need to go back and because they have forgotten that faith and love for the poor go hand in hand, Pope Leo XIV said in his first whatever the form their poverty may is the evangelical hallmark of a Church faithful to the ”),
Pope Leo signed the document Oct. 4, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, and the Vatican released the text Oct. 9, the feast of St.
The document was begun by Pope Francis, Pope Leo said, but he added to it and wanted to issue it near the beginning of his papacy “since I share the desire of my beloved predecessor that all Christians come to appreciate the close connection betweenChrist’s loveandhis summons to care for the poor.” (please turn to page 12)
Sunday October 19th
07:30hrs – Mass at St. Joseph the Worker, Linden
10:00hrs – Mass at Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Wismar
15:00hrs – Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes, Silver Hill, Soesdyke
Clergy Conference 2025
The Annual Clergy Conference of the Diocese of Georgetown commenced on Tuesday, October 7th, bringing together His Lordship Bishop Francis Alleyne OSB, seventeen priests from across the diocese, and two Jesuit seminarians. The conference, which will conclude on Friday, October 10th, is being held at the Catholic Life Centre, Brickdam, Georgetown. The theme is “Pilgrims, Journeying Together,PriestsonMission.”
The Jubilee Prayer
Father in heaven, may the faith you have given us in your son, Jesus Christ, our brother, and the flame of charity enkindled in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, reawaken in us the blessed hope for the coming of your Kingdom.
May your grace transform us into tireless cultivators of the seeds of the Gospel. May those seeds transform from within both humanity and the whole cosmos in the sure expectation of a new heaven and a new earth, when, with the powers of Evil vanquished, your glory will shine eternally.
May the grace of the Jubilee reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope, a yearning for the treasures of heaven. May that same grace spread the joy and peace of our Redeemer throughout the earth.
To you our God, eternally blessed, be glory and praise for ever.
Amen
Message
On Thursday October 9th, His Grace Archbishop Charles Jason Gordon, Archbishop of theArchdiocese of Port of Spain (Trinidad) and Metropolitan of the Diocese of Georgetown, led a session with Bishop Francis and the clergy of Georgetown. His Grace presentation focused on Leading a Synodal Church in Mission
The Closing Mass of the Conference, which was also the Jubilee of Consecrated Life, was celebrated on Thursday October 9th at 5 pm at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Brickdam. from Catholic Media Guyana FB
Turkey, Lebanon Nov. 27-Dec. 2
VATICAN CITY (CNS) Pope Leo XIV’s first papal trip abroad will be to Turkey and Lebanon Nov. 27-Dec. 2, the Vatican press office announced. The trip was built around Pope Francis’ promise to join Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople in celebrating the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea and the beginnings of the Nicene Creed, recited by all mainline Christians.
While not releasing a detailed itinerary for the trip, the Vatican said Oct. 7 that Pope Leo would be in Turkey Nov. 27-30, and his visit would “include a pilgrimage to Iznik,” the modern site of theancientNicaea.
In an interview in July with the Catholic online news outlet Crux, Pope Leo said that while initial plans were for the Nicaea celebration to be mainly a joint pilgrimage of the pope and patriarch, he requested that it involve other Christian leaders as well. The drafting of the Creed
occurred “
different divisions took place” and so is “a
common profession of faith.”
The pope also could go to Ankara, the Turkish capital, to meet government officials and fulfill elements of diplomatic protocol as the leader of the Holy See. And in the past, popes have gone to the Phanar, the headquarters of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, for the Nov. 30 celebration of the feast of St. Andrew, the patron saint of thepatriarchate.
The Vatican also said that “in response to the invitation of the Head of State and Ecclesiastical Authorities of Lebanon,” Pope Leo would go from Turkey to Lebanon Nov. 30-Dec. 2.
In addition to visiting government and church officials, the pope is expected to commemorate in some way the 2020 explosion at the port of Beirut, which killed more than 200 people, injured some 7,000 others and displaced more than 300,000. Many of those killed were Christians because the port is near predominantlyChristianneighborhoods.
before the
Archbishop Charles Jason Gordon presents at the Clergy Conference, Oct. 9 Day one of the Annual Clergy Conference , Tuesday October 7th 2025
Catholic leaders express
Medics in Gaza City celebrate following the announcement that Israel and Hamas agreed on the first phase of a Gaza ceasefire (Vatican News)
(Aleteia) - Catholic leaders of the Holy Land were quick to respond with joy and hope October 9 as news broke that Israel and Hamas have reached an initial deal to end the conflict.
