Father Tom Hagan first traveled to Haiti with a group of college students in 1985, and established Hands Together a year later. It offers basic services to the poorest people of this hemisphere and welcomes college students, including Newman
students
in 2000 and 2006. This question-and-answer feature was published in
Newman's bulletin during Lent 2005. I first met Tom when he was doing
a mission appeal 10 years ago at Cathedral Parish in La Crosse, where I was
serving as associate pastor. I think you will find Tom’s reflections
captivating and unsettling. You can also visit the
Hands Together web site.
TLW
hy are you committed to the people of Haiti?I honestly, and often prayerfully, ask myself that question everyday. I still miss very much my friends and the lifestyle that I had in the USA. Often there is little or no synergism with my body, head and heart. My body always wants to head back to the "good old days" of hot showers, electricity, comfortable bed, news, TV, good meals, etc; and at other times my head says that it is absolutely illogical to deal with the continual dishonesty, the violence, etc. Other times even my heart tells me that there are needs in places other than Haiti. But, it is usually the heart that wins out after some quiet prayer. It is then and only then with a simple prayer that I convince my head and my body to give it another day. I feel strongly that there is a tremendous need here in Haiti, but I also must say that I don’t really like being here that much or feel like being here, but I learned long ago the folly of determining a vocation or a mission on "feelings."
You’ve wanted to share an experience of Haiti and its people with
others, especially college students. Why?
I have always seen the value of giving young people actual
experiences where they can relate to people who are different than they are
by color, or culture, or religion, etc. I feel that Jesus destroyed all
categories wherever He went and I know that He wants us to do the same.
It is a very critical time for young people in college today. They are often challenged by a culture that is based on evaluating people by performance, by wealth, power, prestige, etc. When I was at Princeton, I remember how much the students suffered trying to fulfill the expectations of others. Often they too would participate in volunteer programs where they would often transfer the same expectations onto the people they were serving. They too often would rate a volunteer program according to how much was accomplished. It became clear to me that the students need not do anything and that it would actually be better if they did nothing. For example, if they were to visit a soup kitchen, I would encourage them to simply sit down and share a meal with the homeless people or to even give up control and have the homeless people serve them. It is so important to establish a relationship with those we serve and with those who serve us and that relationship must be based on respect for the bond of love that binds us all together.
People in the USA need experiences where they can relate to people who are apparently different than they. We spend a fortune manufacturing weapons and spend a small amount on diplomacy which is so needed in our world. We send diplomats to foreign countries who have little or no knowledge of the people. In academia, we often seek the security of embracing the abstract. Universities and colleges love to sponsor seminars, brown bag discussions, etc. on such topics as poverty but do little else. The Church or the faith community seeks the security of having prayers said for the poor or disadvantaged but do very little else. Our culture loves to raise money to help others. These activities are very good but fall short of what should be done.
We must look into the minds and hearts of those we call "foreigners, those we call our enemy, those we call homeless, those who are different, and attempt to see the same pain, the same fears, the same frustrations, the joys as we have. It is then and only then that we truly begin to be fully human, fully alive. Therefore, it is absolutely essential that young people explore the hidden and obscure places of humanity.
What keeps you going in the midst of such overwhelming challenges?
What keeps me going is prayer, getting down on my knees each day and
simply surrendering everything to our God. Sometimes I feel His loving
presence and that is wonderful, but often I do not. Still, I get great
comfort from being alone in silence saying and doing nothing. Also the
Missionaries of Charity whom I meet everyday and with whom I pray Mass
everyday have been my salvation. I could not survive without prayer.
When someone asks you what Haiti is like, what do you say?
I must tell the truth and say that I really don’t like Haiti. I
can’t stand Haiti. There are times when I am at the departing gate at the
airport leaving for Haiti and I actually feel sick. I always love getting
out of Haiti. I really can’t stand the place! I am often embarrassed to
share this with anyone, especially with the volunteers and visitors who
frequently come here and obviously enjoy Haiti. I am usually silent and
often feel guilty or maybe a little emotionally unstable when I listen to
the volunteers saying how much they love Haiti and its people. I really hate
the place! Hate it when people romanticize it! When people romanticize
poverty!
Poverty is a terrible evil and it causes the poor to do evil as well. I am sick and tired of the dishonesty that I find among the very poor and the violence as well. I also have learned that it is a terrible injustice to compare the USA with Haiti. I love my old country back home despite its problems and politics. I also can see the same degree of selfishness in the very poor that I find among the very rich. There is a spiritual sickness that seemingly is every-where both in the USA and certainly here in Haiti, and it really is very much here in Haiti. I also must say that each day I live here I know less and less.
