Our International Involvement

The Brothers of Christian Instruction benefit from Council 3777 Donations

Walk to Citadelle Fundraiser
College of Saint Joseph - Haiti

Walk to Citadelle Fundraiser
O n March 15 - 16, 2003 Brother Milo Frederique assembled a number of volunteers to complete a round trip walk from Cap Haitien to the Citadelle for the
purpose of raising funds to construct a new school building and residence for the Brothers of Christian Instruction.

The ambitious project is attempting to raise USD $100,000.00 to fund the construction effort. Local students, parents, fellow Brothers and supportive residents have joined forces to raise money locally in Cap Haitien. Brother Milo is also seeking financial support from benefactors here in the USA.

The Knights of Columbus Council 3777 has committed to a USD $1,000.00 contribution to assist the fundraising efforts.

The Walk To The Citadel involved four (4) teachers, two (2) former students of the College of St. Joseph, four (4) current students, one (1) parent, two (2) friends of the school and two (2) administrators for a total of 15 participants. The distance for the round trip walk was quite lengthy and took two days to complete. The distance and time commitment prohibited other interested parties from participating as a walker.

High above Haiti's once-fertile northern plains, like a stone ship jutting through the clouds, stands one of the engineering marvels of the New World, now largely
abandoned to nature and the few tourists who climb the winding cobblestone track to visit the crumbling stone fortress.

The Citadelle, built by King Henri Christophe at the beginning of the 19th century to defend against invaders, is the largest fortress in the Western Hemisphere. It is Haiti's most revered national symbol -- of brilliance in its building but of cruelty in the forced labor that cost up to 20,000 lives.

The Citadelle is crucial to understanding Haiti's turbulent history as the only nation whose birth was the result of a successful slave rebellion. The Citadelle was built to protect the interior of the country in case the French tried to retake the former colony. The political decision was made to burn the land on the coast and retreat to the mountains at the first sign of an invasion, and use the mountain passes as choke points. The main desire was to survive at whatever cost, and never, ever, return to slavery. The fort is a symbol of the will to fight for one's freedom.

So impressive is the fortress, stretched across the mountain peak, with sheer cliffs on three sides and the only point of access subject to withering cannon fire, that the United Nations included the Citadelle in its list of cultural treasures, along with the Acropolis, the pyramids of Egypt and the temple of Borobudur in Indonesia. While some reconstruction has been done, cannons and cannon balls litter the structure and parts of it are off-limits because they are in danger of tumbling down.

The fortress's 365 cannons and 10,000 rounds, along with a massive stone cistern, were designed to allow the permanent garrison of several thousand men to resist almost indefinitely. It took up to three months for a single cannon to be moved from the
coast to the fortress.

Built directly on the stone, with no separate foundation, the hewed rock is held by a mortar made of limestone, molasses and cow's blood.

La Citadelle, built by King Henri Christophe took fifteen years to build (1805-1820) and cost the lives of over 20,000 people. Perched on Pic La Ferrière (900 meters high), one can see Cuba on a clear day. King Christophe, the royal family, its court and 5,000 soldiers could have held out against the French for a year. It is considered by many to be the eighth wonder of the world.

Check out the Photo Gallery section of this web site for many pictures of the participants in the Walk To The Citadelle.