Birth of a Diocese

 

The Papal Bull establishing the diocese of Georgetown 

It was on 29^th February 1956, the Roman Catholic Church in Guyana was elevated to the degree of Diocese, naming it as the Diocese of Georgetown. This year marks the 50^th anniversary of the Independence of Guyana and collaterally, the diocese of Georgetown also celebrated its 60^th anniversary. It is a great moment for every Catholic in this country. The Roman Catholics truly are blessed to have such a rich and memorable history. As we celebrate the birth of the diocese of Georgetown it is fitting that we remember the conception of the Roman Catholic Mission in British Guiana.  The Catholics in Guyana are proud to belong to that heritage of faith.

Before 29^th February 1956, the Roman Catholic Church in Guyana was under the Apostolic Vicariate appointed by Rome; in other words, it was mission territory in the care of an Apostolic Vicariate. This simply means, that the Popes used to commit to some residentiary bishops the duty of watching over ecclesiastical matters in a certain region. This arrangement of Apostolic Vicariate was prevalent in Guyana for a long time until it became a canonically established diocese on 29^th February 1956. I would consider this as milestone in the life of the Catholic Church in Guyana. We have to remember our past in order to look at our future, therefore, I would like to look back and highlight a few significant historical events and persons before it became a diocese.

It was in 1857, the Society Jesus sent James Etheridge SJ to the then mission lead by Bishop John Hynes. In 1858, Etheridge SJ returned to England to be consecrated Bishop by Cardinal Wiseman in the presence of Bishop Hynes on 17^th October. It is here that Bishop Hynes handed over the mantle to newly consecrated Bishop Etheridge SJ. By now, Bishop Hynes and his four exhausted priest had withdrawn from Guiana and sole responsibility for the Church in Guiana rested with newly consecrated Vicar Apostolic and his small band of Jesuit companions.

One of the greatest challenges and at the same time greatest strengths of the Catholic Church has always been its desire to be authentically Catholic; creating a truly universal community united in fellowship and service yet respecting differences of culture and background. Such situation faced Bishop Etheridge because of its diverse populace, such as Indigenous Amerindians, African descent, East Indians, Portuguese and so on.

On 21^st April 1868, and over the next six years an impressive decorated Gothic structure was built entirely of greenheart and crabwood in Brickdam to dominate the Georgetown skyline. The Archbishop of Caracas presided over the opening on 30^th August 1874 at which sadly Bishop Etheridge, the man responsible for the construction was unable to attend because of the illness.

One other significant group of Catholics were Arawak Amerindians in the Moruca area who were always dear to Bishop Hynes from 1840 until 1853 and was served by a much loved and respected Irish priest, Fr. John Cullen. Thereafter, a church was built in Moruca and was dedicated by Bishop Hynes on 27 October 1844 under the patroness of St. Rose of Lima. Bishop James Etheridge becomes unwell whilst returning from Barbados on a steamer on 31^st December 1878 and his body was committed to the deep.

Anthony Butler SJ, a former soldier with the Royal Irish Fusiliers was chosen to replace Etheridge. He was consecrated Bishop on 26^th August 1878 in a packed Georgetown Cathedral and becomes the third Vicar Apostolic for British Guiana. He quickly won the respect and affection of all sections of the society, gaining a reputation as “one of the most popular men in town.” He was a tireless worker for any cause that furthered the living standards of the poor. Many families owed the ownership of their small plots of land to revisions made to the Crown Land Regulations in 1898, due in no small measure to Bishop Butler’s campaigning.

Upon death of Bishop Butler and Compton Theaodore Galton, who was the Jesuit superior of British Guiana becomes the next Apostolic Vicar on 25^th August 1901. Under the shepherdship of Bishop Galton the Rupununi Mission was established but during this time a tragedy struck to the Cathedral on 7^th March 1913, when careless workmen repairing the Cathedral roof allowed a fire to catch hold that in matter of hours reduced the beautiful Gothic Cathedral, the presbytery and school buildings to smouldering ashes. On the Sunday after the fire a crowded meeting was held at the town hall convened by the Catholic Mayor Francis Dias and a rebuilding committee was formed. On 15^th August 1915, the foundation stone of this new building was laid by the Governor, Sir Walter Ergeton and in 1925 the completed building was solemnly blessed.

