Soil erosion is one of the most detrimental forces affecting the population in Haiti, and the process is not isolated to distant mountainsides. The name “Haiti” means “Green Island” in the original language of the area. However, many places in the country have now been become dusty, dry, and barren due to the loss of quality soil. Erosion even impacts urban areas, and the Salesian works have not been unaffected. St. Paul Chapel, a part of Immaculate Conception Parish in Port-au-Prince, has continued to lose its surrounding soil into a neighboring canal, and an intervention has been needed.
With the support of Salesian Missions in the United States, work began in April of 2018 on the construction of a new retaining wall in order to shore up the ground around the chapel. In recent weeks large shipments of cement and rocks have been transported to the construction site, while a backhoe has moved soil to prepare the ground. Workers are now creating a solid wall along the canal in order to stabilize the soil and prevent any further erosion.
St. Paul is the spiritual home to a small but vibrant community, ministered by the Salesians of Don Bosco. Located in a largely industrial part of Port-au-Prince, the chapel stands just a block from the airport, and it is surrounded by companies. It serves a small community of individuals that dwell in challenging situations in the area. Masses are held regularly at the chapel, and there is also a weekly youth center that is held on the weekends for the local children.
