Bishop - Haiti Observer Blog

An ardent supporter of the Duvalier regime, Haitian Bishop Francois-Wolff Ligonde passed away. According to Radio Kiskeya based on information obtained from Bishop Louis Kebreau, he died following an unspecified illness.

Bishop Francois-Wolff Ligonde was born in the city of Les Cayes, on January 17, 1928. On August 20, 1966, Pope Paul VI nominated him as Archbishop of Port-au-Prince. After more than 40 years in this position, Bishop Francois-Wolff Ligonde retired from his post in 2008.

Bishop Francois-Wolff Ligonde became famous when he presided over the wedding of Jean Claude Duvalier and Michele Bennett, whom he is the uncle. The wedding that many people believe marked the beginning of the end of the regime. There were several issues on the table with this particular wedding: One, Michele Bennett, a mulatto who came opposed to the Noirisme movement that Francois Duvalier has been promoting throughout his government. Two, the wedding itself in 1980 cost over $5 millioms.

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A Trinity Wall Street report confirms that the Rev. Canon Oge Beauvoir became the first bishop suffragan of the Diocese of Haiti on May 22, 2012 during a service in the open-air cathedral of diocese. He was the dean of the Episcopal Theological Seminary in Port-au-Prince prior to become the bishop suffragan.

On November 25 of the last year Oge Beauvoir was elected to become the first bishop suffragan. The important election was held at Ascension Church in Carrefour, a suburb of Port-au-Prince where he was elected on the second ballot with 25 priest votes and 68 lay votes.

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The head of Holy Roman Catholic Church Pope Benedict XVI appointed Monsignor Max Leroy Mesidor, as Bishop of Fort Liberte in the Diocese of Gonaives. Born in January 6, 1962, he has served various posts such as being vicar in charge as well as priest in a cathedral. He was brought up in the Diocese of Gonaives at Saint Marc Cathedral.

Max Leroy was educated in the same place where he completed his elementary schooling and joined the college of Immaculate Conception in Gonaives. The bishop later, after schooling went to the city and joined seminary to study Bachelor of Sacred Theology. He studied his first degree in Port-au-Prince when he enrolled into seminary. He completed seminary in 1987 and in the same year, he graduated with a degree in Sacred Theology.

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In July, Haitian President Martelly, along with Bishop Pierre-Andre Dumas and Food for the Poor Representative Daniel Rouzier, visited a village located in Nippes Department's Anse-à-Veau that was built for the displaced victims of the 2010 earthquake and the various floods in the department. It was a project done by the NGO Food for the Poor where about sixty homes were built. The trio also launched the town's new Sainte Anne Polytechnic School during their visit.

The Martelly administration has been launching several projects for the development of Haiti's economy and for the welfare of all Haitians, especially the victims of the devastating 2010 earthquake. It has also urged for the decentralization of the government's power and resources to local governments and smaller public sectors in order to extend its public service to the smallest of communes and villages.

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The small town of Jacmel in Haiti's south is known for its rich history. Its buildings and infrastructure date back to the early 1800s and has been tentatively proclaimed as World Heritage Site by UNESCO. But the beautiful town filled with great potential in becoming one of Haiti's main tourist destinations was severely damaged by the 2010 earthquake that hit the country.

With the Haitian government looking at Jacmel as being a major tourist attraction in the country in the near future, Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe, along with the Ministry of Tourism's Stéphanie Balmir Villdrouin and the ministers Planning and Finance, launched the planned rehabilitation projects for the town's historical center. This was announced after the Prime Minister's return from touring the United States and the United Kingdom for potential cooperative efforts with these nations. This announcement was in line with the previous announcement by the Haitian government in December 2011 approved $40 million funding for Haiti's tourism industry under the Petrocaribre Fund.

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