On 10^th April 1931, Bishop Galton died at the age of 76 having served in British Guiana for 35 years. His replacement as Apostolic Vicar took place on 15^th May 1932 and George Weld was consecrated Bishop by Cardinal Bourne. He held this office for nearly 27 years retiring on 18^th July 1954 at the age of 70. Thereafter, the man chosen to succeed him was Richard Lester Guilly SJ and soon after this the Church in Guiana finally became a canonically established diocese on 29^th February 1956. Bishop Guilly had the honour of becoming the first bishop of Georgetown diocese. Pope Pius XII issues a Papal Bull to establish our diocese of Georgetown. Thereafter, in 1966 the colony of British Guiana gained independence to become the Republic of Guyana.

The diocese of Georgetown has another milestone when Bishop Benedict Sigh is consecrated on 12 August 1972, this is a fitting sign that the Catholic Church had been truly planted in Guyanese soil. Hence Bishop Singh, a Guyanese diocesan priest took over from Bishop Guilly as the Bishop of Georgetown. The current bishop Francis Dean Alleyne OSB take over from the retired bishop Singh on 30^th October 2003 and was ordained Bishop on 30^th January 2004 by Archbishop of Port of Spain Edward Joseph Gilbert C.S.S.R.

The birth of the diocese of Georgetown has helped the Roman Catholic Church to expand its works of charity by witnessing to the Gospel Values taught by Jesus Christ. This diocese has been helping the people to nurture their faith through works of mercy among the people of Guyana. The vision of our forefathers in the diocese was that of the universality of the Catholic (means universal) Church and this has been the strength of our Church. This way we as a diocese can proclaim the Gospel of God’s love in Guyana who constitutes people of different walks of life.

Give me another chance

There is a Guyanese proverb, ‘nah every crab hole get crab’ which means things do not always turn out to be what you expect them to be. Human person needs yet another chance to prove the things right. As Christians we believe in the virtue of Hope because it is hope that helps us move forward in life. We might plan for one thing and it might turn out to be other thing. This is the most vulnerable time for the human person because that brief time of dejection can be the springboard to something greater that is in store for us, other hand this brief moment of dejection can lead someone to despair, hence consequences that follow. We makes mistakes in our lives, we make wrong choices in our lives, we go after wrong thing and people but we always get another opportunity to turn right back. It is like the prodigal son, even though he made grave mistake, he become aware of his mistake and turns right back to the father because father was ever welcoming. It is like, Jesus Christ sitting on a stone at the cross road, watching us pass him towards a wrong direction and after some time coming right back to Jesus on the stone because the road that we took must have lead us to danger. 

In our Gospel reading today, parable of the fig tree clearly propose that we need someone to give us yet another chance to grow after a fall-out. The fig tree did not produce any fruit, therefore it was due to be cut because it was taking up the space but fig tree gets one more year with proper manure and care. In the same way, we might have not been producing any fruit by not remaining faithful to God, not remaining faithful to the spouse, not doing the job well, not studying hard in the school, and so on. At this time, we need to look for that person who will support us and give us yet another chance to be good and produce fruit in relationship, studies, job etc. It is important that as Christians we give yet another chance for the person who falls, even by giving our hand to lift the person up. This way, we can be Christians of hope for the hopeless. We give yet another chance as Jesus did with the woman caught in adultery, ‘go and sin no more.’ As parish, we can bring people closer to God especially people who come asking for a chance in the Church. Let us be the pillar of cloud by day for the people who struggle to travel and let us be the pillar of fire by night for the people who live in darkness. 

I would like to extend my thanks to all the people who are involved in helping and supporting the vulnerable people of our society. Thank you for seeing beyond someone’s eyes, smile, tears, life and helping them at the due time. May God bless you always. 

Finally, we are brothers!

Have you wondered, why this meeting of Pope Francis and Orthodox Patriarch Kirill is so important? It was a delightful scene for me to watch the two religious leaders enter through the wide wooden door in the airport in Havana. It seemed like; finally the East has met the West. Why is this so delightful to me and for many Western and Greek Christians? In order to know this we need to span our attention to the history of the ‘great schism’ (the great division). Here is a brief history of the great schism that ultimately took place when Pope Leo IX and Patriarch Michael Cerularius excommunicated each other in 1054. There are several reasons for the gradual schism but I consider these two are important ones, and they are as follows;

