National Center of the Haitian Apostolate
Web site : SNAA.ORG
Weekly Bulletin of The National Center-
An Invigorating Climb to the Summit-Editorial
Jo Ann Perou and some participants at Sankofa summit
Some participants from St Louis in Missouri at Sankofa summit
The Sankofa Summit XII 2010 Annual National Youth & Family Conference at St.
John’s University in Queens this past weekend was a great blessing for everyone
present. Its theme was “Generations: Blessed! Called! Qualified!” It deserved at
least those three exclamation points—and more.
This energetic summit—hosted by Ambassadors of the Word, a peer-group
ministry program that has taken African American youth to West Africa, the
Caribbean islands, Belize, Brazil and Trinidad—drew delegations from Brooklyn,
Queens, Long Island, Camden, Maryland, DC, and St. Louis. It allowed us once
again to witness how our youth are thirsty to know God and to sit at the table
where the church makes its decisions.
Our beloved sister, the talented JoAnn Perou, is the national program director for
Ambassadors of the Word. She said that she felt uplifted by the giftedness and
willingness of our youth and young adults and by their powerful cries of praise
and thanksgiving, giving witness through their music, dance, prayer, dialogue and
reflection.
She added that the mission of the Sankofa Youth and Family Summit, as a
leadership development program, is to respond to the educational, psychological,
and spiritual needs of the African, African-American and Caribbean-American
diaspora. The summit emphasizes an urban and Afrocentric approach in
addressing the needs of urban youths and families. It is a valuable spiritual
experience directed to meeting the critical skill-building needs of youth ministers,
pastors, ministers, Christian educators, teachers, parents, and teen leaders
striving for excellence in their ministry to urban youth. Its primary goal is to
culminate the leadership development precepts and training objectives rooted in
the integrity, communal values, and cultural enrichment of youth, families, and
community throughout the African, African-American and Caribbean-American
Diaspora.
The speakers and workshop leaders included Ghenane Herbert and Irving
Herbert, of Oluwatobei Ministry Movement; Lisa Amegatcher,
Dwayne Buckingham; Beverly Dandrige,; Peter Perou and Katrina Perou,; Tracy
Collier; Brother Jamey Moses, Rev. George Kintiba, SVD, Mukanda Rev. Charles
Smith, SVD, , and Marcheta Smith.
The keynote speaker was Carrié Solages, an immigration attorney, a former
commissioner of the Nassau County Human Commission, and an important
young leader of the Haitian community on Long Island. In his eloquent, well-
received presentation, he emphasized the importance of striving always for
excellence “inside and outside of the classroom, just like that janitor I discussed
before, who mopped the floor to the best of his ability, and it made him feel good
about himself. Do the best you can do. Strive for the best. If you want to be an
artist, then be the best artist. If you want to be a rapper, then be the best rapper.”
Solages added that, in order to love others, you must first love yourself. He listed
three distinct areas in which you can develop the love you have for yourself, as
well as your relationships with others: having faith, being a student, and being a
citizen.
All the participants I met thought it was an excellent gathering. But we have to
admit that we need more young adults, solidarity among youth leaders, and
support for youth activities. When I noticed that there were delegations that drove
20 hours to attend this summit, the question I asked myself was why there were
not more youth leaders and youth groups from New York at this gathering. It
seems that it is very difficult for us to build together. To really accompany our
youth, the youth leaders have to show that they can sit together and develop a
network of youth leaders and a pastoral plan for our youth. We have to ask
ourselves: Is the church community investing enough in our youth? Is our
mother the Catholic Church meeting the historical, social and spiritual challenges
that face the youth of the church’s third millennium, who desire to have an
authentic life and to pursue truth, liberty and love?
The National Center congratulates the Rev. Chester Smith, co-founder of
Ambassadors of the Word, and JoAnn Perou for their profound dedication to the
youth ministry, and we support their effort to bring our youth together, to develop
their leadership skills. The summit next year will be from May 20-May 22, in
Lexington, Kentucky. We exhort youth leaders to attend.
Frere Buteau—Brother Tob
(For the National Center)
________________________________________
Kalynn Parker - Sankofa Witness of the Week.
Kalynn Parker
The staff of The Weekly Bulletin of The National Center of The Haitian Apostolate
is delighted to announce to the people of God that Kalynn Parker, 16, is the
Sankofa Witness of the Week.
Kalynn, a native of New Orleans, is a survivor of Hurricane Katrina. She said that
being at the Sankofa summit was a huge blessing for her, because it inspired her
to become a better person, inside and outside.
Kalynn is a senior at Saints John Neumann and Maria Goretti Catholic High School
in South Philadelphia. She’s a very bright and a prayerful young woman who
loves singing and dancing at her parish St. Bartholomew R.C. church . The
National Center congratulates her for her profound dedication to the church and
the youth ministry.
