Bahama Catholic - May 2021

MAY 2021 Follow Us @archdioceseofnassau Archbishop Pinder leads by example: rolls up his sleeves for COVID-19 vaccine jab As the world continues to grapple with the COVID-19 Now fully vaccinated, the Archbishop received his second dose on pandemic, Archbishop Patrick C. Pinder, STD, CMG May 14, 2021. says taking the vaccine promotes the common good by protecting an individual’s health, public health and saves lives. As The Bahamas rolls out the second phase of the vaccination program, the Archbishop encourages eligible people to willingly The head of the Roman Catholic Church in The Bahamas was receive the vaccine. among the first cohort of religious leaders to endorse the vaccine and encourage people to get vaccinated. He did so via a written “This is to protect the health of the recipient, the health of all statement on March 8, 2021. those with whom the recipient comes into contact and especially, to protect the most vulnerable from whom infection with this virus Ten days after his statement, the Archbishop rolled up his sleeve could mean serious illness, hospitalization or worse.” and took the first of two doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine at Loyola Hall, Gladstone Road. “It was painless. I feel CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 good. And I am fine,” said Archbishop Pinder.

2 Statement : 65th Annual Plenary Meeting of the Antilles Episcopal Conference In view of the COVID-19 pandemic and its associated Among the highlights of the APM was the amalgamation of amongst the whole People of God. The issue of Catholic restrictions on public gatherings, the Roman Catholic the AEC Commissions from 14 to nine priority areas. These education in the Region is the possible theme for the Synod. Bishops of the Antilles Episcopal Conference (AEC) met priority areas are: virtually using Zoom for their 65th Annual Plenary Meeting The AEC Bishops expressed solidarity and made a commit- (APM) from Sunday April 18 to Friday April 23. 1.Commission on the New Evangelisation ment of support for Bishop Gerard County CSSp and the 2.Commission on Communications people of St Vincent and the Grenadines affected by the The overall theme of the meeting centred on the bishops en- 3.Commission on Vocation and Youth eruption of the La Soufriere volcano. This present reality of gendering a mindset of synodality as the way of achieving 4.Commission on Divine Worship and Ministry how the nations of the region remain vulnerable to the con- collaboration and intentional inclusion of all stakeholders in 5.Commission on the Laity and Family Life sequence of natural disaster strengthened the resolve of the the new way of being Church. AEC President Bishop Ga- 6.Commission on Doctrine and Faith Bishops to explore strategies for building an AEC Disaster briel Malzaire of Roseau, Dominica asserted that this new 7.Commission for Promoting Integral Human Development Fund. The commitment of CARITAS Caribbean to remain way for the Conference must emerge from structure within 8.Commission on Ecumenism and Inter-religious Dialogue a dependable partner to provide assistance in the face of dis- each Diocese that facilitates participation in pastoral plan- 9.Commission on Finance asters was reaffirmed by the international and regional heads ning and actualisation of the Church’s mission. It was agreed that the Commissions of New Evangelisation who made presentations at the Conference. and Communications were to act as principal drivers for all The APM began with a retreat day facilitated by retreat di- the other commissions. Bishop Malzaire will now chair the The AEC Bishops welcomed Fr Neil Scantlebury, Bishop rector Fr Timothy Radcliffe OP. Fr Radcliffe set the stage for Commission on Communications. elect of Bridgetown, Barbados, to his first Conference. Most the APM, inviting introspection of the Bishop’s managerial Reverend Michel Marie Jacques Dubost CIM, the Apostolic style so as to arrive at a course of action that will inspire hope The intention to stage a Pan AEC Synod continues to unfold Administrator of Cayenne, was also introduced to the Con- through their pastoral ministry. Leadership by the Bishops as Bishop Clyde Harvey of St Georges, Grenada reported on ference. Tribute was paid to Archbishop Robert Rivas OP of that will enable accompaniment and facilitate conversation the constituting of the task force that is intended to have a Castries who will retire in June. His farewell celebrations are by accommodating and giving a voice to people, especially representative from each Diocese to participate in determin- being planned for July 2021 in Castries. those on the margins who are likely to be excluded was also ing the terms of reference and the how of realising this initia- emphasised. tive. It is hoped that this Synod will foster deeper regional identity Pope Francis invites Catholics and Marian Shrines around the world to dedicate the month of May to a marathon of prayer for