St. Alban’s has financially supported Holy Trinity School, Haiti since the early 1960’s, when school founder, Sister Anne Marie Bickerstaff, was a frequent speaker at St. Alban’s. (To find out more about Holy Trinity School, please click here.) According to Steve Lusk’s history of St. Alban’s, Called to be Saints, the financial support, and visits by Sr. Bickerstaff, were the birth of a continuing parish tradition. Each Sunday, young people who had celebrated a birthday during the week were asked to come to the front of the church to receive a blessing and present their birthday thank offerings. The recommended gift was a penny for each year of age. The offerings were sent “to help other children at Holy Trinity School in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.” In 1970 the vestry extended the gift opportunity to adults, at a recommended rate of ten cents per year. St. Alban’s continues to support Holy Trinity School through our Outreach budget.
When news of the recent assassination of Haiti’s president was announced, Deacon Theresa reached out to Holy Trinity School to let the director know that the school is in our prayers every Sunday and at other times. You can read the director’s response here (English) (French).