Before I go any further, I am going to give a slight lesson. Within the Catholic Church, there are seven sacraments (rituals) that one goes through throughout their life. Among these are baptism, marriage, anointing of the sick, and confirmation. When one is confirmed, one receives "the spiritual seal, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of right judgment and courage, the spirit of knowledge and reverence, [and] the Spirit of holy fear in God's presence" (Catechism of the Catholic Church). In some places, young children (around 2nd Grade) are confirmed and also receive the sacrament of the Eucharist at the same time. In this particular service, however, around 30 teens were going to be confirmed.
In the morning, everyone was running around making last minute preparations. The mass was supposed to start at 9, but in Haiti time, that actually means more like 9:30 or even 10. The church was packed and everyone was dressed to the nines. I was initially sitting on a bench with 8 or 9 other people, but an elderly couple came in and were standing next to us. I had been told that the mass could last anywhere from two to three hours, so I figured I would offer them my seat. I didn't mind standing and the back of the church offered me optimal people watching as well as leg room and the chance for fresh air and a breeze. The mass started around 9:30 and ended around 12:30. I understood most of what was being said, but by the end of the 2nd hour, my brain was pretty tired.
The best part of the mass was the music. I had heard the choir practicing the night before, but I think they were joined by another choir as well. There was so much singing and they had a band (trumpet, drums, bass and electric guitar and the piano) to accompany them. I'm not sure what it is (because I had a similar feeling when I attended a service in Malawi), but there is something about the kind of music that they were singing or the way in which it is sung. There seems to be so much joy in it. Because I had heard some of the songs the night before and many of them are pretty repetitive, I was able to hum along and sing some of the words. What I like most about Haitian hymns is how easy they are to harmonize to. I was able to sit in the back, make up my own harmony and have a grand time.
After the mass, the sisters told me that we were going to be eating with the Bishop (we called him Monsignor). After helping Yves move a bunch of chairs and crowding a bunch of people into the pretty small dining room, we had our meal of rice, beans, fried plantains (my favorite), picklies, some kind of fish (there were entire fish bodies on the platter), mac and cheese, and goat. Pretty soon after the meal, the car was started and the Bishop was preparing to go. Sr. Victoire caught my arm and told me that I needed to get my things together because the car the Bishop came in was leaving and they were my ride back to Gros Morne. Luckily I had most of my stuff packed from the previous day, so I ran to my room, threw everything else into my backpack, said my brief goodbyes and hopped in the car with the Bishop of Gonaïves and the several priests who accompanied him.
Our ride was pretty scary. I had thought that the moto rides were rough but the "road" that we were driving on was not really made for cars. There were huge boulders that we had to dodge or drive over and some places did not look wide enough for us to pass through. Trying to get up the river banks was terrifying. I thought our car was going to tip right over at one point. But, we made it back safe, and I was so happy to see our gates. Before I got out of the car, I asked if they wanted to stop and talk to Sr. Pat or Sr. Jackie, but Monsignor said he didn't need to. So, I got out, found my keys and opened the door. Sr. Pat yelled to me from our balcony and asked if that was the Bishop. I said yes. She asked if he was staying, and I said no. I asked if she needed to talk to him, she replied in the affirmative and I asked if she wanted me to run after him. She hesitated for a second and then said yes. I ripped off my sandals (it was raining a little bit and I was scared of slipping), dropped all my stuff on ground, and sprinted down our driveway. Our driveway is essentially a long hill and running down it, in the rain, was very exciting to say the least. I could see the car in front of me, but I was afraid that I wasn't going to make it in time. The car stopped for a second before they were going to turn onto the main road and I had just enough time to bang on their back window and make it to the passenger side window just as they were turning on to the road. The Bishop rolled his window down and as I was gasping for breath (I'm a little out of shape), I tried to explain that Sr. Pat and Sr. Jackie wanted to talk to him and would he be able to turn around? I must say that it was a little comical, my running after the Bishop of Gonaïves and banging on his window. But, given the week that I had in Riveyè Marcel, it seemed almost normal and a very fitting ending to my immersion.
The two weeks that I spent in Riveyè Marcel were awesome. I learned so much, was able to see many new sides of Haiti and its people, and met many new and wonderful friends. I am thankful that everyone was so welcoming, open to having a stranger take part in their daily activities and patient with me when I didn't understand. My Creole improved dramatically and I felt as though my base in the language became much more solid and much larger. I was very happy to come back to Gros Morne and see Beth and Frankie and the rest of my family here, nevertheless, I am going to miss Riveyè Marcel and all the people I met. But, I'm grateful for the experiences I had and I'm looking forward to visiting.
Yves and a buddy playing on a moto.
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