an end to the Covid-19 pandemic Catholics across the globe are encouraged to ded- The Pope will also close the initiative on 31 May with icate the Marian month of May to praying for another specially-broadcast Rosary. an end to the pandemic. The initiative, behind which the Pope has thrown his support, involves 30 Ma- End to the pandemic rian Shrines from various parts of the world. This year’s dedication of May to pandemic-related prayer recalls a similar occurrence during the first wave in March It takes place under the theme “The whole Church was 2020. fervently praying to God,” which recalls a verse in the Book of Acts (12:5). Pope Francis led the world in prayer during that confusing and difficult time, celebrating a live-streamed, daily Mass in Prayer initiative the Casa Santa Marta. “The initiative will involve all the Shrines of the world in a special way, so that they might encourage the faithful, families, and communities to After more than a year, and with the world still in the grips of the pandemic, the Pope recite the Rosary to pray for an end to the pandemic,” read the statement. and the Church around the world are once again leading the way in imploring God for an end to the suffering which so many people are forced to bear. Pope Francis will opeed the Marian month of prayer on 1 May with a Rosary broad- cast across Vatican Media’s platforms.

3 Everything you need to know about Pentecost On Sunday, May 23 the Church fire came to rest on their heads, allowing baptised. According to the account in celebrates Pentecost, one of the them to speak in different languages so that Acts, about 3,000 people were baptised most important feast days of the they could understand each other. It was following Peter’s sermon. year that concludes the Easter season and such a strange phenomenon that some celebrates the beginning of the Church. people thought the Christians were just For this reason, Pentecost is considered drunk - but Peter pointed out that it was only the birthday of the Church - Peter, the The timing and origins of Pentecost the morning, and said the phenomenon was first Pope, preaches for the first time and caused by the Holy Spirit. converts thousands of new believers. The Pentecost always occurs 50 days after the apostles and believers, for the first time, death and resurrection of Jesus, and ten The Holy Spirit also gave the apostles the were united by a common language, and days after his ascension into heaven. Because other gifts and fruits necessary to fulfill the a common zeal and purpose to go and Easter is a moveable feast without a fixed great commission - to go out and preach the preach the Gospel. date, and Pentecost depends on the timing Gospel to all nations. It fulfills the New Tes- of Easter, Pentecost can fall anywhere be- tament promise from Christ (Luke 24:46-49) Pentecost vestments and customs tween May 10 and June 13. that the Apostles would be “clothed with around the world The timing of these feasts is also where power” before they would be sent out to Catholics get the concept of the Novena - spread the Gospel. Typically, priests will wear red vestments on nine days of prayer - because in Acts 1, Pentecost, symbolic of the burning fire of Mary and the Apostles prayed together Where’s that in the bible? God’s love and the tongues of fire that de- “continuously” for nine days after the Ascen- scended on the apostles. sion leading up to Pentecost. Traditionally, The main event of Pentecost (the strong the Church prays the Novena to the Holy driving wind and tongues of fire) takes place However, in some parts of the world, Pente- Spirit in the days before Pentecost. in Acts 2:13, though the events immediately cost is also referred to as “Whit Sunday”, or following (Peter’s homily, the baptism of White Sunday, referring to the white vest- The name of the day itself is derived from thousands) continue through verse 41. ments that are typically worn in Britain and the Greek word \"pentecoste,\" meaning 50th. Ireland. The white is symbolic of the dove Happy Birthday, Church of the Holy Spirit, and typical of the vest- There is a parallel Jewish holiday, Shavu`ot, ments that catechumens desiring baptism which falls 50 days after Passover. Shavu’ot It was right after Pentecost that Peter, in- wear on that day. is sometimes called the festival of weeks, re- spired by the Holy Spirit, preached his first ferring to the seven weeks since Passover. homily to Jews and other non-believers, in An Italian Pentecost tradition is to scatter which he opened the scriptures of the Old rose leaves from the ceiling of the churches Originally a harvest feast, Shavu`ot now Testament, showing how the prophet Joel to recall the miracle of the fiery tongues, and commemorates the sealing of the Old Cov- prophesied events and the coming of the so in some places in Italy, Pentecost is some- enant on Mount Sinai, when the Lord re- Holy Spirit at Pentecost. times called Pascha Rosatum (Easter roses). vealed the