Rebecca VoylesDirector of Middle School

During my teaching career, I have always been a faculty member at small, Episcopal schools. When we moved to San Antonio, I interviewed with schools that fit that description. My interview at St. George left a lasting impression, so I was thrilled when I was offered a position here! I... Read more

News and Press

St. George and the People of Haiti

As you are most certainly aware, a tragic earthquake recently struck the impoverished country of Haiti. What you may not know is that St. George Episcopal School was caring and praying for the people of Haiti long before the current crisis.

Last spring, the St. George community raised over $18,000 to support Episcopal schools in Haiti. This money was collected during the Chain of Love event, our annual campaign to raise money and awareness about global poverty. Every dollar raised during this event is represented by a domino in an enormous domino chain in the gymnasium. At the end of the campaign, the domino chain is then collapsed during an all-school chapel and the community takes some time to celebrate what has been accomplished. The metaphor of the domino chain is that we can all make a difference in the world--one person at a time. When we come together, all our individual efforts can have a profound impact.

It was decided that last year's funds would be donated to an Episcopal School in Mombin Crochu, a town located in Haiti's mountainous central plateau region.

Haiti map

While the 150 children of St. Benoit Episcopal School are currently in need of basic things like food, they also need a school building and teachers. We sent our money to the Episcopal Church's Partnership Program in Haiti and were connected with the Reverend Walin DeCamps. Père (French for "father") Walin is the rector and headmaster of fourteen churches and schools in northeastern Haiti, including St. Benoit. He is gradually beginning to administer the funds prayerfully and responsibly.

Money is not the only important gift we are making. Prior to the earthquake, St. George School decided to form a companion school partnership with St. Benoit. This will give our students the opportunity to develop relationships with children whose lives are very different from their own. More on this will be addressed in the months ahead, and our intention is to maintain a focus on that country and do our part to reach out to them. Already we have seen tremendous acts of love and support coming from our students. We've been amazed at how quickly the children of St. Benoit have become a part of our daily life at St. George.

We also would like you to know that the 2010 Chain of Love will once again benefit the people of Haiti. If you are considering making a donation for relief efforts, we will gladly accept your contribution and channel it to organizations currently at work with compassion and integrity.

Finally, four representatives from St. George expect to visit Haiti in March. Plans for this trip have been developing for several months, well before the current crisis. School parents James and Karin Hausman, Rob Devlin and I will visit St. Benoit and the village of Mombin Crochu. We will learn more about what is needed there and share your best wishes with them. They will see the faces of our students and know that they are not forgotten. Sending this message may be one of the most important gifts we can make.

As always, thank you for your continued support of St. George Episcopal School. Please pray for the people of Haiti.

Jennifer S.T. Wickham
Director of Religious Formation
St. George Episcopal School
jwickham@saintgeorgeschool.org

Words from Haiti

This unedited message was received in November 2009 following the receipt of our first monetary gift. Fr. Bowen, mentioned below, is Haiti's American counterpart in the Partnership Program.

Greetings to you on behalf of all the friends at St Benoit, Mombin-Crochu in the Name of our Lord Jesus-Christ and Saviour. We really have adequate words to thank you so deeply for this your charitable efforts through the little friends at St Georges school. Fr Bowen have been struggling since years in order to improve life condition in the diocese of Haiti. I want to believe that from this tremendous gift the diocese and especially to my parish, he is not by his own in this battle. This great expression of love shows us your spirit of commitment to help us stretching arms to the least one of God.

With this redemptoristic gift we now have opportunity to pay the teachers at St Benoit school through this school year; widen and repair two old houses where they are having class right now, until we are able to built a more appropriate school for the kids in this town; and then build the fence around this property newly bought.

I want to ensure you and Fr Bowen of the prayers of school kids, teachers and parents of this poor town which you are filling up with your love.

We all are already very anxious of you visiting us the next time Fr. Bowen will come.

Please, convey our regards to all our order friends at St Georges. May God continue to bless all the hands that have been put together in order to rich the less unfortunate ones.May you all be blessed.

Peace and Love, Fr. Walin DeCamps

The Latest on Mombin Crochu

Our town is located at 19° 22' 0" North, 71° 59' 0" West. That is in the northeast quadrant of Haiti, roughly 58 linear miles northeast of the capital city of Port-au-Prince. While information is still very sketchy, it appears that the region of Mombin Crochu was badly shaken, but not likely to have sustained serious damage. The European-Mediterranean Seismological Center reports that the magnitude of the earthquake measured between 4.5-5 mb, as compared to the 7.0 mb measured in Port-au-Prince. Another factor in their favor is the fact that that area is much less-populated than Port-au-Prince and comprised of buildings that are more mud and stick than concrete.

One significant concern for MC is the fact that Haitians are migrating in large numbers away from PaP and into other areas. Like the U.S. saw in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, officials expect people to relocate permanently as survivors make their way to families and friends. This means that many communities will face a brand new burden as population numbers grow.

Our work in Haiti may be more important now than it was when we began.