Haitian priests flee as gangs seize churches in Port-au-Prince. Faith persists amid violence, with clergy ministering in secret.
Newsroom (20/10/2025, Gaudium Press ) In Haiti’s capital, where gang warfare has silenced church bells and shuttered parishes, dozens of priests have joined a silent exodus of a beleaguered nation. Port-au-Prince, a city under siege, is gripped by fear as armed groups loot, occupy, and burn churches, leaving faith as the last refuge in a stateless land.
According to a census conducted by Father Brillère Aupont in August, 60 churches in the capital and 80 nationwide have been seized by gangs. The International Organization for Migration reports 1.4 million internally displaced Haitians, while the United Nations estimates that over 80% of Port-au-Prince is controlled by criminal factions. Parishes, once community anchors, are closing at an alarming rate.
Father Yves Carlos Romulus is among the displaced. For 10 months, he has lived in hiding in Croix-des-Bouquets, a gang-patrolled suburb. His chapel, Saint-Laurent de Bongard, was torched and occupied. In January, the Viv Ansanm gang federation, led by warlord Jimmy Chérizier, alias “Barbecue,” attacked Kenscoff, a strategic neighborhood southwest of the capital. Within hours, 150 residents were killed, dozens of homes razed, and Joseph, a colleague of Father Romulus, perished. “The survivors fled in terror,” he said. “I chose to stay with my people.”
Now, Father Romulus ministers to scattered parishioners in Pétionville, where the fortunate find shelter with relatives, and others sleep in streets or abandoned buildings. “People call me constantly, distraught,” he said. “I comfort them, reminding them God hasn’t abandoned Haiti. I call it my telephone ministry.” A faint smile carries his words.
The crisis spares no diocese. In April, Archbishop Max Leroy Mésidor of Port-au-Prince decried the closure of 28 parishes due to gang pressure and the paralysis of others. The Haitian Bishops’ Conference has condemned the violence, urging prayer and conversion. “The Church cannot stay silent amid the destruction of life and dignity,” Mgr. Mésidor declared in a spring address.
Father Jeanrilus Excellus, a Spiritan priest, faced similar horrors. His parish, the Conversion of Saint-Paul in Furcy, was turned into a gang stronghold by Viv Ansanm. “They barely let me take the Eucharist and registers before expelling me,” he recalled. Months later, armed men stormed a Pétionville church and abducted him, releasing him after days in captivity.
Violence now desecrates the altars. Yet priests, nuns, and religious persevere despite threats. Caritas Haiti manages shelters for the displaced, while Spiritans and Jesuits remain steadfast. In the Haitian diaspora, from Montreal to Miami, communities pray and fundraise for those left behind.
Faith endures in quiet acts of courage. Masses are held in homes, gardens, or ruins. Father Romulus, undeterred, carries a message for the gangs: “Give this country a chance to survive. Choose life.” Reflecting on a rare moment of reprieve, he added softly, “Today, it didn’t rain. Perhaps that’s a small miracle.”
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Tribute Chretienne
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