Bishop Wismick
Jean Charles
I knew it was coming: Pope Francis has named Father Wismick Jean Charles, Auxiliary Bishop in Haiti.
Jean H Charles
On Annunciation, the 31st day of May 2024, Pope Francis named two new Bishops for Haiti, Father Sander Louis Jean and Father Wismick Jean Charles the subject of my essay today. I have followed Father Wismick for the last twenty years, I knew he would be Bishop one day. At the beginning of the millennium, we find Father Wismick as Pastor at St Brigitte in Westbury with mission Priest assignment in St Martha, Uniondale. Already there, Father Wismick had a following that resembles a rock star. His yearly excursions to the Holy Land assembled a community who displayed solidary beyond the journey to Jerusalem.
Later Father Wismick was named Pastor of St Louis King of France in Canape Vert, Port au Prince to replace Father Quesnel who became Bishop. There, Father Wismick demonstrated his spiritualism, his scholarship, and his loving aura uplifting the soul of each one of his parishioners. His sermon, concise, intellectually stimulating and to the point were reduced to the three T. You shall give to God and to your parish, your Time, your Talent and your Treasure. As such the whole parishioners of St Louis were busy giving to the Church their three T’s.
I remember one day on Good Friday procession, I approached Father Wismick asking him whether it was allowed to give “madichon[Ma1] ” a curse, to someone. Father Wismick all excited to warn me “you should never give a curse to someone”. Since then, I have prayed on my knees for my enemies. It worked with efficacy.
Father Wismick was later called by the Superior of Montfort to Rome as an advisor. He remained close to his former parish of St Louis in sponsoring a psychological institute there.
Dr. Wismick Jean Charles is a native of Petite Desdunes, he was born on November 29. 1963, after his secondary studies he entered the Salesian Seminary at Thorland where he was ordained on January 15, 1995. His pastoral ministry started at St George’s parish in Bassin Bleu in the North West region of Haiti. Later we find him as Vicar of St Brigitte in Westbury. While there Father Wismick attended Fordham University where he obtained a Master Degree and a Doctorate degree in psychological counseling.
Those studies were crowned by a post doctorate degree in Global Mental Health at Harvard University in 2012. Equipped with this high degree formation, Father Wismick became Vice Rector of Academic Studies at Notre Dame University in Haiti and parish priest at St Louis king of France at Turgeau in Port au Prince. 2013-2017. It was there that the General Superior of Montfort, Father Luiz Augusto Stefani called on Father Wismick to come to Rome to become the Vicar General of the Montfort for North America, Latin America and the Caribbean and at the same time Chair of the international Committee for the Protection of minor of the Society of Mary.
Bishop Wismick will have bread on the floor in his ministry in Haiti. The nation is on its knee plagued by gang’s violence, poverty and ill governance. Thirty years ago, I wrote to the Haitian Bishops, suggesting a project of nation building with the priests willing to attend some studies in my Alma matter at Columbia University School of Social Work. They will be assigned to the new parishes in the rural counties, with 40% of their time devoted to nation building, Haiti would be on its way of becoming an emerging nation.
I have postulated in previous essays that Haiti rests on three pillars, the army that was there since the Haitian revolution in 1803, the Voodoo that we transported from Africa and mimicking the Catholic Church that started in 1492 when Christopher Columbus planted the cross in Mole St Nicholas.
Those three pillars must reconstruct the nation. The Catholic Church in particular must play its part, especially when President Geffrard signed a Concordat with Vatican “trusting its children to the Church to provide them with education and elevation”. The Britton’s priests have played their parts in the towns, it is up to the indigenous clergy to continue the civilization process in the rural counties.
I have seen this process worked in my own town in Grand River, with Father Gabriel transforming Bonamy the Champagne of orange trees in Haiti into a vibrant setting. Having a willing nation builder priest, in each one of our 560 rural counties will make a marking difference in Haiti.
Again in my home town of Grand River for its 300 plus years of existence only 3 priests have made a difference, Father Daricad in 1910 who instructed the youngsters of the parish during World War I including my own father, leaving them genius of their generation! Father Jamier in 1950 who built the magnificent church of Grand River and Father Sem who convert the souls in 2020, they were nation builders. Bishop Wismick is in that tramp! God is smiling for Haiti. It will be reborn from its ashes!
Jean Herve Charles LLB, MSW, JD was a presidential candidate in the elections of 2016. He can be reached at jeanhc...@aol.com
Phone 646 248-1171
[Ma1]
Jean Charles
I knew it was coming Pope Francis has named Father Wismick Jean Charles, Auxiliary Bishop in Haiti.
