The New York Times is reporting that Archbishop Joseph Serge Miot of Port-au-Prince has died in the earthquake that has devastated the island nation, leaving thousands dead and affecting millions more.
From the Associated Press story in the Times:
"Father Pierre Le Beller of the Saint Jacques Missionary Center in western France says fellow missionaries in Haiti told him they found Miot's body in the ruins of the archdiocese office.
Miot was 63. Le Beller spoke to The Associated Press by phone from the Brittany town of Landivisiau."
UPDATE 2:
Catholic News Service had reported earlier that 100 hundred priests and seminarians were also killed in the quake. They have since updated that story.
From the CNS story:
"Amid the confusion, Archbishop Auza told the Vatican missionary news agency Fides that 100 priests and seminarians also were killed. The clergy were reportedly members of the Montfort order on retreat in Port-au-Prince.
"Father Matt Considine of the U.S. province of the Montfort Fathers, based in New York, said that although the 'situation is very confused,' the order's officials have not been told that any of their members died in Port-au-Prince. The order has fewer than 100 members in the country, he told CNS Jan. 13, adding that although there was a retreat going on, it was not in Port-au-Prince and everyone is 'presumed OK.'" Click HERE for the full CNS story.
To donate to victims of the earthquake, the worst in 200 years in Haiti, click HERE to go to the Catholic Relief Services website. The site crashed earlier today due to heavy traffic, but that's actually a good sign. Keep those donations coming, and if the site is down, please try again later.
