The Episcopal Conference of Haiti (CEH) has strongly condemned the murder of two nuns during a violent gang attack in the town of Mirebalais last week, calling the killings a “heinous crime” that reflects the deepening crisis gripping the nation.
In a statement released after the attack, the CEH said it was filled with “deep sadness and outrage at the tragic events” that unfolded near the capital and “once again plunged our country and our Church into mourning.”
Sisters Evanette Onezaire and Jeanne Voltaire, members of the Order of Saint Teresa, were killed after an armed gang stormed the area on Monday. The attack was part of an offensive by the Vivre Ensemble coalition, a powerful alliance of criminal groups seeking to tighten their grip on the country. Media reports indicate that the nuns had taken refuge in a house as gang members targeted the local prison and other public buildings in Mirebalais, located about 30 miles northeast of Port-au-Prince.
The gang reportedly discovered the hiding place and fatally shot the two sisters. A young girl who was sheltering with them was also shot and sustained gunshot wounds to her chest.
Describing the murders as “a heinous crime that serves as a reminder of the magnitude of the evil plaguing our society,” the CEH extended its sympathy to the victims’ families.
“Faced with the current security situation,” the CEH said it wished to “express our closeness and compassion for the religious and biological families of our dearly departed sisters.”
“Their lives dedicated to the service of the Gospel and the most vulnerable remain a shining testimony to the love of Christ,” the statement continued. The CEH also denounced “the inaction of the authorities who, despite warnings, have failed to take the necessary measures to prevent this tragedy.”
“The lack of an effective response to persistent insecurity is a serious failure that endangers the nation, abandoned to the mercy of destructive forces,” the CEH said, adding that it “morally condemned in the strongest terms this barbaric act, as well as all the violence that is plunging our country into chaos and suffering.”
The Catholic bishops called on armed groups to “immediately cease their acts of violence and rediscover a sense of respect for human life,” insisting that “no struggle justifies bloodshed and the terror sown among the innocent.”
“Let’s never forget that ‘If you want peace, prepare for peace,’” the CEH said, urging Haitians “to be vigilant, show solidarity, and pray.”
“In this ordeal, we must not give in to hatred or indifference. Let’s resist through faith and unity, and refuse to let violence define our future,” the statement concluded. “Haiti is passing through the valley of the shadow, but Christian hope assures us that the light of the Risen One will illuminate our paths toward better days.”
According to recent data from the United Nations, more than 4,200 people have been killed in Haiti between July 2024 and February 2025, while over 6,000 have been forced to flee their homes due to gang violence.
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