Two Episcopal churches announce half-million dollar matching gift for Haiti rebuilding
Episcopal News Service. March 2, 2011 [030211-03]
ENS staff
Christ Church Cathedral in Indianapolis, Indiana, and Trinity Wall Street in New York have announced a $500,000 joint matching gift to the Episcopal Church's Rebuild Our Church in Haiti appeal.
The grant, meant as a challenge to other congregations involved in the campaign to fund reconstruction of Holy Trinity Cathedral in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, was announced Feb. 25 during a meeting of the Consortium of Endowed Episcopal Parishes, according to a press release. Fifty-four of the church's 110 dioceses have already committed to participating.
Both parishes said in the release that their commitment to rebuilding Holy Trinity Cathedral came in addition to ongoing work with other projects in Haiti, as well as individual parishioners' contributions to relief work. With their combined gifts to fund Holy Trinity, the two churches are doing more than a $1 million worth of relief and rebuilding work in Haiti, the release said.
"As a community, we remember those whose loss is immeasurable and whose lives have been disrupted beyond imagining," said the Rev. Dr. James H. Cooper, Trinity rector, adding that the parish's commitment to Haiti is ongoing and long-term.
Speaking at Christ Church, the Very Rev. Stephen Carlsen told Episcopal Diocese of Haiti Bishop Jean Zaché Duracin that the cathedral "wanted to make a gift that would have a significant impact on the Diocese of Haiti but that would also energize and inspire others to take part in rebuilding the church there. This is a gift intended to rebuild and to unite."
He invited other congregations to join Christ Church and Trinity in setting a standard of leadership and partnership in support of the rebuilding project.
The Rebuild Our Church in Haiti appeal was launched in January. Duracin identified Holy Trinity Cathedral as the first reconstruction priority because of its central importance to rebuilding the diocesan infrastructure and because of its historic, symbolic, and spiritual significance to the people of Haiti, according to the release.
Individuals, congregations, and organizations in more than 55 dioceses have already made contributions, the release said.
New resources for dioceses and congregations participating in the Rebuild Our Church in Haiti appeal were recently posted online here. In addition to news, video and progress reports, there are practical tools congregations can use to run successful local campaigns to support the appeal, ranging from posters to prayers to bulletin inserts, and a step-by-step guide to executing a campaign. Many of the items can be customized.
The Diocese of Haiti is numerically the largest in the Episcopal Church. The Jan.12, 2010 earthquake leveled the vast majority of it churches and diocesan facilities, including Holy Trinity Cathedral. Before a new cathedral can be built, rubble must be cleared, land must be secured and rebuilding plans must be refined.
"I can't tell you how pleased we are about the incredible response we've been seeing," Donald V. Romanik, ECF president, said in the release about campaign resources. "Once people understand the important role the Episcopal Church plays in the life of the people of Haiti, they are ready to get involved."