Just two days into the third year of the war, as the Pope and the Vatican had firmly reiterated the need for the "carnage" to end, the negotiations being held in Egypt led to a first agreement.
Speaking of the joy of the announcement, a statement from the Latin Patriarchate noted it "ardently hopes that this accord will be fully and faithfully implemented, so that it may mark the beginning of the end of this terrible war."
The Patriarchate insisted on the "absolute urgency of immediate humanitarian relief and the unconditional entry of sufficient aid to Gaza’s suffering population" and said that it would be praying that this "step may open a path of healing and reconciliation for both Palestinians and Israelis."
The Patriarchate "calls upon everyone to join us in the Day of Prayer for Peace declared by Pope Leo XIV on October 11. May the Lord have mercy on the Holy Land, and may He grant it peace."
For his part, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, said we "must rejoice" and expressed his hopes for a new phase, a time to stop thinking about war and start thinking about rebuilding after war.
“It is good news, and we are very happy. It is a first step, the first phase. Of course, there are many others, and surely there will be other obstacles. But now we have to rejoice about this important step that will bring a little more trust for the future and also bring new hope, especially to the people, both Israeli and Palestinians.” “Now we finally see something new and different. Of course, there will also be a new atmosphere for the continuation of negotiation, also for all the life inside Gaza that will remain terrible for a long time. But now we are happy and we hope that this is just the beginning of a new phase where we can, little by little, start thinking not about war, but about how to rebuild after the war.”
Caritas: "deep relief and hope"
Caritas Jerusalem noted that since the September 22 beginning of evacuations in Gaza City, they had had to suspend operations in five out of 10 medical points, but that 102 Caritas employees continued their work.
Caritas is the international charity arm of the Catholic Church.
"Our Secretary General, Mr. Anton Asfar, expressed his deep relief and hope upon hearing the news of the agreement to end the war and release prisoners, detainees, and abductees from both sides," a statement from the organization said.
"All our colleagues in Gaza are overjoyed with the news," said Asfar, "and
Thursday October 16th will mark the fourth death anniversary of Catholic Standard Editor Mr. Colin Smith, who passed away on Saturday October 16th 2021 at the age of 70.
Mr. Smith was the first lay person appointed editor of the Standard, and was the second-longest serving editor, having served for 25 years. Mayhissoulcontinuetorestinpeace.❖
they are very keen on helping all those afflicted by the war the patients, the casualties, and the grief-stricken in Gaza."
"In the coming phase," he said, "we are looking forward to rebuilding people’s souls in the Holy Land, and specifically in Gaza."❖
A Christian Perspective on Social Help the women, save the children
By GHK Lall
Domestic violence. It is like a smear across the face of this country that has such a small population. Women are being brutalized and killed in their homes by their own. On rare occasions, there is the other side of this dark national horror - an angry and intimidated woman raises a weapon against an abusive partner and kills him. Regardless of who dies, which gender is lost and gone, there are children caught up in these storms that leave them poorly equipped to face life and deal with its myriad of challenges.
When a woman doesn’t feel safe in her own home, and not from the malice or rage of strangers, that is a terrible way to live, the worst of existences. It is not living; it is hoping to survive from one day to the next. The government, through the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, has implemented some commendable programs that seek to improve the quality of existence in the home that many wives and partners endure. I feel a thin film of sweat, with no activity or heat, when I mention that still the wounding and maiming and killing continue. Scars that refuse to heal, scars that last a lifetime. When next a blow? What form the next outburst of anger? What protection, what safety, against a daily ordeal that has been so for years?
The counsel of scripture falls on deaf ears and hardened hearts. The company of rum, and a culture that thrives on machismo, fuels the fists and fatal weaponry that have felled women, children, and those responsible for the harrowing violence. From time to time, even the home, that joyous castle that once was, is burnt to the ground. How to deal with that degree of overflowing rage, complete and depraved indifference to life and limb, then property? The way that I see this, is that a piece of paper issued by the judicial system, with the best of hopes and the noblest of intentions, is not going to function as that emergency brake that restrains the madness. It is a fiendish madness that overtakes and takes control.
What is the solution? Is there one? Frankly, I don’t think that there is any that is foolproof or airtight. It depends on the situation, with a sharp and critical eye cast on the offender, the repeatedly violent. There are times when counseling produces results. Other times, family relations should lend a hand to help heal, and not to intensify hurts. Not to feed distrust and sentiments about bias. The police can only be called so many times. There is that one time when it doesn’t matter anymore, because it is too late, and it is over in the worst manner imaginable.