Torah to Moses on Mount Sinai. Every year, the Jewish people renew their ac- He also told the people that the Jesus they In France, it is tradition to blow trumpets ceptance of the gift of the Torah on this crucified is the Lord and was raised from the during Mass to recall the sound of the driv- feast. dead, which “cut them to the heart.” When ing wind of the Holy Spirit. they asked what they should do, Peter ex- What happens at Pentecost? horted them to repent of their sins and to be In Asia, it is typical to have an extra service, called genuflexion, during which long poems In the Christian tradition, Pentecost is the and prayers are recited. In Russia, Mass celebration of the person of the Holy Spirit goers often carry flowers or green branches coming upon the Apostles, Mary, and the during Pentecost services. first followers of Jesus, who were gathered together in the Upper Room. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/36152/ev- erything-you-need-to-know-about-pentecost A “strong, driving” wind filled the room This article was originally published on CNA June 2, where they were gathered, and tongues of 2017.

4 Around the Archdiocese To commemorate the 150th anniversary of the proclamation of St. Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church, a sign was erected recently at the main entrance of St. Joseph Church, Boyd Road. The sign features the parishes statue of St. Joseph, who also is the Church’s patron saint. Pastor, Msgr. Alfred Culmer and Deacon Peter Jones, proudly pose for BC photographer in front of the sign, which was generously donated by a parishioner. The Story of Saint Joseph the Worker both fulfills the command found in Genesis to care for the earth (Gn 2:15) and to be productive in their labors. Saint Joseph, the carpenter Feast day | May 1 and foster father of Jesus, is but one example of the holiness of human labor. Jesus, too, was a carpenter. He learned the trade from Saint Joseph and spent his early adult years working side-by-side in Joseph’s carpentry shop before leaving to pursue his ministry as preacher and healer. In his encyclical Laborem Exercens, Pope John Paul II stated: “the Church considers it her task always to call attention to the dignity and rights of those who work, to condemn situations in which that dignity and those rights are violated, and to help to guide [social] changes so as to ensure authentic progress by man and society.” Image: Childhood of Christ | Gerard van Honthorst Saint Joseph is held up as a model of such work. Pius XII emphasized this when he said, “The spirit flows to you and to all men from the heart To foster deep devotion to Saint Joseph among Catholics, and in re- of the God-man, Savior of the world, but certainly, no worker was ever sponse to the “May Day” celebrations for workers sponsored by Com- more completely and profoundly penetrated by it than the foster father munists, Pope Pius XII instituted the feast of Saint Joseph the Worker in of Jesus, who lived with Him in closest intimacy and community of 1955. This feast extends the long relationship between Joseph and the family life and work.” cause of workers in both Catholic faith and devotion. Beginning in the Book of Genesis, the dignity of human work has long been celebrated https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-joseph-the-worker as a participation in the creative work of God. By work, humankind

5 Ten New Catholics Welcomed into Archdiocese Archbishop Patrick C. Pinder was the celebrant at the Rite of Election on However, as life went on, he drifted away from having a spiritual life. “I made a lot of Thursday, March 18, 2021. He welcomed seven catechumens and three can- mistakes,” Colebrooke recalls. He calls this period “the darkest time of his life.” He didates as they marked the final period of Christian Initiation before entry found himself losing direction, confused and a loner. into the Church at the Easter Vigil Mass. The Rite took place in St. Francis Xavier Ca- thedral Chapel in the context of Evening Prayer and Benediction. Life for Kelson Colebrooke took a turn for the worse. He lost everything that he loved and cared for and his career went downhill. The Rite of Election is celebrated for catechumens, those not previously baptized in any Christian faith. The Call to Continuing Conversion is celebrated for candidates, THE TURNING POINT people who have been baptized in other Christian faiths and now wish to enter into full communion with the Catholic Church, by receiving the Sacraments of Initiation: Con- At his lowest point, he found refuge in his Bible and comfort from his mother-in-law, a firmation and first Eucharist. Catechist at St. Benedict Catholic Church (Mangrove Cay, Andros), who encouraged him to once again attend church. He did so, regularly. He calls her his biggest support Catechumen Kelson Colebrooke’s whole life changed after he renewed his Catholic system. faith and centered his life on prayer. His troubles deepened