1. Primacy of the Pope: There were different political situations in the east and the west; in the west the Church's centralized and monarchical structure was reinforced by the barbarian invasions. The Roman Pope claimed he held authority over the four Eastern patriarchs, while the four eastern patriarchs claimed that the primacy of the Patriarch of Rome was holy honorary, and thus he had authority only over Western Christians. Now so long as the Pope claimed an absolute power only in the west, Byzantium raised no objections. The Byzantines did not mind if the western Church was centralized, so long as the Papacy did not interfere in the east. The Pope, however, believed his immediate power of jurisdiction to extend to the east as well as to the west; and as soon as he tried to enforce this claim within the eastern Patriarchates, trouble was bound to arise. The Greeks assigned to the Pope a primacy of honor, but not the universal supremacy, which he regarded as his due. The Pope viewed infallibility as his own prerogative; the Greeks held that in matters of the faith the final decision rested not with the Pope alone, but with a Council representing all the bishops of the Church.

2. Troubled Holy Spirit: The second great difficulty was the Filioque (Latin: and from the Son). The dispute involved the words about the Holy Spirit in the Nicene Constantinopolitan Creed. Originally the Creed ran: 'I believe ... in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of Life, who proceeds from the Father, who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and together glorified.' This, the original form, is recited unchanged by the east to this day. But the west inserted an extra phrase 'and from the Son’, so that the Creed now reads 'who proceeds from the Father and the Son. Therefore most Orthodox believe the Filioque to be theologically untrue. They hold that the Spirit proceeds from the Father alone, and consider it a heresy to say that He proceeds from the Son as well. The insertion of the Filioque clause into the Nicene Creed by the Roman Church in direct violation of the command of the Council of Ephesus (ADE431), which declared the text of the Nicene Creed decreed at the Frist and Second Ecumenical Councils to be complete.

Attempts to Reconciliation

Pope John Paul II returned the bones (relics) of Patriarchs John Chrysostom (347-407), a prominent doctor of the Greek Orthodox Church and Gregory of Nazianzus (325-389), Doctor and theologian, to Istanbul in November 27, 2004. This gesture paved a path to ‘promote Christian unity’. On April 8, 2005, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I together with other heads of self-governed Easter Churches were present at the Pope St. John Paul II funeral. This is the first time for many centuries that an Ecumenical Patriarch has attended the funeral of a Pope and this also contributed to the dialogue towards reconciliation between the Eastern and the Western Churches.

“Finally, We are Brothers”

Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill embraced and kissed one another, a gesture of unity and harmony. They met for the first time ever at the entrance to a room with dark wood paneling in Havana airport in Cuba. The meeting took place a long way from Europe and its divisions, on an island that is both a crossroads and a symbol.

“Hermano, hermano, brother, brother, somos hermanos (we are brothers)” the Pope said to the Patriarch, “finally!” The Pope and the Patriarch sat in two big white upholstered armchairs, the scene dominated by a wooden crucifix. “Now things are easier,” Kirill said. “It is clearer now that this is God’s will,” the Pope said.

They both joined hands in signing the joint declaration, in which the two express their common concern for Christians undergoing persecution and they ask the international community to help them. They also focus on migrants and refugees and announce a common commitment to combating poverty. They establish a clear distinction between family and other forms of cohabitation and make an appeal for life: “blood of the unborn cries out to God”. The two religious leaders also call for Christian unity for the good of humanity. This call comes as a reminder to us to be united always in the words of Jesus, ‘so that they all may be one’, and this way we can work together to guard each one’s dignity and to save each one’s pride. 

Pettiness of Lent

‘Are you keeping the Lent?’ ‘What have you given up for Lent?’ Queries such as these will be in the air during these couple of weeks. I have also been enquired about my own Lenten observances. Most often, I am inclined not to tell about my own Lenten observances, merely because what my left hand does my right hand must know. I am of the belief that, God will see it what you do in quiet. 

A religious person might tell, ‘we need to prepare spiritually, or an inner preparation is significant than an external preparation. In other words, one needs to prepare the spirit not only body. A dietician might propose that this is the time to keep the diet in view of Lent so that one can be healthy. An alcoholic might think, I shall stay away from alcohol for this season. There might be myriad ways of keeping the Lent. This way, Lent might be a means to achieve something concrete. Our minds and hearts can be focused to achieve that one thing we have set out to do. At the end of it, a person can grow spiritually and bodily. A person can achieve spiritual bliss through bodily discipline. There needs to an incentive to do better in life. 

