On april 29, our beloved sister Shani Duplessy went back to her Father,s house without the sound of tambourines or trumpets on Earth but heaven's angels welcomed her with glad Alleluias. This remarkable, brite and professinal Haitian woman was a source of grace and a beacon of hope for the vibrant community of St Boniface Parish. She was a tireless worker in the vineyard of the Lord.

Her only goal was the best interests of her community without an agenda of her own. Thank you Shani, we miss you already.

Your community

Shani was a joyful leader of HAYO youth group of St Boniface Parish and the Association of Haitian Catholics under the banner of National Center of the Haitian Apostolate. I thank the Lord for her invaluable contribution to the promotion of faith, hope prayer and morality in youth groups. God alone in his eternal design knows what is best for his chosen friends. We must learn to praise him even when we fail to understand . WHAT SOMETIMES APPEARS A LOSS IS A MYSTERIOUS GAIN IN THE EYES OF THE ONE WHO KNOWS ALL THINGS.

Bishop G.S.

Dear Michelle & Oswald,

The events of this past week have left everyone shattered. Our hearts, our prayers, our thoughts, are with you and your family. There are no words enough to truly express what we feel for you. We hope the outpouring of love shown by the hundreds of people who were at Shani’s wake and funeral brought a small measure of comfort to you. So many hearts are aching for your great loss. You gave Shani a send off befitting her grace and style. There are no words to express the sadness we share in the passing of your beloved daughter Shani. All that we can do is to pray that the love God surrounds you and the Holy Spirit dwells within you to help you to endure.

God gave you Shani, a gift, the ‘sunshine” of your lives. You raised her up to be a dynamic young lady/ her generous nature and effervescent spirit touched many lives far and wide. You should be proud of all she accomplished in her short life. We hear Shani described as a leader, a mentor, a person of order, a phenomenal woman, and so much more. Shani left her mark on the world. Only a chosen few can stake that claim. She was truly remarkable. Who she was, is a reflection of a job done well by both of you, the pride and love you shared with Shani can never be erased.

In time your treasured memories will sustain you. You’ll always remember Shani’s magnetic smile, the sweet sound of her voice; her charm will ever be enduring to you. May you find peace with the understanding you loved Shani best but God loved her more.

In God we trust,

With heartfelt sympathy,

Jocelyn & family

Dear Duplessy Family,

I extend my deepest sympathy to you and your family on the death of your beautiful daughter and sister, Shani.

I wish I had words that would take away the pain in your hearts and dry up your tears but I don’t. All I can give you are the memories I have of Shani. I worked with Shani for 3 years. She started 2 weeks after I did and we sat so close to each other that if we reached out our arms we could touch hands. We became friends even thought I was old enough to be her mother. Sometimes, she would ask for advice from me, sometimes she would give me advice.

We got to know each other very well. We would talk about our families and friends. On Mondays, we would talk about the weekend and what we did. One day, I told her I had brand new bolts of material that I wanted to give away. She told me about her church activities and I gave her the material. She was so excited, like a child in a candy store. Before Christmas, Shani I bought presents for underprivileged children. Shani picked two children to buy for and we shared a child since he wanted a keyboard. I bought the keyboard and Shani and I shared the cost of the clothes. Shani always said she was very blessed and if she could help someone she would. I rejoiced with her when she got her well deserved promotion. She told me about all the places she wanted to travel to, especially Japan.

My mother was a dialysis patient. When she passed away suddenly, I was so distraught that Shani arranged for us to speak on the phone since you were a dialysis nurse. You explained the cause of death from the death certificate to me and gave me information on renal failure. I was so upset and Shani stood next to me with her arms around me the entire time we were on the phone. Shani again comforted me when my long time friend, passed away.

I attended the church service on Saturday at St. Boniface. The service was beautiful and was a moving tribute to Shani. It was also a tribute to you, as her parents, for raising someone as special as she was.

We will never understand why God called Shani to him at such a young age. She still had so much to give and do. She lived her life to the fullest and accomplished more in her short life than most people do in a life double or triple hers. Her memory will live on in everyone who met her. Shani is someone you could never forget. She is someone who truly made a difference and exemplified the true meaning of our Catholic faith. She was sweet, warm loving, caring, humble, pure, passionate, exhilarating and unselfish, Shan was “special”.

I am one of the fortunate people who had the honor and pleasure of meeting her and becoming her friend even if it was only for a short time. I am a better person for having known her. I will always have Shani with me because all I have to do is close my eyes and I will see her smiling face and hear her unbelievable laugh.

She will always be your little Shani except now she is watching over “you” from Heaven above. Close your eyes and every memory you have of her will flash through your mind. Losing a child is the most heart wrenching pain in your heart but in time it will ease.

I will forever keep you in my prayers. We will always have a bond between us because we love Shani.

With deepest sympathy,

Always, DC