Story by Mary Stadnyk, Associate Editor

It was an occasion to celebrate faith, history and culture when Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., joined with members of the Haitian community the evening of Jan. 1 in St. Anthony Church, Hamilton.

Together, they prayerfully observed the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, and commemorated the 213th anniversary of when Haiti gained its independence from France on Jan. 1, 1804.

“Happy New Year!” said Bishop O’Connell, who celebrated the Mass and preached his homily in French. “It is most fitting that today, as we celebrate Mary, the Mother of God who gave birth to our Savior, we come together in her memory, in our prayer, as we give birth to this new year.”

At the Mass – which was punctuated with dancing and singing by the choir, conducted by Gerald Charmant, – were some 350 Haitian Catholics who regularly attend St. Anthony Church, a worship site of Our Lady of Sorrows-St. Anthony Parish, where Masses are celebrated in Creole each Sunday evening. The majority of parishioners reside in the Greater Mercer County area including Trenton, Ewing, Hamilton, Yardville, Allentown and Princeton, with a few hailing from Willingboro in Burlington County and Pennsylvania.

Joining Bishop O’Connell at the altar were a number of priest concelebrants including Msgr. Thomas N. Gervasio, diocesan vicar general, moderator of the curia and pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows-St. Anthony Parish; Father Jean Felicien, parish parochial vicar who is a native of Haiti and ministers to the Haitian community; and Father Paul Janvier of Mother of Mercy Parish, Asbury Park, another parish in the Diocese with a significant Haitian population.

In his homily, Bishop O’Connell reflected on the Blessed Mother and her most prominent role as mother of the Savior of the world. The Gospel of St. Luke, Bishop O’Connell said, describes the shepherds traveling to Bethlehem to find Mary with Joseph and her newborn son – “not in a place worthy of a King or of a Messiah but, rather in a stable and a manger.”

“The shepherds shared with this Holy Family all that they were told about Jesus. And there, in that humble place, Mary – holding the baby Jesus in her arms – listened to them with Joseph close by,” said Bishop O’Connell. Citing how “Mary kept all these things, reflecting upon them in her heart,” the Bishop told of how Mary remained with Jesus for 33 years, during which she provided for her son and watched him grow into a man.

“She followed him as his ‘first disciple,’ listened to his preaching, watched his miracles, stood underneath his Cross and rejoiced in his Resurrection. “Today, we celebrate Mary’s Day and the gift that she gave us: the gift of her Son, our Savior.”

Acknowledging that Jan. 1 is a day when Haitians remember their country’s  independence, Bishop O’Connell said that “Just as it is not only the birth of Christ but also his whole life that we remember, so too is it not only the birth and independence of our country that we remember. We think of an entire history that extends from Jan. 1, 1804, to the present moment.

“We have left Haiti and have come to the United States, to Hamilton, New Jersey, and to this parish, but we do not forget our Motherland and its people who remain – our families and relatives, our friends.”

The Bishop referred to the challenges and hardships that Haitians have endured and reminded the congregation that “the life of Christ was not easy either.”

“Today, as we remember and celebrate Christ and the Mother who gave birth to him, we remember and celebrate the country that gave birth to us. And we give thanks to God!”

Highlights of Haitian style of worship were upheld during the Mass, namely during the Presentation of the Gifts, as parishioners in native dress danced up the aisle while carrying large baskets of fruit that were presented to the Bishop, a gesture that Father Felicien said “retraces the reality of parish life in Haiti.”

“The fruits represent the produce from our hands and the land that we work as farmers. We bring them to church for the priest on Sunday so that the priest might have food for the week to eat in the rectory,” he said, noting that since the Haitians who live in the countryside do not have much money to support their parishes, “they give what they have and what they cultivate from the land.”

The dance and chant that was sung during the Presentation of the Gifts “represents the reality of the Haitian farmers,” Father Felicien added.

 After the reception of Holy Communion, a group of young female parishioners presented a liturgical dance, and then Bishop O’Connell, speaking without notes, addressed the congregation in French, thanking them for their welcome and kindness, wished them a Happy New Year and a Happy Independence Day. He also extended appreciation to the choir, the priests of the parish and the priests in attendance from around the Diocese.

Following Mass, a festive dinner was held in the lower church hall where the gathering was led in the singing of the Haitian National Anthem. Charmant and a choir member paid tribute to the Blessed Mother by singing, “Mary, Did You Know?”  In addition, a monetary contribution was given to Bishop O’Connell on behalf of the Haitian community for the diocesan Faith To Move Mountains campaign. The money was raised from a gala fundraiser that was held in December 2015. The Bishop was also given a handcrafted gift that bore the Bishop’s Coat of Arms, the 10 provinces of Haiti and the Haitian flag.

Parish Deacon Luders Desire said it was a joy to host Bishop O’Connell and witness him celebrating Mass for the first time in French for the community.

“I witnessed an example of inclusivity within the Diocese of Trenton,” said Deacon Desire, a native of Haiti who has resided in the United States since September 1981. “It was an honor to have our Bishop preside at this Mass.”

As she gazed upon her fellow parishioners in the church hall as they dined and enjoyed company, Marie Meneus spoke of the “great gift” it is for her to be able to belong to a parish where Mass is celebrated in her native Creole each week.

“God has blessed this Haitian community,” she said. “God is good.”