Haiti, one the Haitian
priest whom we didn't talk to, and one Russian Orthodox outside Russia.
A deacon from the russian parish comes and gives services at the Les
Ange chapel sometimes. Our haitian deacon is going to be ordained in a
western rite church called 'French Orthodox'. I like the eastern rites
myself.