Haitian Nuns Killed as Gangs Unleash Chaos Near Capital
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (CMC) — Two Catholic nuns were among several victims brutally killed on Monday when heavily armed gang members launched a violent attack near the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince.
Metropolitan Archbishop Max Leroy Mésidor confirmed the tragic deaths of Sisters Evanette Onezaire and Jeanne Voltaire of the Order of Saint Teresa. The nuns were shot after gang members discovered them hiding in a house in Mirebalais, a town located 30 miles northeast of the capital. A young girl sheltering with them was also wounded in the chest.
The attack comes as the Vivre Ensemble gang coalition continues its violent campaign to seize control of the country, targeting public buildings, homes, and law enforcement with devastating force.
In a message to Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), Archbishop Mésidor lamented the loss, stating, “Several murders took place during this attack, including two Sisters from the local congregation of the Little Sisters of Saint Thérèse.”
Marco Mencaglia, ACN’s director of projects, expressed deep sorrow and solidarity, saying, “We ask that God grant [Sisters Onezaire and Voltaire] eternal rest and we pray for their families and the safety of the congregation.”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres also condemned the attack, as reports confirmed that several homes and vehicles were set ablaze during the siege. Automatic gunfire echoed through the town, further terrorizing residents.
Two Kenyan officers serving under the UN-mandated MSS mission, which is tasked with restoring order in Haiti, were seriously injured and airlifted to the Dominican Republic for treatment.
The murders echo previous violence against religious figures, including the 2022 assassination of Sister Luisa Dell’Orto and the abduction of six nuns in January 2024.
The latest offensive is believed to be a retaliatory move against the Transitional Presidential Council’s crackdown on criminal networks.
According to UN data, more than 4,200 people have been killed between July 2024 and February 2025, with over 6,000 displaced by gang violence.
As Haiti’s humanitarian crisis spirals further out of control, global calls for swift and decisive international intervention are growing louder.