Finances and violence can turn into a deadly pair. The lack of the former leads to an abundance of the latter. Alcohol is what aids some in becoming a warrior that grows bolder the more it takes over the senses. It is a combination that can only be mitigated, forgiven, so many times. So, what’s the answer, what still eludes? Truth be told, a piece of paper, that order of the court intended to restrain, more often than not has failed when needed to be at its most effective, to be that greatest of deterrents. Court orders have their time and place, its utilities. It is what should be issued sparingly. If so, then what is left?
Minister Persaud has training and placing that helps with much-needed independence. She also articulated something with which I am onboard. In the terseness of three words: no
bail, jail. Of course, not an automatic, universal, standard, but in some situations. I think that has merit. There should be a set of criteria to determine who should be favored with a second chance, a court order, or a cell at the pleasure of the state. To date, the fire has been one with women in the home being the biggest statistic, the perennial victims. No bail, but jail, changes the rules of engagement, if such could be the description. There is fighting fire with fire. The cowardly perpetrators of domestic violence get some of their own medicine. The penalties must match, and the inhuman called for: the women must be strong. They are strong or they are gone. It is more than a relationship that is at stake. There is one ❖
Jubilee Pilgrimage to Suriname
Parishioners of the South Georgetown Cluster were on a Jubilee Pilgrimage to Paramaribo, Suriname, from Thursday October 2nd to Mon. Oct. 6th 2025.
On Saturday October 4th, the pilgrims visited the Blessed Peter Donders Shrine as part of their Jubilee activities.
The Blessed Peter Donders Shrine is located at the former leper colony of Batavia, Suriname, where Blessed Peter Donders served as a missionary for most of his life. It is a pilgrimage site that commemorates his devoted
work among those suffering from leprosy and later, among the Indigenous peoples of Suriname. The site features the restored leper colony, a monument, a chapel, and other elements dedicated to the popular devotion to Blessed Peter Donders.
Gracious and loving God, we thank your for the gift of our priests. Through them, we experience your presence in the sacraments.
Help our priests to be strong in their vocation.
Set their souls on fire with love for your people.
Grant them the wisdom, understanding, and strength they need to follow in the footsteps of Jesus. Inspire them with the vision of your Kingdom.
Give them the words they need to
The Cluster had planned this pilgrimage to Suriname as a spiritual journey of faith, reflection, and renewal in this Jubilee Year of Hope. ❖
(Adapted from Catholic Media Guyana FB).
FIRST READING: 2 Kings 5:14-17
Naaman returned to Elisha and acknowledged the Lord
Naaman the leper went down and immersed himself seven times in the Jordan, as Elisha had told him to do. And his flesh became clean once more like the flesh of a little child.
Returning to Elisha with his whole escort, he went in and stood before him. ‘Now I know’ he said ‘that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel. Now, please, accept a present from your servant.’
But Elisha replied, ‘As the Lord lives, whom I serve, I will accept nothing’. Naaman pressed him to accept, but he refused. Then Naaman said, ‘Since your answer is “No”, allow your servant to be given as much earth as two mules may carry, because your servant will no longer offer holocaust or sacrifice to any god except the Lord.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 97
Response: The Lord has shown his salvation to the nations
1. Sing a new song to the Lord for he has worked wonders.
His right hand and his holy arm have brought salvation. Response
2. The Lord has made known his salvation; has shown his justice to the nations. He has remembered his truth and love for the house of Israel. Response
3. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
Shout to the Lord all the earth, ring out your joy. Response
SECOND READING: 2Timothy 2:8-13
If we hold firm, we shall reign with Christ
Remember the Good News that I carry, ‘Jesus Christ risen from the dead, sprung from the race of David’; it is on account of this that I have my own hardships to bear, even to being chained like a criminal – but they cannot chain up God’s news. So I bear it all for the sake of those who are chosen, so that in the end they may have the salvation that is in Christ Jesus and the eternal glory that comes with it.
Gratitude is the key to a stewardship way of life. Today’s readings demonstrate the power and vital importance of gratitude in the life of the Christian disciple, for gratitude leads us to worship God, who offers us salvation.
Here is a saying that you rely on:
If we have died with him, then we shall live with him.
If we hold firm, then we shall reign with him. If we disown him, then he will disown us. We may be unfaithful, but he is always faithful, for he cannot disown his own self.