One has to be cautious about the pettiness that will become a jargon for Lent. Keeping Lent or doing penance (bodily or spirit) without conviction is pouring water on the duck back. It can be show to the gallery, if it is not done properly. There was a Catholic who gave up non-vegetarian as part of his Lenten observance but he intention (conviction) was to maintain his body figure. Another person gave up alcohol in order to impress his wife and children. This is all good, but I call it pettiness of Lent. Every one of us must ask a question, what am I doing what I am doing? Jesus had to point out to the Pharisees and Scribes about their human traditions of washing hands and cups before they ate. Jesus says to them, ‘you put aside the commandments of God and cling to human traditions.’ Those of us observing this Lent with penance, let us ask ourselves why am I doing it? Probably you have already been convinced that the penance will help one to prepare spiritually and hence, there is a holistic growth of oneself. 

Ash Wednesday liturgy proposes three things, firstly, when you give alms, don’t trumpet but do it in secret, secondly, when you pray, pray in secret to the Father who knows you, thirdly, when you fast, let no one know except the Father in heaven. This way Jesus shows how we must keep our own observances secret so that Father in heaven can reward us. Jesus points to the people about pettiness that people adore. 

Let this Lent be a time of grace, healing and reconciliation. If one has gone away from the Lord and His grace, it is the time to return. One can return in his/her own way, namely, through confession, reconciliation, keeping Lent, giving up meat, giving up habits, and so on. I urge you, whatever way that bring you back to his grace, healing and reconciliation, follow it boldly because God knows what you are seeking during this Lent. God will reward your penance but make sure you do it with conviction of right intention. Don’t limit Lent to mere some physical or spiritual observances, but make Lent as time to prepare to glorify the Lord at the resurrection. The resurrection is our achievement and not preparation alone. Hence, I am doing what I am doing is for the resurrection of the Lord. I would like to wish you a good Lent. May God bless you during this Lent. 

If fence grazes the field?

There is a familiar story in which Nathan is challenging David who has used a weak person who was supposed to be protected by him. Hence, the Lord sent Nathan to David. Nathan tells this revealing story of two two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him. Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him. David was so angry about this incident and expresses his concern for the poor man. David retorts that the rich man must die and he must pay four times to the poor man. 

It is easier to say that someone is wrong when there is a splinter in your own eye. It is natural for David to sympathize with the poor man and condemn the rich man. In this incident as Nathan enlightens, David is the rich man. He struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. This is a scandal in the life of a king. A king is supposed to protect his people but if the fence starts grazing the field there is no other way the field would be safe. 

This story could be applied to our own lives. We too hold positions in family, society, Church community, and so on. We too have people under us who are like the poor man in the story of David. There are many persons who are submissive and humble. Humility is not a sign of defeat but a sign of victory because it is in humility that you have become witnesses to God. Submissiveness is not a weakness but strength. So, for those of us who are rich man's position must try to understand that persons who are submissive or humble are also in need of us; in face they need us. St. Paul says in 1Corinthians 12:23, "Those members of the body which we deem less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our less presentable members become much more presentable." 

As family, some of you may be in positions that are above others. That role is given to you by God, to protect, honor and help the other members of the family. The weaker member must get utmost attention so that you strengthen the person. 

Some of you are in positions in this parish community. You are chosen by God to be the servant of servant in the parish community. Everyone of us in the Church is the servant of God but the people in positions are servants of the servants. You have to ensure that everyone is given equal important and weak is given extraordinary care. 

Those of you in business and other professionals, you have employees who need you, who look out for you in case of weakness and poverty. How do you reach out to them? There must not be an attitude of 'squeeze the squeezed'. One has to help someone who is fallen in the dungeons of poverty, ill health, voiceless and so on. This way, we can bring a change in this nation. 

To do this, we need God's assistance. It is God who sends persons like Nathan to challenge us and make us aware of our duty for our fellow humans. Season of Lent is the time for us to retrospect, how we have treated our brothers and sisters who are lower to us. 

