Update from the Friars in the Caribbean

Lent is marked enthusiastically in the Caribbean.

Fr Antony Bozeman SSJ preaching the Crusade at Christ the King

In Jamaica, our two parishes came together with a third neighbouring parish in the week of 16th March for a ‘Crusade’: every night of the week people gathered for three hours of praise and worship, Scripture reading, and energetic preaching, with confessions available throughout. It was a truly graced time, helped along by our guest preacher, Fr Anthony Bozeman SSJ. We hope the energy and the blessings of the Crusade will be carried over into our two forthcoming youth retreat days, one of which will involve a hike into the Blue Mountains.

Strengthening Family Life

Frs Bede Mullens and Clifton Harris have worked with local laywoman and counsellor Ms Cheryl Foreman to design and deliver a family-building workshop on Sundays during Lent. The workshop is intended to strengthen bonds within the parishes and to help people reflect on and better navigate their own family situations. The programme has caught the attention of the Archdiocesan Family Life Commission, so the materials and ideas we have developed may benefit the local Church more widely.

Moving House

In August, the friars in Jamaica will be up-sizing to a different building on the St Michael’s Theological College site. Fr Peter Hunter has been to inspect the building with two parishioners of exceedingly good taste and good sense, so that appropriate repairs and redecoration can be made in time for our move. This will allow us to accommodate much more comfortably the professed community as well as pre-novices. This year’s two pre-novices are both currently making their formal application to begin the novitiate year in Cambridge; and it is now looking as if there may be two more pre-novices again in Jamaica next year.

Visitations

The Provincial, Bede and one of the pre-novices

We were pleased to welcome the Provincial, Fr Nick Crowe, on visitation in February, along with Fr Gregory Pearson. We are looking forward to welcoming the Master of the Order on visitation from 29th – 30th April in Jamaica: events are being planned at St Michael’s College and Campion College, as well as in the parishes.

The Master’s Socius for Europe, Fr Thomas Broegl, will make a visitation of Grenada from 1st – 3rd April. Frs Peter and Clifton have both spent time in Grenada of late to support the brethren there.

The Provincial with parishioners at St Thomas Aquinas parish