Jean H Charles
On Annunciation, the 31st day of May 2024, Pope Francis named two new Bishops for Haiti, Father Sander Louis Jean and Father Wismick Jean Charles the subject of my essay today. I have followed Father Wismick for the last twenty years, I knew he would be Bishop one day. At the beginning of the millennium, we find Father Wismick as Pastor at St Brigitte in Westbury with mission Priest assignment in St Martha, Uniondale. Already there, Father Wismick had a following that resembles a rock star. His yearly excursions to the Holy Land assembled a community who displayed solidary beyond the journey to Jerusalem.
Later Father Wismick was named Pastor of St Louis King of France in Canape Vert, Port au Prince to replace Father Quesnel who became Bishop. There, Father Wismick demonstrated his spiritualism, his scholarship, and his loving aura uplifting the soul of each one of his parishioners. His sermon, concise, intellectually stimulating and to the point were reduced to the three T. You shall give to God and to your parish, your Time, your Talent and your Treasure. As such the whole parishioners of St Louis were busy giving to the Church their three T’s.
I remember one day on Good Friday procession, I approached Father Wismick asking him whether it was allowed to give “madichon[Ma1] ” a curse, to someone. Father Wismick all excited to warn me “you should never give a curse to someone”. Since then, I have prayed on my knees for my enemies. It worked with efficacy.
Father Wismick was later called by the Superior of Montfort to Rome as an advisor. He remained close to his former parish of St Louis in sponsoring a psychological institute there.
Dr. Wismick Jean Charles is a native of Petite Desdunes, he was born on November 29. 1963, after his secondary studies he entered the Salesian Seminary at Thorland where he was ordained on January 15, 1995. His pastoral ministry started at St George’s parish in Bassin Bleu in the North West region of Haiti. Later we find him as Vicar of St Brigitte in Westbury. While there Father Wismick attended Fordham University where he obtained a Master Degree and a Doctorate degree in psychological counseling..
Those studies were crowned by a post doctorate degree in Global Mental Health at Harvard University in 2012. Equipped with this high degree formation, Father Wismick became Vice Rector of Academic Studies at Notre Dame University in Haiti and parish priest at St Louis king of France at Turgeau in Port au Prince. 2013-2017. It was there that the General Superior of Montfort, Father Luiz Augusto Stefani called on Father Wismick to come to Rome to become the Vicar General of the Montfort for North America, Latin America and the Caribbean and at the same time Chair of the international Committee for the Protection of minor of the Society of Mary.
Bishop Wismick will have bread on the floor in his ministry in Haiti. The nation is on its knee plagued by gang’s violence, poverty and ill governance. Thirty years ago, I wrote to the Haitian Bishops, suggesting a project of nation building with the priests willing to attend some studies in my Alma matter at Columbia University School of Social Work. They will be assigned to the new parishes in the rural counties, with 40% of their time devoted to nation building, Haiti would be on its way of becoming an emerging nation.
I have postulated in previous essays that Haiti rests on three pillars, the army that was there since the Haitian revolution in 1803, the Voodoo that we transported from Africa and mimicking the Catholic Church that started in 1492 when Christopher Columbus planted the cross in Mole St Nicholas.
Those three pillars must reconstruct the nation. The Catholic Church in particular must play its part, especially when President Geffrard signed a Concordat with Vatican “trusting its children to the Church to provide them with education and elevation”. The Britton’s priests have played their parts in the towns, it is up to the indigenous clergy to continue the civilization process in the rural counties.
I have seen this process worked in my own town in Grand River, with Father Gabriel transforming Bonamy the Champagne of orange trees in Haiti into a vibrant setting. Having a willing nation builder priest, in each one of our 560 rural counties will make a marking difference in Haiti.
The Monfort priests are in control of the town of Gros Morne the Champagne of Mango Francis in Haiti, it is up to them to transform Gros Morne into a heaven of wealth and prosperity with the citizens of Gros Morne selling directly their mangos to all parts of the world.
Again in my home town of Grand River for its 300 plus years of existence only 3 priests have made a difference, Father Daricad in 1910 who instructed the youngsters of the parish during World War I including my own father, leaving them genius of their generation! Father Jamier in 1950 who built the magnificent church of Grand River and Father Sem who convert the souls in 2020, they were nation builders. Bishop Wismick is in that tramp! God is smiling for Haiti. It will be reborn from its ashes!
Jean Hervé Charles LLB, MSW, JD was a presidential candidate in the elections of 2016. He can be reached at jeanhc...@aol.com
Phone 646 248-1171
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