GOSPEL: Luke 17:11-19
No one has come back to give praise to God, except this foreigner.
Now on the way to Jerusalem Jesus travelled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered one of the villages, ten lepers came to meet him. They stood some way off and called to
We see the power of gratitude on display in the Gospel passage from Luke after Jesus heals 10 lepers. “And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned.” Only one of the 10 recognized the tremendous blessing he had received from Jesus, and he returned to thank Him. While it’s easy to feel indignant at the failure of the nine others to return and thank Jesus, how often do we fail to recognize the blessings, answered prayers, and healings (both physical and spiritual), that the Lord showers upon us day and night?
him, ‘Jesus! Master! Take pity on us.’ When he saw themhesaid, ‘Goandshowyourselves tothe priests’ . Now as they were going away they were cleansed. Finding himself cured, one of them turned back praising God at the top of his voice and threw himself at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. The man was a Samaritan. This made Jesus say, ‘Were not all ten made clean? The other nine, where are they? It seems that no one has come back to give praise to God, except this foreigner.’
And he said to the man, ‘Stand up and go on your way. Your faith has saved you.’❖
The truth is that our very lives and every breath we take are His gift to us. But we can get so caught up in the stresses and distractions of daily life that we lose touch with this truth.
The Samaritan reacts to his gift of healing with the proper response to our loving God. Recognizing what he had just received from the Lord, he “returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked Him.” He was grateful for what God had done for him and this gratitude led to worship.
And because of this response, Jesus offered him a far more precious gift that physical healing; He offered him the gift of salvation. “Stand up and go; your faith has saved you.”
Too often we hear the phrase, “Count your blessings,” and write it off as nothing more than a trite saying. Today’s Gospel shows us otherwise. Gratitude is powerful. It deepens our faith in God and leads us to fitting worship of Him. ❖
[www.catholicsteward.com/blog/ ]
Gospel Reflection
We have all been touched by Jesus in some way. We have all had encounters with him at some time or the other. It may be interesting to consider how such encounters have changed our lives, how deep such changes have gone, how it has effected our values, our concerns and our lifestyles. Are we perhaps like the nine lepers, only changed on the outside? Should we try to imitate the one leper who allowed himself to be changed completely as a result of that one encounter with Christ? Quite often we take God’s power for granted, especially when life goes smoothly. We do not regularly respond in thanksgiving. Our experience with God is never seen in the “smoothness” of life and so does not lead us to a deepening of faith. Only when difficulties confront us do we look for God.
We read that nine of the lepers were unable to say thanks, to express gratitude for their cure. This seems to suggest that their cure was only on the surface. While their leprosy was gone, nothing else about them had changed. They had a horrible experience with a disease that had no cure but they had learned nothing from their pain. This is the real tragedy. It is our tragedy too because weoftendo not learn from our painful experiences. We hardly do have control over what happens to us but we do have control over how we react to what happens to us. We can live with a bad experience with anger and so be destroyed by it. Or we can live with the possibility that good can come out of the experience, painfulthoughitmaybe.❖
[From: Journeying with the Word of God, The Religious Education Department, DioceseofGeorgetown, Guyana ]
TheWordandtheWorld TWO YEARS OF GENOCIDE
BY MIKE JAMES
This last week marked two years since the Hamas attacks on Israel resulted in some 1,200 mainly civilian deaths and the full activation of a planned genocide by Israel on the Palestinian people in Gaza. Since October 7, 2023, more than 70,000 Gazans have been killed in Israeli bombing raids, most of them civilians and most shockingly and callously the assassination of scores of starving Palestinian children as they line up for dwindling humanitarian food handouts deliberately being choked off by Israel in its “final solution of the Palestinian problem”.
The international flotilla attempting to break the tightening circle of hunger and death in Gaza armed with nothing but essential medical and food supplies was illegally and contemptuously hijacked in international waters by the Israeli military at the order of a regime that pronounced the human right activists as “terrorists”. Even the grandson of Nelson Mandela, 51-yearold activist Mandla Mandela was not spared.
"We were handcuffed with cable ties tied tightly behind our backs, taken off our boats, put on the platform and paraded for all ... to see," Mandela said at the airport, where he was greeted by supporters waving Palestinian flags, after being among the very last of the activists to be released by the Israelis.
"But it's nothing compared to what Palestinians have been subjected to on a daily basis," he said, referring to Israel's military offensive. Israel’s apartheid across the occupied Palestinian territories is “far worse” than the apartheid perpetrated by white nationalists for decades in South Africa, “he reiterated. “The world must mount a campaign to end Israel’s apartheid, as countries did for South Africa.”