Am I a dog? Weakness is strength

We are familiar with the story of David and the Philistine (Goliath). David is chosen to be the king of Israel and he had responsibility to protect the people from the mighty Philistines. Philistines were stronger in terms of army and power but people Israel were weak but depended mostly on God’s assistance. David has an important task to overpower the mighty and liberate the people of Israel from the clutches of sword and spear. The story begins when David prepares for the battle. He took his staff in his hands, a sling and five smooth stones. It was a shepherd’s staff unlike the warrior staff that Philistine had. It was not a sword, javelin or spear but mere sling and stones. Using slings in war was quite common. The slings were made up of leather patches held together with two strings coming out either side about three feet long. From this we know that sling is probably poor people’s armour to defend from the mighty armour of sword, spear and javelin. Story continues further, Philistine is ridiculed before even David could strike the stone. “Am I a dog that you come with sticks?” I would have been a greatest insult for a mighty warrior like Philistine when David presupposes that he can strike him. Thus the confidence of David is tremendous in the story. That is why David responds to Philistine, “you come with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, this day God has delivered into my hands and I will strike you down and cut off your head.” This he does, first of all he strikes him with his sling and cuts the head off.

I would like to point out the dynamics of the story. First of all, there is a symbolism of power driven by human arrogance, which will eventually be defeated, and other hand symbolism of weakness but strengthened by God, which will eventually be triumphed. Philistine was a powerful arrogant champion and depended on sword, spear and javelin. His power was vested in the worldly weapons. It is quite natural to think that when we have weapons we can overpower the weak. In our world today, we see, hear or experience modern Philistines who think that they can win by oppressing the weak, voiceless and marginalized. They might win but that triumph will not last very long. However mighty it may look, but it would tumble like the mighty Philistine.

On the other hand, the weak will triumph because God is on their side. David’s sling was able to defeat the mighty sword of the Philistine because God was with David. Even though David was weak, God made him strong. In fact, we are strong when we are weak. St. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, “My grace is enough for you: my power is at its best in weakness. So I shall be very happy to make my weakness my special boast so that the power of Christ may stay over me, and that is why I am quite content with my weakness and with insults, hardships, persecutions, and the agonies I go through for Christ’s sake. For it is when I am weak that I am strong.”

Do we feel weak? When do we feel weak? Do we dwell on our weakness to influence our lives? Weakness is not a permanent state of human person; in fact it is not even a situation. Weakness is just the absence of strength. We become strong whilst we are weak because weakness is the stepping-stone to strength. We progress learning from our weakness. In all this, Christ is our stronghold and refuge. There is a tendency to think that mighty rules the manger but in truth it is the weak rules the world. God is at side of the weak, Jesus said, “It is the sick who needs the physician.” Let us hold on to our Lord and Saviour when we are weak and He will make us strong.

Learn not to 'give up'

There is a familiar story in Book of Samuel, in fact the birth of Samuel. Elkanah had two wives, namely, Hannah and Peninnah. Elkanah offered sacrifices to the Lord and gave portions to Peninnah whereas he gave only small portion for Hannah because she was barren. Even though he loved Hannah more yet he considered it was a curse that she is barren. This bothered Hannah and distressed her life. In the bitterness of her soul she prayed to the Lord with tears and made a vow to give him to the Lord for the whole of his life and no razor shall ever touch his beard. When she prayed this with utmost longing for a child in her, the Lord did not let her down, when including the chief priest Eli assumed that she is drunk whilst she was praying. The Lord hears her plea and grants her a son named Samuel and the rest is history. This story suggests that Lord never lets us down but from our part we need to seek with that longing in our soul for Him. At times, circumstances of life will influence our life style and eventually make us slaves to that circumstance.

There will be always people in our lives who will discourage us or even lead us to give up in life but if we are rooted in God, nothing can influence us. “If God is for us who can be against us?” (Rom 8:31). We have to believe in the truth that God is for us always; God is good, all the time. It is natural for any human person to be discouraged when someone is pointing out at us how we should be or how bad we are? These kinds of phrases will undermine our own worth because we believe that we are in the image and likeness of God. In the recent times, we have heard about sad stories of people either ending their own lives or inflicting violence on others. It seems like the image of God has been distorted, in other words, there is no respect for the human person.

Pope Benedict XVI writes in Caritas in Veritate that "The Church forcefully maintains this link between life ethics and social ethics, fully aware that 'a society lacks solid foundations when, on the one hand, it asserts values such as the dignity of the person, justice and peace, but then, on the other hand, radically acts to the contrary by allowing or tolerating a variety of ways in which human life is devalued and violated, especially where it is weak or marginalized.'" (no. 15).

We, as parish community can influence our society to a large extent because our parish community has a responsibility to reach out to the people who need our loving touch. I would like to extend any form of support to any parishioner who would like to make a difference in the life of this nation. Let us learn not to give up and let us help others learn this trick not to give up.