Grace and St James' mission to Haiti

Annual soup fest for the benefit of St Matthew’s School, Bayonnais, Haiti

Despite unrelenting social turmoil and gang violence which spreads ever closer, St. Matthew’s, now 19 staff and 279 students, celebrates the end of the fall term and arrival of Christmas.

The gang violence, extortion, kidnappings shows no letup. Towns of the Artibonite: Petite Riviere, l’Estere, Pont-Sonde, Gros-Morne and even Gonaïves have suffered. Food distribution has been disrupted and hunger is widespread. For need we extended our temporary support for the school lunch program:

and here is the kitchen

Yes, ST. MATTHEW’S STILL FUNCTIONS, serving some 250 children in pre-school to 9th grade.

Felicitations a tous! Surtout aux diplomés mais également aux enseignants et au directeur.

The space added atop the four room school house of 2016. Four rooms down below and now three rooms up above.

With very many thanks to those who contributed to the Lenten fund drive. Your generosity translated into action.

Well deserved! Thus ends the first year in which St Matthew’s offered the full nine grades required for entry to the national exam for the certificate of primary education. Formerly just six grades were required.

Click here: On July 10th St Matthew’s celebrated

In grievous contrast is the latest report on security in Haiti and thereby the more admirable the achievements at St Matthew’s

Click for UN report

The busiest of times at any school but also time for this gracious message:

École Épiscopale Saint Matthieu de Bayonnais
3e section communale des Gonaïves

	Au nom de toute la communauté scolaire de l’École Épiscopale Saint Matthieu de Bayonnais,je tiens à exprimer mes sincères remerciements à l’ensemble du groupe de partenaires engagés, (Grâce Church et de Saint James) pour leur précieux appui financier et moral.
	Grâce à vos contributions, notre école a pu assurer un meilleur fonctionnement, offrir un cadre plus accueillant aux élèves et répondre à certaines urgences pédagogiques et matérielles. Ce geste de solidarité envers l’éducation de nos enfants témoigne de votre engagement profond en faveur du développement communautaire.
	Nous espérons que ce partenariat exemplaire continuera à porter des fruits durables, pour le bien de notre jeunesse et de l’avenir de notre pays.

Avec respect et gratitude,

Clibert MASSILLON
Directeur pédagogique de l’École Épiscopale Saint Matthieu de Bayonnais  
Mercredi 9 juillet 2025

On behalf of the entire school community of Saint Matthew’s Episcopal School of Bayonnais, I would like to express my sincere thanks to the entire group of committed partners (Grâce Church and Saint James) for their invaluable financial and moral support.
Thanks to your contributions, our school has been able to operate more efficiently, provide a more welcoming environment for students, and address certain urgent educational and material needs. This gesture of solidarity towards the education of our children demonstrates your deep commitment to community development.
We hope that this exemplary partnership will continue to bear lasting fruit, for the benefit of our youth and the future of our country.

Our partnership, of St Matthew’s, St James and Grace, dates from 2016. Reciprocal visits every six months have strengthened the bonds. Pentecost was the occasion for St James to host Grace. A celebration indeed of the Church’s birth and work in the world. And let us not forget timely help from SS James & Andrew, Greenfield; St John’s, Ashfield; St John’s, Northampton; the Charlemont Federated Church. We are blessed in this partnership.

Famine threatens in Haiti. https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/03/1147502 At St. Matthew’s food supplies had been tenuous and lunches had been suspended. We recently managed to facilitate a temporary supply. Bon appétit!