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2 Nuns were killed taken in Haiti. The Catholic Church in Haiti mourns the loss of the nuns from the Congregation of the Little Sisters of Saint Teresa and reiterates its call for peace. in The attack occurred in Mirebalais, central Haiti, by members of armed gangs who infiltrated the area since last Monday. The Archbishop of Port-au-Prince, Max Leroy Mésidor, confirmed this to local media, adding: "This is a huge loss for the community. "
According to Agenzia Fides, on March 31st, 2025, an attack claimed the lives of two religious sisters named Sister Evanette Onezaire and Sister Jeanne Voltaire. Their lives were taken by criminals, who left a wound in the religious community and the entire nation. Attacks also targeted shops, police stations, and a prison, from which more than 500 inmates reportedly escaped.
According to local media reports, the two nuns were working at the school in Mirebalais and had taken refuge in a house with a girl during the attacks. However, members of the armed gangs entered the building, opened fire, taking the lives of the two nuns and all the other people present.
The spokesperson for the Episcopal Conference of Haiti, Father Marc Henry Siméon, issued a letter of mourning and condemnation, expressing his sorrow for the deaths of these two nuns who dedicated their lives to serving others, especially those most in need.
"Two sisters, two souls devoted to love, who fell to blind violence, leaving behind a heartbreaking silence, " the letter states.
The religious, who dedicated their lives to prayer and service in a nation marked by great hardship, fell as martyrs, and their blood, like that of so many other innocent people, will not be in vain.
The statement also highlights the sense of injustice that accompanies this act of violence: “ We feel assaulted by the injustice and absurdity of a world that seems to be collapsing under the weight of evil, ” the message said.
However, the Church reminds us that, as followers of Christ, “we know that Christ made death an open door to glorious life. ” The sisters’ departure is seen as an invitation to hope amidst tragedy, trusting that now, having been welcomed by God.
The statement also strongly condemns the act of violence, calling it "hateful and cowardly against the nuns and other victims. " The Church condemns the attack on the sisters, but also the lack of action by local authorities, who, it is noted, were alerted to the imminent nature of the attack and failed to act effectively to prevent it.
“The existing authorities have clearly failed in their mission. The nation is in danger , ” the message reads, highlighting the serious security crisis facing the country.
In an urgent tone, the Episcopal Conference issues an appeal to the authorities, those responsible for the violence, and all Haitians: “ The Church reiterates its call for reason toward the perpetrators of violence and those involved in crime; this call is also intended to be a call for respect for the life and dignity of this wounded people . ” It also calls for solidarity, vigilance, and prayer, urging the community to remain steadfast in its struggle for peace and justice.
"We pray that our brothers and sisters, besieged by violence, may not allow themselves to be accustomed to or led to evil, " the letter states, urging them to resist, with faith and determination, the violence that threatens to overwhelm the limits of what is bearable.
“Let us resist, on our knees if necessary (in prayer), but let us resist, because hatred must never become our common language! ” the Haitian Church declares.
Haitian media also reported that armed gangs had also attacked the Mirebalais University Hospital in recent hours. Yesterday, thousands took to the streets in the capital to protest the deteriorating situation and the increase in gang attacks.
The protests also included displaced people living in camps near Port-au-Prince, forced to flee their homes, as well as residents of the Canapé-Vert neighborhoods (where the population is fighting back against the threat of armed groups attempting to enter the area), Turgeau, Carrefour-Feuilles, Pacot, Debussy, Delmas, and neighboring areas. Haitian police used tear gas to disperse the crowd gathered in front of the "Ville d'Accueil," the headquarters of the Presidential Transitional Council (CPT) and the government.
Last year alone, violence in Haiti left at least 5,600 dead (a thousand more than the previous year), over 2,000 injured, and approximately 1,500 kidnapped, according to the United Nations. Just hours before the outbreak of violence in Mirebalais, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, reported that between July and February, at least 4,239 people were killed and 1,356 wounded in Haiti with weapons illegally imported from abroad, despite the embargo imposed by the UN Security Council. (F.B.) Agenzia Fides
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