o u r CATHOLIC c o m m u n i t y Volume 3 No. 3 January 2014 Issue A publication of the Diocese of Roseau, Dominica $2.00 New Caribbean Cardinal Archbishop Emeritus Kelvin Felix Inside Editor’s Pen Bishop’s Message 03 OUR CLERGY, RELIGIOUS AND LAY ASSOCIATES New Priests And Sisters For The Diocese 04 The Signs of the Times New Caribbean Cardinal - Archbishop Emeritus Kelvin Felix 04 Profile: Cynthia Serrant 05 2013 ended dramatically for The Congregation Of The Daughters Of Jesus – Part III 05 many persons when on the morning of Christmas Eve, torrential rains OUR DIOCESE caused by a trough system passing Disciples On Mission: Margaret Augustine 06 through Caribbean, descended on Tell Fr. Ben 06 the southwest of the island causing flooding, landslides, and damage to Know Your Faith: roads, property, homes and vehicles. I Believe.... By the grace of God no lives were lost Liturgy Update: The Eucharist And Unity 07 in Dominica, but sadly many were lost on our sister islands of St. Lucia and Synod Implementation 08 St. Vincent. We pray for the souls of Legion Of Mary 2013 Annual General Reunion 08 those lost and we extend sympathy to Our Catholic Heritage - The History Of The Old Sts. John & their families. Many have questions as to why Lewis Church In Portsmouth 09 this is happened, Why these changes Veronique Henderson Celebrates 100 10 is the weather patterns? Why so much Around The Diocese 11 destruction and why so many deaths? But in 1 Thessalonians 5: 2-3 we read , Christmas Events Around The Diocese 12 “You know the day of the Lord will come St. Francis Xavier’s Banquet 13 like a thief in the night. When people Christian Leadership: Rethinking Our Mission As Catholic feel secure and at peace, the disaster will suddenly come upon them as the Schools And Christian Teachers 14 birth pangs of a woman in labour, and Harris Paint Supports Dominica Catholic Radio 14 they will not escape.” These are the A Church Dinner With A Difference 15 signs of the times. No one knows when a disaster may strike, an earthquake, Sixth Form Sisserou Singers Humanitarian Tour 2013 16 a storm, a landslide, a volcano, a Events & Notice Board 17 tsunami, an accident or the loss of a Prayer Corner 17 family member. So we must remain alert, prepare ourselves physically and OUR CHURCH IN THE CARIBBEAN mentally as best we can and especially A Three-Day Encounter On Biblical Animation Of All prepare our souls because we cannot Pastoral Life (ABP) 18 prevent disasters, they are inevitable. In Scripture we read “...Watch at all Response Of Church To Child Abuse 19 times and pray, that you may be able to OUR CATHOLIC WORLD escape all that is going to happen and Evangelii Gaudium - The Joy Of The Gospel 20 to stand before the son of Man.” Luke 21:36. Pope Francis - Time’s “Person Of The Year” 20 Let us, as the New Year begins, KID’S CORNER 21 renew our commitment to God so that OUR YOUTH: EDUCATION, RECREATION AND FAITH not only will we have resolutions to lose weight, exercise, eat right, increase The Changing Face Of The Diocesan Youth Ministry 22 our savings, join a group, spend more CYCC Recognizing Christ In Christmas 23 time with family, but among all these The Social Communications Office resolutions we may also choose to Diocese of Roseau, Turkey Lane, P.O. Box 790 commit to a closer relationship with God, deepen our faith and love one Roseau, Commonwealth of Dominica another so that whatever may come Tel: (767) 448-2837 - (767) 448-8717 our way we may be ready. Fax: 1(767) 448-3404 Email: [email protected] 02 OUR CATHOLIC COMMUNITY JANUARY 2014 ISSUE Bishop’s Message Happy New Pastoral Year We began our Synod from December 9 - 12, 2013, for Implementation Plan with the participants from the four Diocese enthronement of the Bible in all which comprise the Province of Churches in the Diocese and Castries; namely, St. John’s- encouraged the practice of Lectio Basseterre, Roseau, St. George’s Divina as a means of increasing our in Grenada and Castries. Five knowledge of the Holy Scriptures and participants, including the Bishop how they speak to us personally and represented the Diocese of Roseau collectively, so as to be better ready at that workshop. A similar planning for the New Evangelization being workshop for delegates from all promoted by the Church Universal. the Diocese of the Antilles will be The Solemnity of Christ the held in Trinidad later this month King this last year coinciding with to chart the way forward for such the end of the Year of Faith. The Biblical Animation in the region. Year opened on October 11th 2012 On the Diocesan level two weekend by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. workshops (January 18th & February His was a