By Rocio Granados - La Voz Catolica

MIAMI | Father Kidney Saint Jean, the second Haitian-born priest ordained for the Archdiocese of Miami, died in Fort Lauderdale in the early morning hours of Feb. 28, 2025. He died at the age of 64.
Father Saint Jean suffered a massive heart attack last October that left him in a coma. “He was in hospice receiving medical treatment when he passed away,” said his nephew, Father Fenley Saint Jean, pastor of St. James Church in North Miami.

“He was a very good pastor, he had a very good sense of humor, and he was also very spiritual, but he was never got angry,” said Sandy Stein, office manager at Our Lady Queen of Heaven Parish in Fort Lauderdale, where Father Saint Jean served as pastor for 18 years.

From the time Father Saint Jean arrived at the parish, “he was just a good priest, he took care of his people. He was a wonderful pastor to work for,” said Stein who has a friendly relationship with Father Saint Jean.

When “I first came here 30 years ago, it was basically an Anglo community. When Father Kidney came, we had a lot of people following him from different churches because they liked him,” said Stein.

Now at Our Lady Queen of Heaven, “we had a very large Haitian community because of him. He was very involved with the Haitian community because he was Haitian, and they totally adored him, they did everything for him,” said Stein.

Father Saint Jean contributed to the diversity of the parish; he also embraced the Hispanic community that was also growing in the parish. He celebrated Mass in Spanish and “he used to help me because I don't speak Spanish,” added Stein.

His community was very important for Father Saint Jean. “He loved love this church. He loved Our Lady Queen of Heaven,” said Stein adding, he was a happy person, and he always had time for people, he never turned people away.

Stain also mentioned that Father Saint Jean loved music and dancing. He was very good with young people. “The kids loved him, and he always had time for them.”

Father Saint Jean had a kidney problem and was on dialysis for a long time. He had a kidney transplant about ten years ago. “One day he called me, and he says ‘hurry up, I'm going to Orlando, I'm going to get a kidney,” remembered Stein. Father Saint Jean asked her to prepare all checks to pay the parish bills before his surgery.

“And he was good with that kidney for, I'd have to say ten years,” said Stein, when he had that massive heart attack.

That day, last October, Stein remembered Father Saint Jean celebrating the 4:30 p.m. Mass and walking her out to her car. “And he looked good, he looked good to me.”

The next day, she got a call from Father Fenley saying his uncle was in hospital. “And he never came out of the coma, it was like five months ago,” she said.

Stein will remember Father Saint Jean as “he was a good teacher, and he was always nice. He was never mean to anybody”.

“He was a very good uncle, and he loved the people, and he was very pastoral,” said Father Fenley adding that “as an uncle, he was a good model for me.”

“When I heard the call to the priesthood, I let him know, and then he was very happy to hear that, and he wanted to make sure that it was really what I was feeling,” Father Fenley recalled.

He made sure that his nephew had a good discernment and to spoke with the archdiocesan vocation director. "He was happy and proud," added Father Fenley.

“I knew him before I entered the seminary,” said Msgr. Chanel Jeanty, interim pastor of Our Lady Queen of Heaven since early October. “He was my old pastor at my home parish, at St. Joseph Mission (in Pompano Beach). I've known him for a number of years.”

“He was kindhearted, always smiling. He had a good sense of humor and really took life as it came,” remembers Msgr. Jeanty.  “He wasn't the one who was complaining about his health or anything like that, although he carried that cross with courage. I will certainly remember him and certainly I will be missing him,” he added.

Father Saint-Jean was born Sept. 12, 1960 in Grande Riviere du Nord, Haiti. He studied for the priesthood at the seminary in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and was ordained for the Archdiocese of Miami May 16, 1992. He was the second Haitian priest ordained for the archdiocese, after Father Jean Pierre, the first Haitian-born priest ordained here.

He served as parochial vicar at Notre Dame d’Haiti, Miami (1992-98); and administrator of St. Joseph Mission, Pompano Beach (1998-2004). In June 2004, he was named pastor of Holy Family, North Miami; and on Jan. 05, 2006, he was appointed pastor of Our Lady Queen of Heaven, North Lauderdale.

 

FUNERAL SERVICES

• The viewing for Father Kidney Saint Jean is set for Friday, March 14, from 7- 9 p.m. at Our Lady Queen of Heaven Church, 1400 South State Road 7, North Lauderdale.
• The funeral Mass will be celebrated by Archbishop Thomas Wenski, Saturday, March 15, 2025 at 9 a.m., at St. Clement Church, 2975 North Andrews Avenue, Wilton Manors. Burial will follow at Our Lady Queen of Heaven Cemetery, 1500 South State Road 7, North Lauderdale.