The Rosary and Father Gerry

 

Friday, June 20, 2008

The Rosary and Father Gerry

As Father Gerry languished in a Haitian prison several years ago with leukemia, conveniently denied by a local Haitian doctor, the Catholic hierarchy in Haiti stripped Father of his duties as a priest.

Father returned to Haiti in 2007 to defend himself against still pending charges. In court, he replied that "My rosary is my only weapon." All charges were dropped. 

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My comments in 2021--

Knowing Fr. Jean Juste was very significant for Maria and me. We knew that we were in the presence of an honest and sincere human being. 

No job was too small for him. No person was too small for him. 

He was a courageous man. We saw that up close and personal. 

Father died in 2009. Our friend, Bill Quigley, wrote the following about Father Gerry. 

"Pere Jean-Juste was sometimes called the most dangerous man in Haiti. That was because he was not afraid to die. His computer screen saver was a big blue picture of Mary, the mother of Jesus. "Every day I am ready to meet her." He once told me, when death threats came again. "I will not stop working for justice because of their threats. I am looking forward to heaven."