call to the Universal 1st, 2014, are organized for Clergy, Catholic Community to rekindle the Religious, and representatives of all lost enthusiasm required for the the parishes in the Diocese, to be continued practice of the Faith. The familiarized with that evangelical Holy Father emphasized the need for thrust. ear sisters and brothers in Clergy, Religious and Faithful alike Therefore, I encourage all Christ, you will recall that to “rediscover a taste for feeding parishes, schools, all church groups, Dwe convened our Diocesan ourselves on the Word of God which families and others, to intensify their Synod in October of 2010 under the is faithfully handed down by the practice of Lectio Divina in particular theme: Disciples on Mission: Gifted Church, and on the Bread of Life, the and other forms of studying and and Called. The subsequent Synod Eucharist, offered as assistance for praying the Scriptures, in general, Implementation Plan was launched his disciples.” so as to become more imbued with on the 1st Sunday of Advent the During this pastoral year we the Word of God. We need to nourish following year (November 27th, 2011). will continue our focus on the Holy ourselves for the New Evangelization At the time we set for ourselves ten- Scriptures as the primary tool for the ahead. year plan, broken in three segments New Evangelization. At its Annual We have also learnt of the of three years. In the first segment, Plenary Meeting held in Guadeloupe intention of the Holy Father, corresponding to the first three in April last year, the Bishops of Pope Francis, to convene an years, we focus on the Word of God the Antilles Episcopal Conference Extraordinary General Assembly (i.e. Evangelization). In the first year took the decision to promote in all of the Synod of Bishops next year, of that segment (November 2011 the Dioceses of the region, Biblical from October 5 – 19, on the theme: – November 2012) we focused on Animation of all Pastoral Life of the Pastoral Challenges of the family in the sub-theme: “Your Word is a Church. It means that the Bible has the context of evangelization. In so lamp to my feet, and a light for to become the basis of all pastoral doing the Holy Father is seeking to my path” (Psalm 119:105). In the plans and activities in the region. address the prime locus of any form second year 2012 - 2013, we focused Thankfully for us in the Diocese of of evangelization in the Church—the on the sub-theme: “Ignorance of Roseau, our Pastoral focus has been family. So we pray for the success of Scripture is Ignorance of Christ” in congruence with the present thrust that Synod. (St. Jerome). This third year we wish of the Antilles Bishops. Obviously, In conclusion, let me remind to focus on the sub-theme: Go and we need to do more to get our faithful you that the Pastoral theme for this Make Disciples, as mandated by more steeped in the knowledge and coming Liturgical year is: Go and Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew (ch. living of the Gospel message. Make Disciples (Matthew 28). Let us 28). The rationale being, after we In response to the requests of work together to build God’s Church, have fed ourselves on the word of the Bishops of the Antilles, a training as “Disciples on Mission: Gifted God what we are required to do is to workshop on Bible Animation of all and Called!” . evangelize. Pastoral Life, was held in St. Lucia “IGNORANCE OF SCRIPTURES IS IGNORANCE OF CHRIST” 03 NEW priEsts aNd sistErs for thE diocEsE From Left: Fr. John-Mark Ogu & Fr. Bartholomew Adamu From Left: Sr. Grace & Sr. Juliana Alexander he Diocese of Rosesu welcomes two Nigerian New caribbean cardinal - TFathers: Bartholomew Adamu and John-Mark Ogu. They archbishop Emeritus Kelvin felix arrived on our shores on November he Diocese of Roseau is extremely happy to receive the news of the OUR CLERGY, RELIGIOUS AND LAY ASSOCIATES RELIGIOUS AND LAY OUR CLERGY, 14, 2013 to help alleviate our naming of Archbishop Emeritus Kelvin Felix as Cardinal of the Roman present shortage of personnel for TCatholic Church. He is among 19 Catholic prelates from around the ministerial and pastoral service in world who were elevated to the office by Pope Francis. the Diocese. The announcement was made by the Holy Father during the Angelus at The two Fathers hail from the the Vatican on Sunday, January 12, 2014. In his announcement, the pope Diocese of Minna in Nigeria. We are stated that the new Cardinals “represent the deep ecclesiastical relationship very grateful to their bishop, the between the Church of Rome and the other Churches throughout the world.” Most Reverend Martin Uzoukwu, • Archbishop Kelvin Felix was born in Dominica on February 15, 1933.