Murals of Holy Trinity

From a brochure I picked up at Holy Trinity gift shop.
(Original in Bob Corbett's library)

The Episcopal Church's presence in Haiti dates from 1861, when the Reverend James Theodore Holly, a black priest, came to establish an Episcopal mission with 101 black emigrants, some of them his parishioners from St. Luke's Church, New Haven, CT. Although many members of this mission succumbed to disease, and some returned to the U.S.A., Fr. Holly together with those who remained founded a church named Holy Trinity in Port-au-Prince in 1863. The original mission prospered to the point where a resident bishop was needed, and Fr. Holly was consecrated in Grace Church, New York City, on 8 November 1874. At that time, a national church was organized called the Haitian Orthodox Apostolic Church. Bishop Holly's original vision for the Episcopal Church in Haiti survives to this day. The two major components of that vision were that the Church be indigenous and that it serve the needs of the whole person. The Church fulfilled the first component from its beginning, as Bishop Holly himself was the only foreign-born member of the clergy. In recent years, only about 10% of the priests have been foreigners. As for the second compo-nent, during Bishop Holly's episcopate, several primary schools were established, and for a time there was a normal school, an agricultural school, and medical work.

Bishop Holly died in 1911 and was buried on the grounds of Holy Trinity Church-the present location of St. Vincent's School for Handicapped Children on Rue des Casernes. Acting on a petition from the Haitian clergy, the General Convention of the Episcopal Church in the U.S.A., at its meeting in 1913, accepted the Church in Haiti as a Missionary District. The work continued under the supervision of visiting bishops from nearby areas until January of 1923, when the Rev. Harry R. Carson was consecrated as the first Missionary Bishop. Upon his retirement, he was suc-ceeded by the Rev. C. Alfred Voegeli, consecrated in December, 1943. The present bishop is the Rt. Rev. Luc A. J. Garnier, the first native-born Haitian bishop, who was consecrated in Holy Trinity Cathedral on 21 April 1971.

Holy Trinity Cathedral was constructed in the 1920's--the cornerstone was laid in November, 1924, and the dedication held in January, 1929. In the early 1950's, the murals and sculptured bricks were added. The Rieger organ, the gift of an American benefactress, was installed in 1961. Today, the clergy staff of five, headed by the Bishop, directs a varied program of activities, including an active Parish Council; associations for young people, men, women, and children; choirs; and Scouts.

At the rear of the Cathedral grounds is the convent of the Sisters of St. Margaret. Since 1927, the Sisters have helped in the Church's work with women and children.

Seven Sisters are now in residence, two of whom are Haitian. The work under their care includes Holy Trinity School, St. Vincent's School for Handicapped Children, Foyer Nòtre Dame for elderly women, and rural work at Maison St. Paul, Matthieu.

Holy Trinity School, adjacent to the Cathedral, was originally founded as a school for girls in 1913. Today, there are 1200 boys and girls. There is also a Trade School with 800 students and a music School. Since the music program was begun in 1970, a philharmonic orchestra and a boys choir have been formed; and concerts are given frequently in Salle Sainte Cecile at the school.

St. Vincent's School for Handicapped Children, started in 1945, now cares for some 1500 children a month in the school section and in the specialized medical, ortho-peidic and neurological clinics. There are also surgical facilities one day a week. Music, art, and literature are included along with the academic curriculum. There are boarding places for 200 children.

College St. Pierre, the Church's secondary school in Port-au-Prince, is located at the southeast corner of the Champs-de-mars. opened in 1957, it now has an enroll-ment of 700. This school and the diocese have taken an important role in preserving and propagating the artistic heritage of Haiti. A museum, constructed across the street from the school, houses a permanent collection of Haitian art.

There are now 90,000 Episcopalians in Haiti, served by thirty priests. Besides the Cathedral and five missions in the area of the capital, there are 88 missions scat-tered throughout the country. Most of these missions include primary schools, and many have medical facilities. There are trade schools at Darbonne and Cap Haitien in addition to the one at Holy Trinity, agricultural schools at Terrier Rouge and Merger, and a theological seminary at Montrouis. The Episcopal Church also runs Holy Cross Hospital in Leogane, which has assumed responsibility for all health care in its region through a network of village health workers, midwives, and mobile clinics. Thus, the mission of preaching the Good News about Jesus Christ and mani-festing God's love through service to the Haitian people envisioned by Bishop Holly continues in the present day.

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