his faith again. “I started attending Mass again. I began to feel He shares his faith journey: differently about myself and life. The more I attended Mass, the more I wanted a rela- tionship with God. I developed what I call a “healthy appetite for church,” I couldn’t He was among the ten new Catholics that were welcomed into the Church during the get enough! Easter Vigil Mass on Holy Saturday, April 3. Unfortunately, the church he attended only offered Mass once a week - on Sundays. Colebrooke’s journey was not an easy one, he had his fair share of life’s challenges. Once again, he left the Catholic Church and started attending a nondenominational Raised in Baptist Church, he never “felt a part of the church,” nor did he feel like he church. got anything spiritually from the services. He felt no growth. It was not until he married a “cradle Catholic” and attended Mass regularly that he finally found a faith that he Five years later, Colebrooke was granted a request for a transfer to New Providence. He could connect with. was seeking a fresh start, as he was still going through a personal crisis. Despite all of the highs and lows in his life, Cole- brooke says that God had always put the right people in his life, and for that he is grateful. He considers himself blessed. A few days at his new assignment, he met Mrs. Rose Burton and asked her to recommend a “good church to attend.” She was a member of St. Anselm Parish – a Catholic Church. “I believe that this was my calling.” Catechumens and candidates, along with their sponsors, take part in the Rite of Election, Continued on page 7 which was held in March.

7 this special privilege that couldn’t experience, I began to wonder if they really knew how special they were.” This desire to receive the Body and Blood of Christ was one of Colebrooke’s main reasons for joining the Catholic Church. THE RCIA EXPERIENCE He was finally ready to convert to Catholicism. After many prayers for guidance and conver- sations, Colebrooke knew that he needed to take the next step. He made the decision to register for the RCIA process. “The process was an instructional and spiritual ex- perience. The experience was a huge part in me understanding the basic beliefs of the Catholic Church, where the church came from, and system of worship’’ he says. Catechumen Kelson Colebrook signs the Book of Enrollment during the Rite of Election and Call to “I learnt a whole lot and it made it easier to grasp Continuing Conversion at Evening Prayer and Benediction in St. Francis Xavier Cathedral Chapel on the concepts. For example, he pointed out, ‘I was March 18, 2021. thought that Catholics bow to the priest or they worship Mary,’ but I now know that these are far From page 6 from the truth…we don’t bow to the priest, but to the Eucharist out of reverence and respect.” SPIRITUAL JOURNEY HOME “RCIA was definitely what I needed to get me started on my journey as a Catholic” For the past three years, Colebrooke drove 12 miles every morning to attend 6:15 am “I feel like I am at home at last.\" Mass at St. Anselm Church. “Attending morning Mass became a part of my daily rou- tine,” he says. Kelson Colebrooke received his first Eucharist as a new Catholic from Fr. Noel Clarke during the Easter Vigil on April 3, 2021 at St. Anselm Parish. As time went on, Colebrooke began to understand the Mass a little more, especially the significance of receiving the Eucharist. I'm so grateful that God has led me to the Catholic Church, and to the family and friends I've made at St. Anselm. Everyone has welcomed me with such kindness and “I began to feel some type of way, that I could not share in the body and blood of open arms.\" Christ. I was like, Lord I travel for miles every morning and see other people share in Siblings share journey of faith to become Catholic – Siblings Viktorya (19), My- chael (18) and Raphaela McPhee (15), credits their grand- mother Christine Rolle, who encouraged them to deepen their faith in God and join the Catholic Church. They occasionally went to Mass with their grandmother and picked up on a few Catholic traditions along the way, but did not realize there was still a lot to learn. With their parents’ permission, they began preparing to join the Church through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults at St. Thomas More Church. “I think it’s so cool that we got to share in this faith journey Siblings, Viktorya (19), Mychael (18) and Raphaela McPhee (15) are the newest together,” Mychael said. The others echoed the same feel- members of St. Thomas More Parish. ings, that it was an awesome experience to do it together as family. Viktorya, noted that their spiritual growth has been incredible through the RCIA Process. They did admit however, that along with their school work and other commitments remaining focused was a bit of a challenge at times. “It was hard for the most part, yet exciting! We supported and encouraged each other, and in the end we did it!” Raphaela said.

