Haiti and Miami activists meet to plan for Fr. Jean-Juste funeral June 17, 2009				News HaitiAction.net

Haiti and Miami activists meet to plan for Fr. Jean Juste funeral

by Randall White

Haiti Action.net - Port au Prince, Haiti — Reverend Father Gerard Jean-Juste will be laid to rest tomorrow after a early morning service at the Cathédrale de Port-au-Prince. Thousands of Lavalas activists and supporters are expected to crowd the largest church in Haiti. After the service a large contingent is expected to make the long trip with the cortège to the town of Cavillon near Aux Cayes where the earthly body of Father Jean-Juste will be laid to rest next to his mother's.

A delegation of Veye Yo activists from Miami met with Lavalas at Fr. Jean Juste's former parish of St. Claire to plan and arrange for the large delegations expected from all over to mourn the loss of one of their greatest leaders and rededicate themselves to the Struggle of Liberation that was the ministry of Fr. Jean-Juste. At times the meetings grew heated as the cloud of suspicion that hangs over the mysterious circumstances of Father Jeri's illness that started when he was incarcerated to prevent him from becoming the frontrunner in Haiti's 2006 presidential elections. Many at the planning meetings felt that Jean-Juste life and leadership was stolen from them and shouted that "… Justice was stolen from us, but we will still find justice!"

The leader of Veye Yo — Lavarice Gaudin — was central to the planning with Lavalas and the St. Claire community. Lavarice was a close assistant to Father Jean Juste for many years and many hours with him every day through his prolonged illness.

At a press conference held at St. Claire Lavalas' Rene Civil, Lavarice and others spoke in length to the Haitian press about Jean-Juste's ministry and the funeral. A large banner with photos of Father Jeri in prison and President Jean Bertrand Aristide were displayed with the words, "Jery ou ale, Batay la ap kontiye." (Jery, even though you leave us, the struggle will continue.)

Even with the intensive planning of the funeral events the work of feeding up to three thousand every day continued at St. Claire. Father Jean Juste organized and built the feeding program with financial assistance provided by the What If? Foundation a non-profit that can take tax-deductable donations to continue one part of his ministry.

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Haiti and Miami activists meet to plan for Fr. Jean Juste funeral

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