Donate and help bring clean water to those that need it in Haiti.
The Camino de Santiago de Compostela
The Cathredal of Santiago
The Way of St. James, also known as the Camino de Santiago, is the pilgrimage route to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northwestern Spain, where tradition has it that the remains of the apostle Saint James are buried.
The Way of St. James has existed for over a thousand years. It was one of the most important Christian pilgrimages during medieval times, together with Rome and Jerusalem, and a pilgrimage route on which a plenary indulgence could be earned. In 2011, nearly 180,000 pilgrims travelled the pilgrimage route from various countries in Europe. The indulgence is still granted for pilgrims who walk at least 62 miles or cycle at least 124 miles.
Modern symbol of the way of St. James
The scallop shell, often found on the shores in Galicia, has long been the symbol of the Camino de Santiago. Over the centuries the scallop shell has taken on mythical, metaphorical and practical meanings, even if its relevance may actually derive from the desire of pilgrims to take home a souvenir.
Fr. Frank’s route to the Cathredal of Santiago
Fr. Frank, pastor of St. Teresa of Avila Catholic Church in Chicago, Illinois, will begin his camino to Santiago de Compostela in the city of St. Jean Pied de Port, France; he will then cross the Pyrenees, to Pamplona, Spain, and walk 500 miles to the cathedral of St. James, the burial place of the apostle of Jesus.
All donations Fr. Frank raises through sponsorship of his pilgrimage will go to Zanmi Lasanté —Paris , a social justice agency who will have wells built in Haiti by Haitian labor and fund other education and development in impoverished rural Haiti.
How Far Do You Walk For Clean Water?
In this country, we take so many things for granted. It is difficult for us to imagine living our lives without sufficient clean water. When we want water, all we have to do is turn on the faucet. Imagine a poor country like Haiti where 40 percent of its 10 million people do not have access to a dependable supply of clean water, where the walk to the faucet is an average of 5 miles away…try to imagine walking an average per day 10 miles for clean water.
The continuing lack of access to clean water and sanitation make Haitians vulnerable to spreading sickness. The Pan American Health Organization has estimated that cholera alone could infect 200,000 to 250,000 people this year.
But cholera is both preventable and treatable and much can be done immediately to curb the disturbingly large number of Haitians falling sick. One of the ways to prevent cholera is through cholera vaccinations; another is to increase the supply of accessible clean water, especially in the rural and remote regions of Haiti, where cholera is deadliest. Since the January 2010 earthquake more than 530,000 Haitians have been infected by cholera.
Fr. Frank will Walk for 500 miles for Clean Water in Haiti
Our goal is to raise $20,000 for Haiti; this money will be used to build wells to provide clean and accessible water. If we raise more than our goal of $20,000, that money will be used to provide healthcare for the people of Haiti.
“Walk the Walk” with Fr. Frank
Sponsor Fr. Frank and bring clean, accessible drinking water to those that need it. To donate, click here to go to the Give Central website or call the St. Teresa of Avila office at (773) 528-6650 for more information.
Who is Zanmi Lasanté — Paris?
In 1998, Christine and Patrick Murray, then living in Paris, France, gathered a group of friends to listen to and support their close friend, Dr. Paul Farmer, in his efforts to bring modern health care to the poorest of the poor in rural Haiti. Out of this has come Zanmi Lasanté-PARIS (ZLP), an independent not-for-profit working along side Dr. Farmer’s organization, Partners in Health, but with an orientation resolutely directed to education and development in the impoverished context of rural Haiti.
Sending educators to improve teaching methods; equipping small rural schools in remote villages; building small-scale dams and cisterns to provide irrigation to subsistence farmers; conducting training programs for these farmers; digging shallow wells to provide dependable sources of domestic water and helping farmers secure title to their lands. These are but a few of the projects ZLP has sustained — all with local participation, all on a human scale.
The 2010 earthquake had a devastating impact on both urban and rural life. ZLP began a successful program to construct housing for the refugees returning to these villages, having lost everything in the earthquake. This summer ZLP will complete the construction of over 75 simple dwellings on titled land, each with its own garden plot.
Last spring, ZLP started construction of a Community Center in the remote village of Palmary, named for Saint Rose of Lima. ZLP has also equipped wells with sturdy pumps and is studying other ways to improve access to water.
Dlo Se Lavi (Water is Life)
Until 2009, the families of Epin collected their water from unclean springs which they shared with their cattle. In 2009 ZLP began a campaign to sink hand-dug wells. With the cholera epidemic in 2010, ZLP reinforced this program.
Today, ZLP is installing robust pumps, providing families with protected and reliable water sources. ZLP is making this program a priority.
Follow along with Fr. Frank via his Blog:
click here .
