Cardinal Chibly Langlois of Les Cayes, Haiti, will celebrate Mass with Bishop Dennis Sullivan July 20, at 2:30 p.m., Church of the Assumption, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, Galloway.
The visit to South Jersey will also be a family affair for Cardinal Langlois, as he has aunts, uncles, cousins and other relatives coming not only from areas such as Pleasantville and Galloway Township, but also from Texas, Massachusetts and Canada to take part in the celebration at Assumption Church.
As well, during his time in the Camden Diocese, Cardinal Langlois will preside over a cousin’s wedding, and baptize two of his cousins’ children.
The cardinal’s family is “very excited” for his visit, said his cousin, Jean-Bosco Franck, who lives in Pleasantville with his mother and father, the cardinal’s aunt and uncle, Gaston and Bernadette.
Jean-Bosco’s two children, six siblings, nieces and nephews will also be present for the cardinal’s arrival.
During his stay, Cardinal Langlois will stay at the Pleasantville home, with his aunt, uncle and cousin.
Cardinal Langlois and Jean-Bosco grew up in Haiti together, eventually growing as close as brothers, after the cardinal’s father passed away when Chibly was young and he was taken in by Gaston and Bernadette.
The two cousins even studied for a time at the same seminary together in Haiti, Petit Seminaire College Saint Martial, and spent 16 hours walking in the mountains of Montroius to the city of Mathieu, spreading the Gospel.
Even though their vocations have diverged, with Cardinal Langlois now in Haiti, and Jean-Bosco working toward his master’s in technology and studying to be an interpreter, they are connected by their blood and faith.
Jean-Bosco’s cousin is “a humble person,” and his elevation to cardinal has not changed “the way he interacts with people, or changed his vision, to help the poor. He’s the type of person to open the door for anybody. His faith in the power of Christ has allowed him to help those in need. I’m proud that he is my cousin.”
Haiti’s new cardinal is known as a tireless worker, an advocate for the people and someone who never forgot his impoverished childhood.
Pope Francis named the first Haitian cardinal Jan. 12 when he selected then-Bishop Langlois of Les Cayes, 55, who was president of the Haitian bishops’ conference.
Haitian Catholic leaders saw the choice as recognition of the church’s work following a devastating earthquake that struck four years ago to the day of the papal announcement. The quake killed hundreds of thousands and left 1.5 million homeless. It killed the archbishop of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and toppled the city’s iconic cathedral.
People who know Cardinal Langlois say he worked tirelessly after the January 2010 earthquake and that he represents the face of the new Haitian church dedicated to working with the country’s most vulnerable residents.
In a country where the church has been marked by its involvement in politics, the naming of Cardinal Langlois was seen as acknowledgment of the church’s work, rather than its politics.
Haiti’s political struggles have been marked by the Duvalier family regime, a father-son dictatorship that lasted three decades before Jean-Claude Duvalier was overthrown in 1986. Political instability followed, including the tenure of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, a popular former Salesian priest who was twice removed in coups.
“Gone are the days of the bishops of Duvalier. Gone are the days of the liberation theology priests, one of whom, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, became president,” Father Hans Alexander, representative of the Haitian bishops’ conference, said in a statement at the time.
Father Alexander called Cardinal Langlois the “head of a young church” seeking a new direction.
“He has not forgotten the fact that he came from poverty,” he said. “That has been an important factor in how he has approached his work.”
Cardinal Langlois entered Port-au-Prince’s major seminary in 1985. Six years later, he was ordained. In 2004, Pope John Paul II appointed him bishop of Fort-Liberte, the most northeastern area of the country, near the border with the Dominican Republic.
“He was tireless in his work with the youth and for better opportunities for children in Fort-Liberte,” Msgr. Tilus said.
Cardinal Langlois was appointed bishop in Les Cayes in 2011, the same year he took over as president of the bishops’ conference.
By Peter G. Sánchez for the July 11, 2014 Catholic Star Herald
Contributing to this story was Catholic News Service.