It is the cloak of religion that has allow Israeli to justify, even publicise its genocidal intent in Palestine. As he addressed his troops 2 years ago at the public launch of his campaign to wipe out all Palestinians following the Hamas attack, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, invoked an oft quoted Zionist biblical reference in urging his soldiers “‘You must remember what Amalek has done to you,’ says our Holy Bible”.
The quotation comes from a passage from the Book of Deuteronomy Chapter 25: 17-19 “'Remember how Amalek treated you when you were on your way out of Egypt. He met you on your way and, after you had gone by, he fell on you from the rear and cut off the stragglers; when you were faint and weary, he had no fear of God. When Yahweh your God has granted you peace from all the enemies
surrounding you, in the country given you by Yahweh your God to own as your heritage, you must blot out the memory of Amalek under heaven. Do not forget.”
Zealous religious supporters of the campaign of genocide, both in Israel and around the world quote another Old Testament passage in support of the extermination, even of women, children and other noncombatants that plays out on the world’s TV screens daily.
Chapter 15 of the first book of Samuel begins:
Samuel said to Saul, 'I am the man whom Yahweh sent to anoint you as king of his people Israel, so now listen to the words of Yahweh. This is what Yahweh says, "I intend to punish what Amalek did to Israel laying a trap for him on the way as he was coming up from Egypt. Now, go and crush Amalek; put him under the curse of destruction with all that he possesses Do not spare him, but kill man and woman, babe and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and donkey." '
Saul summoned the people and reviewed them at Telaim: two hundred thousand foot soldiers (and ten thousand men of Judah). Saul advanced on the town of Amalek and lay in ambush in the riverbed. Saul then crushed the Amalekites, beginning at Havilah in the direction of Shur, which is to the east of Egypt. He took Agag king of the Amalekites alive and, executing the curse of destruction, put all the people to the sword
One of the peculiarities of Netanyahu's Zionist government that has become most evident over these two years is the falsification of the true face of God. The reduction of the Old Covenant to the mere literality of the biblical text ensures, above all, the divine will for the return of the people of Israel to the Promised Land.
IDOLATRY
Today, in Israel, idolatry and manipulation of God allow them to reconcile faith with the practice of genocide and the systematic elimination of the Palestinian people.
In reality, however, God will always be present in the suffering and in the victims, active in the fight against poverty and injustice, accompanying the tens of thousands of dead, wounded, and displaced.
Israel and its chief backers, the US and its President Trump, are reluctant to abandon their vision of a grotesque “tourist paradise” in Gaza financed by the worlds richest and most powerful multinationals who expect massive profits for their investments once the Palestinians population can be deposed of.
Other governments around the world, cautious to avoid the displeasure of the US and Israel attempt to sit on the fence while the Palestinian millions suffer their daily torture, crucifixion and death. But millions of ordinary people in scores of countries around the world are realising their real power by peaceful spiraling protests, by economic boycotts of Israel and greedy multinationals to bring a prompt halt to the Palestinian genocide. They will not be silenced. They cannot be silenced.
At last week’s Angelus, Pope Leo XVI expressed his own “deepest sympathy to the Palestinian people in Gaza, who continue to live in fear and to survive in unacceptable conditions, forced –once again – from their lands.”
Invoking “the Almighty Lord, who commanded ‘Thou shalt not kill’” and calling “all humanity” to bear witness, Pope Leo declared, “Every human person has an inviolable dignity which must be respected and protected.”
He went on to renew his calls for “a ceasefire, the release of hostages, a negotiated diplomatic solution, and full respected international humanitarian law,” before inviting everyone to join him in his prayers “that a dawn of peace and justice may soon arise.” His first foreign visit as Pope to Lebanon and Turkey on the Palestine Frontier will also send its own message to a world calling, pleading, demanding, requiring a halt to the genocide in the name of God, and our humanity. ❖
On Sunday September 28th, Sacred Heart Church, Itabac, North Pakaraima Mountains, Region 8, Essequibo, Guyana, joyfully celebrated a Heritage Mass, honouring faith and culture together.
On this special occasion, 14 children received their First Confession and Holy Communion. The parish community gathered with gratitude, prayer, and unity, rejoicing in God’s blessings and the growth of young disciples. ❖
(Adapted from St Joseph's RC Church, Kurukabaru - Region 8 FB)
Journeying with the Word of God
MAKING THE WORD OF GOD YOUR OWN
Step 1: Lookattoday’sReadingsprayerfully.
