SPANISH FORT, Ala. — When Dr. Michael Mahoney finally made the necessary connections almost five years ago to fulfill his longtime pull toward mission work abroad, the Spanish Fort physician thought he was prepared — and equipped — for what he’d encounter.

“I just can’t describe accurately enough what it’s like to witness firsthand the level of poverty and anguish in some of these communities. It really set me back, but it made my desire to help that much stronger,” said Mahoney, who launched In Nomine Patris in October. The nonprofit, whose name is Latin for “In the Name of the Father,” is a nonprofit organization dedicated to delivering care and assistance to impoverished nations abroad, and the group’s first official trip to Haiti is slated for mid-June.

The work being led at the moment on the island nation by Grace Missions administers aid to a population reeling from the devastation of a colossal earthquake more than one year ago.

Mahoney said his most recent trip left graphic images. The poverty alone is shocking, he said, with some 800 Haitians lining up each Monday, Wednesday and Friday to fight for their shot at only 200 servings of fortified rice and beans Grace provides those days. A ticket system attempts to ensure a different set of 200 is served each distribution day, but Mahoney said it’s not always successful.

More unsettling, he said, are the trips the remaining four days each week to a makeshift “poor house,” housed in a mausoleum where as many as 40 people crowd into each crypt, seeking shelter.

See the full story in the Feb. 25 edition of The Bulletin.