—The National Center
Web site : SNAA.ORG
Weekly Bulletin of The National Center-
An Invigorating Climb to the Summit-Editorial
Jo Ann Perou and some participants at Sankofa summit
Some participants from St Louis in Missouri at Sankofa summit
The Sankofa Summit XII 2010 Annual National Youth & Family Conference at St.
John’s University in Queens this past weekend was a great blessing for everyone
present. Its theme was “Generations: Blessed! Called! Qualified!” It deserved at
least those three exclamation points—and more.
This energetic summit—hosted by Ambassadors of the Word, a peer-group
ministry program that has taken African American youth to West Africa, the
Caribbean islands, Belize, Brazil and Trinidad—drew delegations from Brooklyn,
Queens, Long Island, Camden, Maryland, DC, and St. Louis. It allowed us once
again to witness how our youth are thirsty to know God and to sit at the table
where the church makes its decisions.
Our beloved sister, the talented JoAnn Perou, is the national program director for
Ambassadors of the Word. She said that she felt uplifted by the giftedness and
willingness of our youth and young adults and by their powerful cries of praise
and thanksgiving, giving witness through their music, dance, prayer, dialogue and
reflection.
She added that the mission of the Sankofa Youth and Family Summit, as a
leadership development program, is to respond to the educational, psychological,
and spiritual needs of the African, African-American and Caribbean-American
diaspora. The summit emphasizes an urban and Afrocentric approach in
addressing the needs of urban youths and families. It is a valuable spiritual
experience directed to meeting the critical skill-building needs of youth ministers,
pastors, ministers, Christian educators, teachers, parents, and teen leaders
striving for excellence in their ministry to urban youth. Its primary goal is to
culminate the leadership development precepts and training objectives rooted in
the integrity, communal values, and cultural enrichment of youth, families, and
community throughout the African, African-American and Caribbean-American
Diaspora.
The speakers and workshop leaders included Ghenane Herbert and Irving
Herbert, of Oluwatobei Ministry Movement; Lisa Amegatcher,
Dwayne Buckingham; Beverly Dandrige,; Peter Perou and Katrina Perou,; Tracy
Collier; Brother Jamey Moses, Rev. George Kintiba, SVD, Mukanda Rev. Charles
Smith, SVD, , and Marcheta Smith.
The keynote speaker was Carrié Solages, an immigration attorney, a former
commissioner of the Nassau County Human Commission, and an important
young leader of the Haitian community on Long Island. In his eloquent, well-
received presentation, he emphasized the importance of striving always for
excellence “inside and outside of the classroom, just like that janitor I discussed
before, who mopped the floor to the best of his ability, and it made him feel good
about himself. Do the best you can do. Strive for the best. If you want to be an
artist, then be the best artist. If you want to be a rapper, then be the best rapper.”
Solages added that, in order to love others, you must first love yourself. He listed
three distinct areas in which you can develop the love you have for yourself, as
well as your relationships with others: having faith, being a student, and being a
citizen.
All the participants I met thought it was an excellent gathering. But we have to
admit that we need more young adults, solidarity among youth leaders, and
support for youth activities. When I noticed that there were delegations that drove
20 hours to attend this summit, the question I asked myself was why there were
not more youth leaders and youth groups from New York at this gathering. It
seems that it is very difficult for us to build together. To really accompany our
youth, the youth leaders have to show that they can sit together and develop a
network of youth leaders and a pastoral plan for our youth. We have to ask
ourselves: Is the church community investing enough in our youth? Is our
mother the Catholic Church meeting the historical, social and spiritual challenges
that face the youth of the church’s third millennium, who desire to have an
authentic life and to pursue truth, liberty and love?
The National Center congratulates the Rev. Chester Smith, co-founder of
Ambassadors of the Word, and JoAnn Perou for their profound dedication to the
youth ministry, and we support their effort to bring our youth together, to develop
their leadership skills. The summit next year will be from May 20-May 22, in
Lexington, Kentucky. We exhort youth leaders to attend.
Frere Buteau—Brother Tob
(For the National Center)
________________________________________
Kalynn Parker - Sankofa Witness of the Week.
Kalynn Parker
The staff of The Weekly Bulletin of The National Center of The Haitian Apostolate
is delighted to announce to the people of God that Kalynn Parker, 16, is the
Sankofa Witness of the Week.
Kalynn, a native of New Orleans, is a survivor of Hurricane Katrina. She said that
being at the Sankofa summit was a huge blessing for her, because it inspired her
to become a better person, inside and outside.
Kalynn is a senior at Saints John Neumann and Maria Goretti Catholic High School
in South Philadelphia. She’s a very bright and a prayerful young woman who
loves singing and dancing at her parish St. Bartholomew R.C. church . The
National Center congratulates her for her profound dedication to the church and
the youth ministry.
—The National Center
