BREAKING Catholic Lay Missionary and a 3-Year Old is Kidnapped With 7 Others at an Orphanage in Haiti - Please Pray!

In Haiti, Port-au-Prince area, a Catholic lay missionary and a three-year-old child with a disability are among the nine people kidnapped by an armed group that attacked an orphanage on the outskirts of the capital on the morning of August 3. The other seven people kidnapped were staff members at the facility.

The orphanage, named after Saint Helena, is run by the international charity "Nos Petits Frères et Sœurs" and cares for over 240 children, according to the organization's official website. Gena Heraty, an Irish lay missionary who has worked in the country for 30 years, had been working there for some time. Bandits broke in and kidnapped her and a three-year-old child with a disability.
Heraty was the victim of an armed robbery at the same orphanage in 2013. At that time, one of her colleagues was killed with a hammer while trying to protect her.

Local authorities, together with UNICEF and the Haitian Institute for Social Welfare, have initiated a plan to relocate the staff and children of the orphanage to safer locations. Sunday's attack is just the latest in ongoing attacks by armed gangs fighting for control of the area. The area where the kidnapping took place is under the influence of the criminal organization "Viv Ansanm," which was recently designated a foreign terrorist organization by the United States.

The UN Human Rights Office reports that more than 5,600 people were killed in Haiti in 2024, a dramatic increase of 20 percent over the previous year. According to the UN, at least 175 kidnappings were recorded in Haiti between April and June 2025 alone, 37 percent of them in the capital. (Edited from Fides.org)

 Statement – Security Incident in Haiti

NPFS France wishes to inform you that a serious security incident occurred during the night of August 2nd to 3rd at our partner organization in Haiti, at the Saint Helena site. Seven staff members, including an Irish national and a young person, were abducted. A thorough analysis of the incident is underway.

Given the evolving nature of the situation, we will not comment further until reliable and verified information becomes available. We urge everyone to exercise discretion and patience in the face of this particularly delicate situation.

Our thoughts are with the eight people involved, and we remain hopeful for their safe and rapid return.

For over 30 years, NPFS has worked in Haiti with the most vulnerable children and families, providing them with access to education, healthcare, and a home when needed. Our commitment to the Haitian population remains as strong as ever.