By Blanca Morales - Florida Catholic
Cardinal Chibly Langlois raises his hands in praise during the Mass.
Cardinal Chibly Langlois and Father Reginald Jean-Marie, administrator of Notre Dame d'Haiti Mission, share a sign of peace during Mass.
Notre Dame d'Haiti's choir sings during the Mass.
Philomise Louis sings and raises her hands in praise during Mass.
Cardinal Chibly Langlois looks at a gift from Miami's Haitian community, a new chasuble with an image of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, patroness of Haiti. Helping him is altar server Hermann Nord.
Photography: MARLENE QUARONI | FC
MIAMI | For Father Reginald Jean Mary, Cardinal Chibly Langlois is “Haiti’s pride and hope.”
Notre Dame d’Haiti parishioner Evelyn MacGuffie called him a sign “that God doesn’t forget poor people.”
So when Haiti’s first and only cardinal processed into the Little Haiti church for Mass Nov. 23, all eyes were upon him, and the applause was overwhelming.
Photographer: MARLENE QUARONI | FC
Cardinal Chibly Langlois looks at a gift from Miami's Haitian community, a new chasuble with an image of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, patroness of Haiti. Helping him is altar server Hermann Nord.
Outside, cars filled every possible space in the parking lot. Inside, the pews were jam-packed with Haitians from all over the archdiocese, including parishes such as St. Clement in Wilton Manors and St. Bartholomew in Miramar.
Joy was evident in their smiling faces, and it found a vent in hymns and prayers, in hands raised in praise, and in feet tapping to music pulsing with Caribbean flair.
Some members of Notre Dame’s prayer group wore shirts which read in Creole, “Thank you, Lord, for Cardinal Chibly Langlois.”
The cardinal’s visit came as a surprise. Father Jean Mary, Notre Dame d’Haiti’s administrator, received a phone call from Archbishop Thomas Wenski on Thursday, informing him that Cardinal Langlois would be in Miami that weekend.
Photographer: MARLENE QUARONI | FC
Paula Louis, Marie Detin and Liza Fauquet wear Cardinal Chibly Langlois T-shirts during the Mass he celebrated at Notre Dame d'Haiti Mission in Miami.
The cardinal has often visited Miami to attend meetings of PROCHE, an acronym which stands in both Creole and English for Partnership for the Reconstruction of the Church in Haiti. But he had yet to celebrate Mass with Miami’s Haitian diaspora, the largest group in the U.S.
Since his installation Feb. 22, the cardinal has been traveling back and forth between Rome, Haiti, and the U.S., where he has visited with various Haitian communities.
In May, he was named a member of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, which promotes human rights by cooperating with international advocacy groups, organizations and religious institutions. That same day he was also appointed a member of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.
At 56 (his birthday is Nov. 29), Cardinal Langlois is the youngest of the 19 cardinals appointed by Pope Francis, and the only one who was not already an archbishop.
The fact that he is the first Haitian ever to be made cardinal has sparked hope among Haitians both inside and outside the country, which is still coping with the damages caused by the 2010 earthquake and ongoing political turmoil.
As president of the Haitian bishops’ conference, Cardinal Langlois currently serves as a mediator among 50 members of opposition groups and the Haitian president’s representatives.
For this reason, Father Jean Mary calls him “an apostle of unity.”
Notre Dame d’Haiti parishioner Marie Polycarp hopes that now that Haiti has a cardinal, things will change in the country, “especially for the people suffering, the poor,” she said.
She feels that Cardinal Langlois can inspire change. “He can talk to others to help.”
During his homily, on the solemnity of Christ the King, Cardinal Langlois exhorted the community to serve those in need. He said politicians are not meant to serve themselves, but to serve the people in their care.
As he spoke, assenting “amens” burst throughout the congregation.
Though he is soft-spoken, Cardinal Langlois seized the attention of his listeners. They held on to every word, often nodding and responding affirmatively.
He also called himself a “cardinal for everyone,” meaning he wants to serve not only Catholics, but all the people in Haiti.
The cardinal, who was born in an impoverished family in Jacmel, displays a peaceful demeanor; even while the crowds pressed around him, seeking a blessing, he remained gracious and calm, smiling and shaking every hand that welcomed him.
“It’s encouraging to have a Haitian cardinal. Cardinal Langlois is very humble and down-to-earth,” said St. John Vianney seminarian Jeremy Lully, who came with three other Haitian seminarians.
“Celebrating Mass on the solemnity of Christ the King was a good occasion to be with Miami’s Haitian community,” said Cardinal Langlois. “It’s a good community. I’m happy to be with them today, to thank God, and to show everyone that God’s love is with us.”
His message to the Haitian diaspora? “Stay united. Continue striving to live as God wants us to live.”
He also asked God to bless Haiti, and asked the people to pray for him, that he will be a good servant and that God will bless him by filling his heart with “pure love.”
Photographer: MARLENE QUARONI | FC
Cardinal Chibly Langlois and Father Reginald Jean-Marie, administrator of Notre Dame d'Haiti Mission, share a sign of peace during Mass.
