Survivors of Haitian earthquake attend ND mass of hope

NOTRE DAME — Hundreds gathered at Notre Dame Monday in a mass of hope for Haiti, including several members of the University's Haiti Program who were in Port Au Prince when a powerful 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit last week. Relief efforts continue around the clock in the hardest hit areas of Haiti. The United Nations now estimates 73,000 families have received enough food to last for the next week. But many more continue to wait for aid, increasing the risk that the death toll with continue to rise. The European Union now says about 200,000 people may have been killed in the quake. The E.U. is quoting Haitian officials who say about 70,000 bodies have been recovered so far. But, even those whose houses survived the quake are living outside, because of the fear that unstable buildings could collapse in aftershocks and bodies still lay in the streets of the capital of Port Au Prince. Many in the South Bend area pledged their spiritual and financial support during Monday's mass, sending prayers of hope to those still suffering thousands of miles away. "We pray for the people of Haiti," said Notre Dame President Rev. John Jenkins, CSC, leading the mass of hope at Notre Dame's Basilica of the Sacred Heart. Prayers went out to rescue workers, American troops, those who remain buried under debris and rubble and the families struggling to cope with the tragic losses of loved ones across the impoverished nation. Among those praying for hope, was Logan Anderson. 6 days ago, he and his colleagues from Notre Dame's Haiti Program were on the outskirts of Port Au Prince when the quake hit. "We were at the Hotel Montana, not to stay, but for a conference, and we went up to the fourth floor to a colleague's room," Anderson said, recounting the moments before the impact. "She had a nice terrace right next to her room, so we decided to go out there and have it out there instead. And, about 10 minutes after we got out there, we felt the earthquake. It was really unmistakable, but you really just didn't want to believe it," Anderson continued. The violent shaking threw Anderson from his chair onto the ground. "Then, the next thing I can really remember is the terrace underneath us just collapsing down to the third floor, then the second floor, then it sort of stopped and slanted forward," he said. As the dust cleared, Anderson looked through the rubble and found the rest of his team shaken, but mostly unhurt. One colleague had a broken leg, and many more had bruises. "But, we felt really lucky," Anderson said. Then, they shifted their view to the city below them. "You could hear buildings collapsing. You could hear the whole population screaming," Anderson said. But, Notre Dame Haiti Program Director Rev. Thomas Streit, CSC, PhD, says you could also hear something else. "You could hear cries of the city below every time there was an aftershock. But, you could also hear them relying on the two "F's", I call them--faith and family. Even with all the churches in Port Au Prince destroyed, the people were still singing. I could hear that at night," Streit said. "That singing, praying and chanting--that was sort of uplifting for us as well," said Anderson. The group slept for the first night on a patch of grass near the crumbling hotel, later helping to clear that same area as a landing zone for military helicopters. A group of U.N. soldiers escorted them to the U.S. Embassy, where arrangements were made with the U.S. Coast Guard to evacuate them on Friday. But, many others in Haiti remain in the devastation. "It's a nightmare," said Streit. "But, it's also filled with moments of incredible grace and the beauty of the human spirit in the face of horrific tragedy." Some, like T.J. D'Agostino, who works with Notre Dame's Alliance for Catholic Education are still waiting on word from friends and colleagues in the most heavily damaged areas. "I was last in Haiti in October, and the most immediate thing to me was just seeing if some of my close friends--people that I've spent a lot of time with and have close relationships with are OK. But, it's been hard to get information on that. I'm still waiting to hear on a couple people who, quite frankly, we don't even know if they're alive," D'Agostino said. "I'm here tonight to pray for them and everyone else there. I'm also praying that I'll find out soon," D'Agostino continued. Students at Notre Dame are doing their part, too. Student clubs, organizations and residence halls have banded together for a donation drive, hoping to send hope to those who need it most. "There's a Haitian phrase that goes 'pas a pas,' which means 'step by step.' [We hope to help them] take it one step at a time and focus on small achievements. This will be a long recovery ahead, and hopefully we can help get the resources down there in an efficient manor," Anderson said. Notre Dame researchers like Anderson and Streit have been working in Haiti to eradicate diseases like elephantitis, which effects an estimated 26% of all Haitians. The program is on hold for the moment as recovery efforts continue. But, the group hopes to return to Port Au Prince to help rebuild soon. "We're trying to eradicate one disease and control several others. If we let up at all, our research shows it will come back. So, we want to keep the drug pressure on it," said Streit. "This is the worst event in the history of the country--and this is a country that's had a lot of trouble," Streit continued. "They need that prayer, life and faith. We can help them, even remotely." Additional information about donation efforts and the campus response to the Haiti earthquake is available at: http://haitidisaster.nd.edu. The Associated Press contributed to this report.