In their twinning relationships with parishes in Haiti, the missioners at St. Margaret Mary in Winter Park, Florida, observe four pillars: self-determination for the Haitians, sustainability of any project, transparency in communication, and having a clear exit timeline. In the nearly 20 years they’ve been engaging in mission work with the island nation—which has long been considered one of the poorest in the Western hemisphere—parishioners have been guided by these pillars, and by the Gospel.  

“We have two goals,” said Ken Firling, one of the original members of the Haiti Outreach Ministry. “To try to do some good for the Haitians, but also to give parishioners here an opportunity to get involved in meaningful work.” 

Ken came to St. Margaret Mary about 18 years ago, after he retired as director of guidance at a high school in Alexandria, Virginia, and he and his wife, Cecelia moved to Winter Park. The Firlings, who volunteered together for the Peace Corps in Afghanistan in 1974, had been active in their Virginia parish with its Haiti ministry. They learned about Haiti through Theresa Patterson, co-founder of the Parish Twinning Program of the Americas (PTPA), whose passion for the country is well-known. (Read about Theresa in the September 2018 issue of Encounter.)