Parishes & Schools

According to the late Fr. Gregory Williams, St. Augustine’s Church was born of a providential encounter in Jacmel in early 1999. A young man, who was seeking the Orthodox way spent hours questioning Fr. Gregory about the faith and the church. He would come back daily with more questions and a growing faith. In the fall of that year, he and his brother-in-law attended their first Orthodox services in the capital and in short order were joined by others, all young men, who were soon made catechumens and in due course were baptized. This young man is now the reader, Nicolas Neptune, who serves as the warden of St. Augustine’s Church and the director of the school that is on the same property. They were nurtured on the Prayer Book and Psalter that were given to them by Fr. Gregory. He also began to train them in the proper method of doing readers’ services. By 2003, the parish was not only made up of young men but also children and older Haitians. They were soon bursting at the seams and clearly needed a larger space. By God’s love, suitable land was purchased and chapel construction began. By 2006 this chapel was completed with a secure sanctuary and a large nave, roofed in but open on three sides. The site is constructed to allow for a second story and is adjacent to the Orthodox School of St. Augustine. Our hope is that the Church and the school will be finished and a library and medical clinic can be added.

The parish of St. Irenaeus of Lyons is located in a rural area in the north central part of Haiti surrounded by beautiful mountain peaks and roiling hills. It is our most agrarian of parishes and also one of our largest with many of the faithful coming from the nearby town, small villages and farmsteads around the church. The faithful and the newly ordained priest, Fr. Abramios Martin Christophe have made a bold decision for the true faith in joining the GOC. They have purchased a small piece of land next to their school and old church and have begun erecting a beautiful temple to the glory of Jesus Christ! The commencement day of a true liturgical life in this lively parish has arrived! On our recent journey in January 2020, Fr. Abramios was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Maximus. Fr. Abramios is a serious and energetic priest, who is known throughout the area for his leadership and for his spiritual striving. The parish numbers around 150 faithful and is located next to a school dedicated to the same saint. Please remember this new parish and their struggles both spiritually and materially in your prayers.

The Institution Chrétienne Orthodoxe Saint Augustin opened in September 2007 with 400 students, most of them being Orthodox. Construction costs for the classrooms and property were paid for through the generosity of Orthodox Christians in the Russian Church Outside of Russia. In 2008 their first graduating class successfully passed their national exams. To this day they have continued with a reputation of excellent education (one of the best in Haiti). Their school was damaged by the earthquake which took the lives of so many Haitians in 2010. Construction of additional classrooms, including a second floor, has begun but has not been finished. There are many needs in this regard; please consider this in your generosity as the church and the school provide not only spiritual needs, but also educational needs and in the future, medical needs. There are plans for a summer Orthodox Camp at ICOSA for the Orthodox children of Haiti. ICOSA provides education from Grades K-12. The enrollment is just under 350 students.

St. Irenaeus of Lyons School is a K-8 Institution located next to the church outside of the small town of Mayisad. The school enrolls over 300 students. They will be receiving Orthodox catechism in each grade – each day. There is a high interest in the savory liturgical life of the Orthodox in this small village. The school is a great part of that as many of the faithful have come from this Institution. It is their hope to extend this school through 12th grade in order to complete their high school education in the same faith nurturing location. We ask you to remember the faithful stewards of this mission and the growing student body.