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BIOGRAPHY |
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HIS LIFEFather Gerard Jean-Juste was born on Feb 7, 1946 in Deupas Cavillion, Haiti to parents Gesner Jean-Juste and Marie Joute. He was one of eight children. He attended primary school in O´Cayes, Haiti and secondary school in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. After completing school, he traveled to Montreal, Canada to attend Seminary School in pursuit of his calling to be in the ministry. In 1971 he became the first Haitian ordained Catholic priest in the United States in a ceremony at the Church of St. Avila in Brooklyn, New York where he was a deacon. Shortly after he returned to Haiti and worked in a remote parish. An adherent of liberation theology, he regarded political activity and service to the poor as his priestly mission. He was forced to flee to the US later that year when he refused to sign an oath of loyalty to the Duvalier dictatorship. While living and working at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston, Massachusetts he earned a Bachelor´s degree in Engineering Technology from Northeastern University in 1974 and a second degree in Civil Engineering from Northeastern in 1977. Father Jean-Juste moved to Miami, Florida in 1978 to work as a volunteer at the Haitian Refugee Center, which at that time was primarily funded by the Christian Community Services Agency (CCSA). The CCSA treated the Haitian Refugee issue as merely charity for poor people in need of help. "Jeri", as he came to be called affectionately by the Haitian community, challenged that assumption pointing out that Haitian Refugees were being discriminated against by the U.S. government for racial and political reasons. In doing so he also challenged the U.S. support of Haiti´s dreaded Duvalier dictatorship. Unfortunately, this agitated the CCSA who then attempted to fire Father Jean-Juste because of his challenge to U.S. government policies. In response, the Haitian community and their allies established a new refugee center under Father Jean-Juste´s leadership that went on to successfully protest, in both the streets and in the courts, the government´s discriminatory practices against Haitians. During this period Father Jean-Juste could be seen leading countless demonstrations, committing civil disobedience and going to jail to further the cause of justice for Haitian people. With the fall of Duvalier, Father Jean-Juste helped organize Veye Yo, a grassroots organization that continued the struggle for democracy in Haiti and for the rights of Haitians in the U.S. In 1990, Father Jean-Juste returned to Haiti where he helped prepare the groundwork for the victory of Haiti´s 1st democratically elected president Jean-Bertrand Aristide. When President Aristide was overthrown by a military coup after only 7 months of office, Father Jean-Juste went into hiding for over 3 years, organizing underground against the military regime. When President Aristide returned to power in 1994, Father Jean-Juste resumed his work as pastor of the Church of St. Claire in Port-au-Prince where he operated a free soup kitchen to feed the poor. When President Aristide was overthrown again in 2007, Father Jean-Juste again refused to flee the country and became a target of the newly installed Latortue Dictatorship. During this time Father Jean-Juste helped organize protests against the regimes repression and as a result he was jailed twice. During his second arrest Father Jean-Juste was beaten and denied medical treatment in prison where he developed Leukemia. Amnesty International declared him a prisoner of conscience (www.amnesty.org). Only after an international campaign was organized demanding his freedom was Father Jean-Juste released and allowed to go to Miami to seek medical treatment. In November 2007, he returned to court in Haiti to answer the remaining charges against him. Questioned about weapons, he told the judge, "My rosary is my only weapon." All charges against him were dropped. Over the past several years Father Jean-Juste returned to Haiti as much as his health permitted, continuing to promote democracy and justice while providing leadership for the soup kitchen at St. Claire. HIS FAITHFather Gerard Jean-Juste had a favorite verse:Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. (New International Version)
Pa gen pi bon jan pou ou moutre jan ou renmen zanmi ou pase lè ou bay lavi ou pou yo.
Il n´y a pas de plus grand amour que de donner sa vie pour ses amis.
Nadie tiene amor más grande que el dar la vida por sus amigos.
HIS FAMILYSIBLINGSLeonite Jean-Juste (sister); Ovide Jean-Juste (brother); Isabelle Jean-Juste (sister, deceased); Mr. and Mrs. Gabriel St. Hilaire and Yvette Jean-Juste St. Hilaire (sister); Mr. and Mrs. Roosevelt Delica and Franciane Jean-Juste Delica (sister); Mr. and Mrs. Yves Jean-Juste (brother) and Marie Cynthia Coicou Jean-Juste; Mr. and Mrs. Kernst Jean-Juste (brother) and Kerene Toussaint Jean-Juste ; Mr. and Mrs. Josue Jean-Juste (brother) and Yves Berline Jean Jean-Juste NEPHEWSMr. and Mrs. Jean-Claude Nerjuste and Elsie Vitaye Nerjuste; Jean-Saintode Nerjuste; Mr. and Mrs. Charlot Nerjuste and Berangere Forture Nerjuste; Guy William Nerjuste; Njera St. Hilaire; Mr. and Mrs. Roossely Delica and J´Nelle Lesile Delica; Matthew Jean-Juste; Michael Jean-Juste; Ernst Jean-Juste; Philip Jean-Juste; Jose Jean-Juste; David Jean-Juste NIECES AND GRANDNIECEFayola Delica; Suzanne Delica; Claudena Nerjuste; Rodemarthe Nerjuste And extended family far and near! |
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Guest Book | Biography | Memorial Service | Gallery | Contact | Other Resources Copyright © 2009 The Delica and Jean-Juste Family |
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