Pocono News Section

Priest/Physician to Help Earthquake Victims

Priest/Physician to Help Earthquake Victims - Thursday, January 14, 2010 at 11:32AM EST

Reported by: Mark Hiller
Thursday, Jan 14, 2010 @ 11:32am EST
SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY - A priest with ties to northeastern Pennsylvania is due to arrive in Haiti, Thursday.
Father Rick Frechette, a previous guest homilist at the annual Saint Ann's Novena in Scranton, will minister to more than just the spiritual needs of earthquake survivors.
He's been a priest for more than 30-years -- and a doctor for more than ten.
He answered the later calling while doing mission work in Haiti -- and seeing the desperate need for medical help years ago in the poor island nation.
Fr. Rick has worked in the slums of Haiti's capital, Port-Au-Prince, for more than 2-decades.
He helped steer money and manpower for a hospital and an orphanage, there.

"He built a hospital which I believe is severely damaged." said Fr. Ed Buchheit, CP of St. Ann's Basilica while reflecting on Tuesday's 7.0 earthquake
"The orphanage, everybody's okay. That's a great blessing. Imagine all the children in there."
Fr. Ed has known Fr. Rick for decades -- a friendship that began in the 1970s.
"I knew Fr. Rick when he was s seminarian and played basketball with him. I remember him when he rode a motorcycle as a youngster."

Fr. Ed says Fr. Rick was in Connecticut this week to be at his dying mother's bedside. When news of the Haiti earthquake broke, she gave her son an order.
"She said, 'Son, go back to Haiti. They need you even more than I do' so it must have broken his heart," said Fr. Ed.

Fr. Rick is on the minds of many at Saint Ann's as he heads into what many describe as something that looks worse than a war zone.
Fr. Ed celebrated Thursday morning mass -- with his thoughts focused on his friend and getting help to victims of the earthquake tragedy.
"So pray for the people, but pray for the international aid to go and assist that. And, of course, we keep Fr. Rick in our prayers."

His fellow passionist priests are eager to hear how he's doing.
They also encourage everyone to support Fr. Rick's work in Haiti in any way they can.