6 Archbishop Pinder leads by example: rolls up his sleeves for COVID-19 vaccine jab From page 1 “Better to get the shot than the virus,” said 63 year old, Brad Light- bourne, a Liturgical coordinator from St. Paul The Apostle Church. Additionally, effective Monday, April 25 anyone 18 and over, became There’s no reason for not taking the vaccine, he said, especially since it eligible to receive the vaccine. protects others. “I don’t have any fear of it at all.” As of May 10, 2021, 36,000 doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vac- In a poll recently conducted by the Bahama Catholic newspaper, a cine have been administered on New Providence, Grand Bahama, number of millennials said they would probably get the vaccine, now Eleuthera and Abaco. that their age group is now eligible. They are ready to get back to nor- malcy and travel. Nurse Ruth Bastian was the first person in The Bahamas to be vacci- nated with the AstraZeneca vaccine, when the government rolled out The Government of India donated the first batch of AstraZeneca vac- the vaccine program to healthcare professionals on March 14, 2021. cine to The Bahamas government. 20,000 doses arrived on March 10. A second batch (33,600 doses), from the COVAX facility was recently Since that time, Sister Marva Coakley, OSB, Prioress of Saint Martin received, bringing the total number of doses of the vaccine at the end Monastery, and ten other Benedictine Sisters were vaccinated. “We of March to 53,600. have been praying for some solution to this pandemic, I believe that God heard our cry, so as a people, we should be vaccinated and trust COVID-19 was first identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. God.” The World Health Organization (WHO) declared a public health emergency of international concern on January 30, 2020, and later de- Father Jay Cartwright, Associate Pastor of Holy Family Parish says re- clared a pandemic on March 11, 2020. ceiving the vaccine is an act of responsibility. He says it’s a way to pro- tect his family, the people of his parish as well as keeping himself The Bahamas confirmed its first coronavirus case on March 15, 2020. healthy. As of May 3, 2021, The Bahamas has 10,602 cases confirmed and 211 deaths have been attributed to COVID-19. You're Engaged. Congratulations! The Office of Family Life invites couples to participate in our on- line Zoom Webinar platform. The next course will commence on May 25 through June 24, 2021. This five-week course entitled “God’s Plan for a Joy-fill Marriage” is a mandatory re- quirement for all Catholics pre- paring for marriage at a cost of $100.00 per couple. For more information: Telephone: 242-322-8919, 322-7744, 325-8738 Email: [email protected]

8 Catholic Men Making A Difference: K of C: Feeding Families in Need As families across our community struggle to feed themselves, the Knights of Columbus Council #11755 and St. Cecilia Roman Catholic Parish, came together to put their faith into action. The group recently provided a hearty breakfast for 400 individuals in the Coconut Grove community. West Nassau Council #11755 in New Providence, The Bahamas is one of 17,000 Knights of Columbus councils that make up the world’s largest fraternal service or- ganization. Founded in 1882 to assist working-class and immigrant Catholics in the United States, today the approximately two million members of the Knights put their faith into action through a broad range of charitable causes locally, nationally, and internationally through financial contributions and hands-on service.