1st Reading: Naaman’s miraculous healing from a skin disease at the direction of the prophet Elisha convinces him that the God of Israel is the only true God.
2nd Reading: Paul reminds Timothy that the work of preaching the Gospel will not be easy. It will result in hardship, opposition and persecution. Gospel: The point of the story of the Samaritan leper who came back to thank Jesus for the cure he receives is that none of us should fail to show our gratitude to those who have been good to us.
1. Jesus said to the one who returned: “Stand up and go on your way. Your faith has saved you.” How do you feel about this statement? Does the attitude of the other nine make you reflect on your own faith?
Monkey Mountain celebrates Heritage Month
On Sunday September 28th, St. Bernard’s Church, Monkey Mountain, North Pakaraima Mountains, Region 8, Essequibo, Guyana, joyfully celebrated a special prayer service in honour of Heritage Month. The occasion beautifully highlighted Indigenous culture through traditional wear, music, and expressions of faith. It was followed by a vibrant community gathering, where food, laughter, and storytelling were shared, strengthening unity and keeping ancestral traditions alive for future generations.❖ (Adapted from St Joseph's RC Church, Kurukabaru Region 8 FB)
2. As the ten were going away, in obedience to Jesus, they were healed. Do you sometimes expect instant help from God? Do you ever lose faith if help is slow in coming?
3. The experience of the nine lepers does not seem to have led them to a deepening of faith. How is it possible for this to happen?
4. In their common distress the ten lepers band together but once healed, the unity is destroyed. Is this sort of thing your experience?
Step 3: Accepting the message of God’s Wordinyourlifeoffaith
Gratitude to God strengthens our faith. In the face of difficulties, we remain confident that Christ does not disown his own. While many of us are willing to benefit from the generosity of others, few of us are always willing to give something back. Gratitude, then, is very important to us because it makes us want to give something back.
Step 4: Somethingtothink&prayabout
1.Reflect on when and where was the last occasion God was there for you with his help. How did you respond? Was there some expression of gratitude in your response?
2.In what way do you recognise God working in your life? In many cases this does not have to be something grand. God can be acting in little ways.
3.Pray for the strength to respond to the pain of others even though you will often receive no thanks for your efforts.❖
[From: Journeying with the Word of God, The Religious Education Department, Diocese of Georgetown, Guyana ]
Bishop Francis tells Karasabai on centenary
The Community of Karasabai joyfully celebrated 100 years of Catholic faith on Sunday October 5th, with a vibrant and faith-filled Eucharistic celebration at St. Therese of Lisieux church, Karasabai, South Pakaraima Mountains, Region9,Essequibo,Guyana.
The church was packed to overflowing, with little room left "in the inn" as parishioners, visitors from neighbouring communities, and faithful from as far as Lethem gathered to mark this historic milestone. The celebration began with a colourful procession from the church gate to the entrance of the church, accompanied by lively choruses and a traditional welcome dance, setting the tone for a
Lighting the Flame of Faith
The Holy Mass was presided over by Bishop Francis Alleyne OSB, with Fr. Edwin Anthony SJ (Parish Priest), and Fr. Jaison Lobo SJ Assistant Parish Priest, North Pakaraimas) as concelebrants.
A special highlight was the participation of 17 First Communion candidates and three Confirmation candidates, whose joyful presence reflected the living faith passed down through generations.
Early in the celebration, 100 tea candles were lit, each representing one year of the community's journey of faith. Bishop Francis lit the first candle, followed by the parish priest, concelebrants, and parishioners who have been instrumental in nurturing the faith through the decades. Finally, the First Communion and Confirmation candidates lit the remaining candles, symbolizing the passing on of the light of Christ toa new generation.
Drawing on St. Paul's words to Timothy, they were encouraged to "fan into a flame the gift of faith" and share
and a cause for deep thanksgiving. He commended the community for preserving and handing on faith through times of challenge and change.
He invited the faithful to reflect on past moments of difficulty, whether in family life or within the church community,and to use thisjubilee year as a time to "leave behind what needs to be left behind" and open a new chapter of renewal.
"Let us bring together this feast day, this centenary, and our sacraments," Bishop Francis urged. "Let us allow ourselves to say: this is who we are, this is where we came from, and we are ready to take this responsibility further - the responsibility of peace, joy, hope, and love, and to keep the light of our faith shining in our communities."
