Gena Heraty, a beloved Irish lay missionary who has served Haiti’s most vulnerable for over 30 years, was kidnapped in the early hours of August 3 in what appears to be a targeted assault on the Saint-Hélène orphanage in Kenscoff, just outside Port-au-Prince. Heraty was taken along with several others, including a three-year-old child, after gunmen broke through the gates of the facility. Local reports indicate that the assailants were likely gang members.

Heraty, originally from County Mayo, Ireland, has spent her life caring for children with disabilities in one of the most fragile nations on earth. Since 1993, she has worked with Nos Petits Frères et Sœurs (NPFS), a branch of the international Catholic charity Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos, which serves thousands of at-risk children across Latin America and the Caribbean. She currently serves as director of NPFS’s special needs programs in Haiti, where she has long been hailed as a living sign of hope in the midst of darkness.

NPFS and NPH International confirmed the kidnapping and demanded the immediate and safe release of Heraty and her colleagues. In a statement, the organization described the situation as delicate and ongoing. While official numbers vary, reports suggest that between seven and nine people were abducted in the raid.

Ireland’s Tánaiste, Simon Harris, has also spoken out, assuring the public that his office is in close contact with both Haitian authorities and the Heraty family. “It is imperative that she is released immediately,” Harris said in a statement issued August 4. He also confirmed that he had spoken with Heraty’s sister, Noreen, and that Irish diplomats were actively engaged in negotiations.

Heraty is no stranger to danger. In a 2022 interview, she told The Irish Times that despite the escalating violence, she remained firmly committed to her mission in Haiti.

The kidnapping comes amid a worsening humanitarian crisis in Haiti. Armed gangs now control vast swaths of the capital, crippling the ability of the Church and charitable organizations to function. According to a recent report, over five million Haitians are experiencing acute food insecurity, with thousands facing catastrophic levels of hunger. Archbishop Max Leroy Mésidor of Port-au-Prince recently revealed that nearly thirty parishes in his archdiocese have been forced to close due to violence.

In a reflection posted earlier this year on the website of the St. Luke Foundation for Haiti, Heraty mourned the killing of a young Catholic security guard named Emmanuel, calling him a martyr and a man who died “standing up against evil.” She also lamented the world’s silence on Haiti’s suffering and echoed Pope Leo XIV’s calls for unity and peace.

Now, the world watches and waits, praying for the safe return of a woman who has given everything for those most in need.