Haitian choir lifts every voice in healing

But it is Holy Name's all-Haitian choir that continues to help heal local Haitians, and it does so through song...

From New York Times: Within days of the cataclysmic earthquake in Haiti in 2010, the Church of the Holy Name of Jesus in Manhattan, like many houses of worship, responded with donations of food and water.

But it is Holy Name’s all-Haitian choir that continues to help heal local Haitians, and it does so through song.

Thursday marks the second anniversary of the earthquake that convulsed Port-au-Prince, killing an estimated 300,000. The 29 members of the choir, all of whom have Haitian roots, continue to mourn their country’s loss.

“The people of Haiti are still suffering,” said Lionel Labardy, 41, the director of the choir. He lost several loved ones in the earthquake, including the woman who helped raise him, two brothers and many friends. “There’s been a lot of help, but we can’t see what the help is doing for us.”

Mr. Labardy believes his role as choir director is to help heal the church’s congregation, many of whom are Haitian. The choir has been a staple of the French-language Mass at Holy Name, which is at West 96th Street and Amsterdam Avenue, for 31 years.

Click here to read more

SHARE THIS ARTICLE