Diocesan News

Only in Print: Worried About Future, Haitians Observe Independence Day | January 11, 2020

The Independence Day Mass celebrates the Declaration of Independence of Haiti from France 216 years ago. Above, parishioners celebrate at Holy Family Church, Canarsie. (Photo: Jessica Easthope)

By Jessica Easthope

CANARSIE — Ringing in the new year is a tradition celebrated by all — but for Haitians, Jan. 1 also means independence.

In the Diocese of Brooklyn, a Haitian Independence Day Mass is held at a different church each year. This year the Mass was celebrated at Holy Family Church in Canarsie.

Though the Mass is a joyous occasion, the faithful in attendance were aware of the dire situation in Haiti that compels many in their native country to migrate to the United States…


The rest of this article can be found exclusively in the Jan. 11 printed version of The Tablet. You can buy it at church for $1, or you can receive future editions of the paper in your mailbox at a discounted rate by subscribing here. Thank you for supporting Catholic journalism.