Letter from the Chairman – Fall, 2013

_MG_2245Each summer, through the kindness of the Missionary Cooperation Plan, I am granted the privilege of addressing the congregations of several parishes in the Newark, New Jersey Archdiocese. This consists of spending several weekends meeting the people and priests of the parish and speaking at all the Masses offered over that particular Saturday and Sunday. I tell them about Hôpital Sacré Coeur and all the work being done by the CRUDEM Foundation in Haiti.

As usual, when you think that you are educating people about something, it turns out that you yourself are learning more than you are teaching others. This summer, while speaking at two parishes, overwhelmingly populated by very poor Hispanic immigrants, I received a real lesson in what our country means to others and why we remain a beacon of hope to the underprivileged of the world. The pastor, addressing the audience in Spanish, went far beyond what I could have hoped for while explaining our work in Haiti and how it related to the hardships and difficult living conditions that all of them had endured before coming to America.

He said that as tough as things are for them here, they all know and appreciate how much better it is than where they came from. He himself had been to Haiti and he assured them that things were far worse there than anything they had experienced. He urged them to spend the 4th of July with their families and celebrate with barbecues and enjoy the rewards of living in this great country.

Then he asked them to reflect on how lucky they were to be here and to consider the plight of the Haitians who had to endure their lives of poverty, misery and disease.

He asked then to donate the cost of what it would take to feed one person at their family barbeque. Believe me, as I looked at the people in the church, it was apparent that for many of them, this would indeed be a considerable sacrifice.

By the time I got up to speak in very, very limited Spanish and, some would say, limited English also, the looks on their faces let me know that even though they didn’t understand most of what I was saying, they did understand that I was asking for help for those who were less fortunate than themselves, as hard as that was for me to believe.

The money we received that weekend was not an overwhelming amount, but the generosity with which it was given was priceless.

I mention this story only to illustrate that the work that we do, some as volunteers, others as contributors, has real meaning to the less fortunate of the world. The most gratifying part is that it is an example of what they can do when they are asked for help. They respond without complaint and with an understanding of what it means to be amongst the downtrodden.

We ARE making progress at Hôpital Sacré Coeur. While it may be easier to measure this in the number of new buildings and the improvement in the infrastructure, what counts even more is the improvement in the morale and performance of the hospital personnel.

Their concern for the health and welfare of their fellow Haitians is now being rewarded by the confidence that the medications and treatments necessary to heal and improve their lives will be available because we have been able to get the donated funds and equipment DIRECTLY to the people. We are not obliged to hold donations in abeyance, awaiting the development of some future plan to disburse them.

Our efficiency in turning donations into deeds is what has set us apart from larger organizations.

We hope and trust that you will continue to support Hôpital Sacré Coeur as you have in the past with the assurance that we are using all that you send to improve the everyday lives and health of the Haitian people. Like my audiences this summer, they may not speak English, but they surely understand our intentions and appreciate all that is done for them and with them.

The good that you, our donors, do is immeasurable.

Thank you,

David G. Butler, M.D.