Bishop Robert Brennan is set to preside over a Mass dedicated to peace in Haiti. The Mass is scheduled for Monday evening, March 18, at 7:30 p.m., and will be preceded by a prayer service. It will be celebrated at Holy Innocents Roman Catholic Church, located at 279 East 17th Street in Flatbush.

Accompanied by Haitian priests from the diocese, Bishop Brennan will lead prayers aimed at fostering a peaceful resolution to the ongoing turmoil gripping Haiti. This solemn occasion serves as a beacon of hope for those who anxiously await news of their loved ones amidst the chaos.

Additionally, heartfelt prayers will be extended for Bishop Pierre-André Dumas of Anse-a-Veau-Miragoâne. The bishop is currently recuperating from grave injuries sustained during an explosion in Port-au-Prince last month, which left him with severe burns. He is presently undergoing treatment in a hospital in Miami.

An estimated 80% of Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, is currently under the control of armed gangs, a number of which recently began targeting state institutions, including prisons, police stations and the main international airport. 

The attacks were believed to be an effort to oust Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who had traveled to Guyana and then Kenya, with troops from the latter nation set to be deployed as part of a now-paused United Nations peacekeeping mission. At least 4,000 inmates were freed by gangs, while scores have been reported killed and some 15,000 left homeless.

The U.S. Embassy has urged its citizens to leave Haiti as soon as possible, and the U.N. has relocated 267 nonessential staff to the neighboring Dominican Republic.