What can you do?

I know you've probably seen more than your share of pictures of devastation in Haiti, read about what you can do on several blogs and news sites this morning, thought about what you can do, maybe prayed.

If you prayed, pray some more. Grab your rosary and really, really pray. And not just for the poor, poor people who have nothing left, after their tiny little house collapsed, if they even had a house. And not just for the safety of the missionaries who were there when the devastation occurred and who will be there helping for years to come. Pray for the conversion of the people of Haiti. Pray that they will see that God is the only answer.

If you know anything about Haiti, you probably know that it is one of the poorest (if not the poorest) countries in the world. Geographically, it is half of the island of Hispanola; the Dominican Republic occupies the other half of the island. If you've ever seen a vegetation map of the island, you would have noticed that the side of the island the Dominican Republic occupies is lush and green and fertile, rich in natural resources and agricultural products. The side that Haiti occupies is desolate. The occupants have deforested almost the entire country and the land that is left is like desert. The soil has eroded and there is not adequate water.

In Haiti, the number of households below poverty is 80%. Their GDP per capita is $1,300. Comparatively, in the Dominican Republic, the GDP per capita is $8,100, still not high by modern standards (the GDP per capita in the U.S. is $49,000), but considerably better than in Haiti. Both Haiti and the Dominican Republic have some 9 million residents, but they live markedly different lives. Google images of both countries. Even before the earthquake, images of Haiti were of poor people, desolate land, filth, and poverty. Images of the Dominican Republic are of tropical paradise. Hardly looks like the same region, much less the same island.

But, as a Catholic, the most remarkable difference between the countries is their religious practice. Though both countries report Roman Catholicism as their national language, the practice of Catholicism in Haiti is hardly the universal church we know. Many Haitians practice a very strange combination of Catholicism and voodoo. Brought from Africa as slaves, their ancestors were forced by Catholic slave owners to conform to Catholicism, as slave owners supposedly feared for the souls of their slaves who practiced voodoo in Africa. But, instead of converting completely, Haitians adopted some of the practices of the Catholic church and used them in their voodoo. This 2004 National Geographic article highlights some of the practices. Many Haitians clearly are not practicing Catholics.

So, when thinking of how you can help, I say make a donation if you can. I like the American Red Cross because they will give as much aid as is needed regardless of whether you donate. And they will stay -- did you know that the U.S. Peace Corps pulled out of Haiti in 2005 because of violence? Nothing like losing hope. The Red Cross helps with immediate physical needs like shelter and clothing, medical needs, clean-up and to some degree, rebuilding.

But, I think what the people of Haiti need are our prayers. They need a change of heart, a change of soul, so to speak. If they truly put God first in their lives, think of the changes they could make.