He was ordained a priest in 2011 and, before arriving in Spain, he was parochial vicar, parish priest, head of the diocesan commission for the pastoral care of children, chaplain of the Legion of Mary.... In July 2022, at the request of his bishop, he came to Pamplona to deepen their studies in Moral Theology at the University of Navarra.
On February 17, 2023 his life changed forever. He was admitted to the San Miguel clinic in Pamplona for acute pain. The physicians detected a serious liver problem and referred him to the Clínica Universidad de Navarra (CUN). According to the doctors, his liver had become non-functional due to the hepatitis B virus.
Sunday, February 26, was one of the days when his suffering was terrible. A friend of his, Father Fred, christened that day "Father Renel's Black Sunday." "There were days when I was unconscious, I had no control over my words and actions. I suffered a lot, but I was able to overcome my suffering. I felt that God was really with me."
On February 27, the doctors came to the conclusion that there was no alternative but to transplant a new liver. Otherwise, in all probability, he would die. Thank God, they found a new liver and that same day, at 10 p.m., he was operated on. For our Haitian priest, it was one of several examples of God's providential care for him.
The transplant was followed by several complications: a subcapsular hematoma, pneumonia, mild liver rejection and diabetes due to steroid treatment, among others. "During the 36 days I spent in the hospitals I suffered a lot. But also, I learned a lot." Being in Spain at the time of the disease saved him, it gave him the opportunity for an operation almost impossible in other countries. Currently, he is still undergoing medical treatment, but he is feeling better.
He is convinced that God expects something from him as a priest. In fact, it is not the first time he has found himself on the brink of the deathAs a baby, he suffered from an insufficiency that almost cost him his life; and in 2010 he suffered the great earthquake in Haiti that killed almost 300,000 people. As on previous occasions, he is convinced that this time God saved him for a mission. "I believe he wants me to be a witness for hope". He recognizes that he has matured spiritually. The daily visits of his companions, the prayers of so many and the health personnel who treated him with immense affection, helped him to be strong.
For such an immense gift, he thanks God and all the people who saved his life: the medical staff, the CARF Foundation - which underwrote the costs of the operation at collaboration to the formators and students of the Faculty of Ecclesiastical Sciences of the UNAV, to his brother-friends of Los Tilos, to his Haitian brothers who study at the university, to the many people and Whatsapp groups that prayed for his healing, to those who visited him, to his family biological and spiritual: "Thank you!"
Witnessing hope is the driving force of his life and one of the characteristics of a holy priest. For all those around him and for his parents who are celebrating their 52nd wedding anniversary this year, and for his eight siblings, all born in Grosse-Roche, a neighborhood in the commune of Vallières (northeastern Haiti). A family Catholic, very religious and very close-knit. A family from the countryside. At the age of 15, she became aware and thought about become a priest. It was during a moment of prayer during an activity organized by the choir of his home parish.
He has little chance of returning to his country, a beautiful nation, very attractive for its climate, its culture, its history, but where there is much suffering. Disasters follow one after the other: floods, cyclones, deadly earthquakes...
"The Haitian people are very brave, but, above all, resigned. They could stand upright if natural disasters were their only problem. But the greatest evil of the Haitian people in recent times is the wickedness, the cruelty of the politicians, the corrupt oligarchs who plunge the country into total chaos. They manage to ensure that there is chronic political instability, and they create armed gangs that kill, loot and destabilize. The country has become a hell where the only option for a Haitian today is to leave the country", says sadly this priest.
"Oh, God, how can I thank you? For the life you give me a second time, Father. When I look where I was, you saved me. I have no words to thank you. Oh God, give me strength, to tell what you do for me. Show me the best way, Dad, to prove to you that I'm not ungrateful. When I remember how I lost hope, when they tell me that my liver will no longer be able to function, you speak, you say you will defend my cause. I have no words to thank you. When I remember that February 27, on my way to surgery, I was sad. You comfort me, give me your strength. I have no words to thank you. When I remember how you choose people to help me, I would like to become the servant of all. Take my life, make me a witness of hope. I have no words to thank you.
Marta Santín. Journalist specializing in religious information.
