Slaves in Paradise: A Priest Stands Up for Exploited Sugarcane Workers

by Jesús García

With its beautiful beaches and golf courses, the island of the Dominican Republic is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Caribbean. Yet when missionary priest Fr. Christopher Hartley arrived in the country in 1997, he discovered another side to this   the deplorable living and working conditions of the people who harvest the country’s sugarcane, and the illegal human trafficking that brings them to the plantations as slaves.

Inspired by the Gospels and Mother Teresa, Fr. Hartley carried out intense evangelization efforts in his large parish, which included several cane cutter camps.  He brought the Good News of salvation in Christ and the sacraments of the Church to many workers and their families whose unjust treatment was being ignored at every level of society. Drawing from the social teachings of the Church, he denounced the exploitation, including in a speech before the president of the Dominican Republic and in meetings with the owners of the plantations. Because of his strong criticism, he endured harsh treatment, was threatened with death, and eventually had to leave the country.

This book chronicles Fr. Hartley’s missionary work in the Dominican Republic. It includes detailed letters he wrote to his friends and benefactors about the needs of his people and the injustices they endured. Filled with rich spiritual reflections and apostolic passion, his letters tell heart-wrenching stories of human misery while revealing the deep and abiding faith he found among the poor.

304 pages, Paperback

Published March 30, 2017

Reviews

[Daniel Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow. When I started reading this book, I couldn't put it down. This is the story (written by a reporter) of a Spanish missionary priest who served in the canefields of the Dominican Republic. The core of the book is 15 letters sent by the priest to his supporters back home, with a variety of supplementary documentation (newspaper articles, media interviews, reports) and introductions from the author. The priest went to serve among the cane-cutters, especially Haitian migrants, who had been suffering from neglect and injustice. Through this book we see a priest who lives the sacramental and liturgical life of the Church, and through his experiences embraces social justice and liberation for the people of his new parish. This is a beautiful book.

[Thomas Cavanagh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a remarkable story told primarily through an epistolary structure of Fr. Hartley’s letters, supplemented with Garcia’s reporting and commentary, as well as other materials including an interview with Hartley. It’s a moving portrait of a man dedicated to being a missionary and a pastor, who truly became part of his flock, embracing their cause and fighting the crushing injustices perpetrated against them. I won’t take sugar for granted again.