Gratitude for a Century of Faith
In his homily to the more than 400 people in attendance, the bishop reminded the faithful that this centennial celebration is their heritage
The centennial Mass was also a moment of deep thanksgiving for the many priests, religious sisters, and Parish Lay Assistants (PLAs) who have faithfully served the community over the past century. Special mention was made of the Ursuline Sisters whose tireless missionary work has played a vital role in evangelization.
The community extended heartfelt
Tirkey OSU, Sr. Judika Baa OSU, and Sr. for their dedicated
The centenary mass on Sunday was preceded by several events on . Holy Mass was celebrated early in the morning, accompanied by the sounds of birds chirping, and the cool breeze, - a fitting atmosphere as the day was the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of the environment.
After Mass, Asst. Parish Priest Fr. Paul Martin SJ presented the history of the Church community, which began some 100 years ago. Parishioners, some trying to hold back their emotions while others had no hesitation in showing them, reflected on those years. The parish priest then charged everyone to ponder upon the future of the mission.
The afternoon session took the form of areconciliationservice,whereparishioners were encouraged to reconcile and turn a new page in preparation for the 100th AnniversaryMass.
Looking Ahead
As the community of St. Therese looks beyond its centenary, parishioners expressed a renewed commitment to grow stronger in faith, unity, and love, carrying forward the light of Christ for
Adapted from
Giving Thanks
Dear Girls and Boys,
Our Gospel Reading today is about ten lepers. A leper is a person who has a disease called leprosy. This disease causes sores all over the body. Leprosy was very common in Jesus' day, and people who had this disease were thought to be unclean. They were required to stay away from other people because of the fear that they might infect them with their disease.
One day, Jesus was walking through a small village when he saw a group of ten lepers. They stood far away from Jesus and called to him, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us." Obviously, they knew who Jesus was and that he had the power to heal them and they asked very nicely. When Jesus heard them, he called back to the lepers and said, "Go, show yourself to the priest."
As the lepers went on their way to see the priest, they looked at their skin and the sores were gone. Jesus had healed their disease. They were so happy that they ran up and down the streets singing and dancing. Suddenly, one of them stopped and went back. Praising God with a loud voice, he threw himself at Jesus' feet and said, "Thank You." Jesus said to him, "Weren't there ten who were healed? Where are the other nine?" Only one out of ten remembered to say, "Thank You."
God does so much for us! Every day he provides what we need: food, clothing, and a place to live. Do we ever forget to say, "Thank You?" Let's stop right now and say "Thank You" and ask God to help us remember to thank Him every day.
Dear Lord, please answer when we call. Give us relief from our troubles, and have mercy upon us in our time of need. We give thanks with all our heart. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. ❖
love, trust in God, Pope Leo says at Jubilee
Pope Leo XIV greets visitors after celebrating Mass in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican Oct. 9, 2025, as part of the Jubilee of Consecrated Life. Thousands of men and women religious, monks, contemplatives, members of secular institutes, consecrated virgins, hermits and people belonging to “new institutes” came to Rome from all over the world for their Oct. 8-9 Jubilee. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)
VATICAN CITY (CNS) All human beings need consistent, lasting and healthy experiences of authentic love, Pope Leo XIV said.
Consecrated men and women, who abandon themselves “like children into the arms of the Father,” spread “the ‘fresh air’ of authentic love throughout the world,” he said in his homily during Mass in St. Peter’s Square Oct. 9, marking the Jubilee of Consecrated Life.
Thousands of men and women religious, monks, contemplatives, members of secular institutes, consecrated virgins, hermits and
people belonging to “new institutes” came to Rome from all over the world for their Oct. 8-9 Jubilee.
God is “the fullness and meaning of our lives,” said the pope, who joined the Augustinian religious order in 1977 and served as its leader, or prior general, for 12 years in Rome.
“For you for us the Lord is everything,” he said. “Without him, nothing exists, nothing makes sense, nothing is worthwhile.”
“He is everything in different ways: as Creator and the source of existence, as love that calls and challenges, as the
strength that impels and inspires us to give,” he said. “Living out your vows means abandoning yourselves like children into the arms of the Father.”
The Catholic Church “entrusts you with the task of being living witnesses to God’s primacy in your lives,” the pope said.
“By stripping yourselves of everything, you help the brothers and sisters you meet to cultivate this friendship themselves,” he said. “After all, history teaches us that an authentic experience of God always gives rise to generous outpourings of charity.”
