Deacon Jim Ernst tried to keep himself together as he addressed each of the three Sunday Masses at Our Lady of Hope Church in Des Plaines on Jan. 17. He said he tried to exhibit confidence and calm as he discussed the earthquake in Haiti, but his emotions overcame him each time. For Ernst and many in the Our Lady of Hope congregation, the mighty earthquake that rocked Haiti carried personal undertones. The faces and landscape affected by the destruction are more than passing images; they are real, they are familiar. Since 1993, the Des Plaines parish has been a chief ally and fundraiser for St. Joseph’s Home in Port-au-Prince, a complex destroyed by the first earthquake. “We understand the work that went into this mission,” Ernst said, noting that Our Lady of Hope has watched St. Joseph’s grow from a small home for five boys into a collection of three locations serving more than 80 children. “There’s joy because the human toll wasn’t as devastating as it could have been (one fatality and two injured), but sadness because we know this puts the mission back at square one.” The earthquake in Haiti has sent ripple effects throughout the Chicago area, including two local parishes — Our Lady of Hope and Winnetka’s Sacred Heart — that maintain long-established personal ties with the Caribbean nation. Influx of refugees Sacred Heart’s relationship with Haiti began 11 years ago when parishioners, hoping to expand their outreach efforts, sought a twin parish in Haiti. Since that time, Sacred Heart has helped St. John the Baptist, a newer parish located in the rural area of Sassier, develop its physical complex and evangelization efforts. In the last decade, St. John the Baptist has added two new churches, rebuilt another, constructed two medical clinics, and tripled its educational system thanks to a 20-classroom school. Though not physically impacted by the recent earthquake, Sassier and St. John the Baptist, located approximately 120 miles from Port-au-Prince, has witnessed an influx of refugees from areas hardest hit by the quake. On Jan. 17, Sacred Heart parishioner and deacon candidate Gerry Keenan received his first communication from St. John the Baptist officials. “They told us they knew people would be coming their way and they wanted to be able to welcome them,” Keenan said, adding that an estimated 2 million Haitians are homeless. “They were establishing a welcoming committee, which tells you a lot about the attitude and spirit they have.” The entire Sacred Heart Parish is now working to assist the Haitian parish’s relief efforts. On Jan. 16, Sacred Heart’s eighthgrade basketball team held a “Hoops for Haiti” event, raising $910 for the cause. An ongoing collection at the church has raised additional funds, while the Sacred Heart School is working on various service projects to support the relief efforts as well. “We sent money on [Jan. 18] so they could buy all the food they could find,” Keenan said. “We’re trying to help them be as prepared as possible, but we know this is just the beginning.” Committed partners At St. Joseph’s Home, so ravaged by the quake’s force, founder Michael Geilenfeld, a former brother with Mother Teresa's Brothers of Charity, has already pledged to rebuild the mission’s original quarters. It’s an effort in which Ernst and Our Lady of Hope parishioners hope to assist. Before the quake hit, the group was discussing plans for a trip to St. Joseph’s this November. Now, that potential journey carries added purpose. “We’ve paused those plans for now, though we still hope to go,” Ernst said. “We need to make sure there is something we can really do if we go down there. We have to lean on them to find a need for us based on our skills.” The devastation dispelled on Haiti, among the world’s poorest and least developed nations, has reminded both parishes of their longstanding commitment to their Haitian partners. “People in this area typically live day to day. With the earthquake, the situation is even more fragile,” Keenan said. “Now is the time where we need people who want to do great things for God. Now is the time where we need to recognize that we are one universal church and that the people in Haiti are our brothers and sisters.”