ST JOSEPH SCHOOL
The first Brother Auguste Chassagne Library is located at the St Joseph School , an institution built since 1941 and managed by the Brothers of Sacred Heart of Haiti in Port Salut. This town is situated in the Southern part of the country with 17.368 inhabitants according to the 2009 census. The school is a K-12 and has a total of 650 students.
This library is the only activity of its kind provided to the youth and researchers in the area. The building housing the Reading and Cultural Activity Center (CLAC )and inaugurated in 2013, was destroyed by the hurricane Matthew in 2016.
HISTORY
1943.- Father Hamery, Parish Priest of Port-Salut, spoke to Fr. Bertrand (Bertrand Cloutier), city of Cayes’ bishop and introduced to him a school project for the local congregation. In his “All Saints Day” sermon, writes Fr. Bertrand, “the Parish priest announces my arrival and in his enthusiasm speaks of the project as a done deal. Visiting the site pleased me not to mention the house in which we could find a whole lot of lumbers and planks. "On December 27, Fr. Fabien (Fabien Caron) and Fr. Clarence (Lionel Salois) visited the site. A few days later, Fr. Josaphat, Provincial Superior in Canada, recognized this foundation in Haiti. The same day, the Parish priest began construction works for the facility.
According to the archives, it was only on November 6 that Saint Joseph School was able to receive 136 students divided into 3 new classrooms. Present was the founding team composed of: Fr. Paul-Henri (Alfred married), Director, Fr. Laurence (Alcide Bergeron) and Fr. Louis-Bernard (Bernard Barril).
1945.- January 3, blessings of the school by Mgr. Jean-Louis Collignon, Bishop of Cayes.
1954.- October 11, Hurricane Hazel devastated the south of the country. The tin-roofed Saint Joseph, erected north of the property, resisted the devastation.
1957.- Construction of a new school in concrete, covered with a tin roof, erected in the North of the property. It included 3 spacious classrooms.
1963.- October 3, Hurricane Flora severely ransacked Port-Salut. From several damaged houses, roofs were blown away. But the school withstood the assaults. Water penetrated through the roof and the ceiling. The staff had to mop up the water overnight in order to dry the floor.
1980.- August 6, Hurricane Allen tore out the roof of the school and caused considerable damages. In September, began the work of reconstruction. The Brothers of the Sacred Heart and the Embassy of Canada shared the costs of funding valued at $ 35,000.00.
2001.- Under the administration of the Regional Fr. Joseph Alexandre, a new restoration of the building took place funded by the Brothers of the Sacred Heart and adding a second floor above the ground floor. The work was done with concrete material that can withstand bad weather and cyclones. It is a modern improvement of the residence where part of the center-front panel is shaped like a half-circle.
FOUNDATION OF THE COLLEGE SAINT JOSEPH OF PORT-SALUT
College Saint Joseph
2006.- Upon request of the Saint Joseph Primary School’s parents, Fr. Josaphat Justin founded the College of Saint Joseph and Fr. Hercules Wood was the co-founder. The Directorate that supports Private Education and the partnership (DAEPP) of the Ministry of National Education gave its approval on 18 December 2006. The Brothers of the Sacred Heart congregation is the founder of the College Saint Joseph in Port-Salut and registered with the number3378…