Wilmington minister escapes Haiti before the quake

Father Kevin Nadolski was in Haiti just a few days before the earthquake struck, now he’s trying to raise funds to help residents put their lives back together.

“When we learned of this, I was genuinely frightened.”

Father Kevin Nadolski spent last week examining the work of a missionary with the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales in Haiti.  Father Tom Hagan is still in the island nation, and has only been able to get out one brief message saying that he is alive.  Nadolski says, “Much of his work has been centered in Port-au-Prince, specifically in Cite Soleil, which is the slum neighborhood that we’ve been hearing about so much in the past two days.”

Nadolski, who works as Director of Vocations and Communications for the Oblates in Wilmington, says the Oblates are currently collecting donations through schools and parishes, so that supplies will be ready when Hagan is able to determine where those resources would do the most good.

He says the experience of getting out of Haiti just a few days before the quake hit can’t even be captured by the word “eerie.”  Since the earthquake, he’s been thinking about the many people he met, “The people of Haiti are a delightful people who smile broadly despite the great challenge of their lives.”  He says he’s been wondering about how the people he met last week are faring today, “Just remembering the smiles of different people, and worrying ‘where are they.'”