Some people believe that “it is vain to serve God,” he said.
“This way of thinking leads to a genuine paralysis of the soul,” the pope said. “We end up settling for a life made up of fleeting moments, superficial and intermittent relationships and passing fads things that leave a void in our hearts,” and do not lead to true happiness.
“Instead, we need consistent, lasting and healthy experiences of love,” he said, and members of consecrated life have a role to play in that through their example.
“Dear brothers and sisters, the Lord, to whom you have given everything, has rewarded you with such beauty and richness, and I would like to urge you to treasure and cultivate what you have received,” Pope Leo said.
“Do not seek to be numbered among the ‘learned and clever,'” he said, quoting St. Paul VI’s 1971 apostolic exhortation “Evangelica Testificatio.”
“Be truly poor, meek, eager for holiness, merciful and pure of heart,” he said, quoting the late pope. “Be among those who will bring to the world the peace of God.”❖
Love for the poor is hallmark of faith, Pope says in first Apostolic Exhortation,“Dilexi te”(From
The connection is not new or modern and was not a Pope Francis invention, he said. In fact, throughout the Hebrew Scriptures “God’s love is vividly demonstrated by his protection of the weak and the poor, to the extent that he can be said to have a particular fondness for them.”
“I am convinced that the preferential choice for the poor is a source of extraordinary renewal both for the Church and for society,” Pope Leo wrote, “if we can only set ourselves free of our self-centeredness and open our ears to their cry.”
As he has done from the beginning of his papacy in May, the pope decried the increasing gap between the world’s wealthiest and poorest citizens and noted how women often are “doubly poor,” struggling to feed their children and doing so with few rights or possibilities.
Pope Leo also affirmed church teaching since at least the 1960s that there are “structures of sin” that keep the poor in poverty and lead those who have sufficient resources to ignore the poor or think theyare better than them.
When the church speaks of God’s preferential option for the poor, he said, it does not exclude or discriminate against others, something “which would be impossible for God.”
But the phrase is “meant to emphasize God’s actions, which are moved by compassion toward the poverty and weakness of all humanity,” he wrote.
“Wanting to inaugurate a kingdom of justice, fraternity and solidarity,” Pope Leo said, “God has a special place in his heart for those who are discriminated against and oppressed, and he asks us, his Church, to make a decisive and radical choice in favor of the weakest.” That choice, he said, must include pastoral and spiritual care as well as education, health care, jobs training and charity all of which the church has provided for centuries.
The document includes a separate section on migrants with the pope writing, “The Church has always recognized in migrants a living presence of the Lord who, on the day of judgment, will say to those on his right: ‘I was a
stranger, and you welcomed me.'”
The quotation is from the Gospel of Matthew 25:35, which is part of the “Judgment of the Nations” in which Jesus clearly states that his followers will be judged on how they care for the poor, the sick, the imprisoned and the foreigner.
“The Church, like a mother, accompanies those who are walking” in search of a better, safer life for themselves and their families, Pope Leo wrote.
“Where the world sees threats, she (the church) sees children; where walls are built, she builds bridges,” he continued. “She knows that her proclamation of the Gospel is credible only when it is translated into gestures of closeness and welcome.”
The church knows, he said, “that in every rejected migrant, it is Christ himself who knocks at the door of the community.”
In his exhortation, Pope Leo went through biblical references to the obligation to love and care for the poor and cited saints and religious orders throughout history that have dedicated themselves to living with the poor and assisting them.
A section of the document focuses on the “fathers of the church,” the early theologians, who, he said, “recognized in the poor a privileged way to reach God, a special way to meet him. Charity shown to those in need was not only seen as a moral virtue, but a concrete expression of faith in the incarnateWord,” Jesus.
Of course, for Pope Leo, an Augustinian,St. Augustine of Hippowas included in the document. The saint, “The Doctor of Grace, saw caring for the poor as concrete proof of the sincerity of faith,” the pope wrote. For Augustine, “anyone who says they love God and has no compassion for the needy is lying.”
And while the pope wrote that “the most important way to help the disadvantaged is to assist them in finding a good job,” he insisted that when that is not possible, giving alms to a person asking for money is still a compassionate thing to do.
Page 1)
“It is always better at least to do something rather than nothing,” Pope Leo wrote.
Still, the pope said, Christians cannot stand idly by while the global economic system penalizes the poor and makes some people exceedingly wealthy. “We must continue, then, to denounce the ‘dictatorshipofaneconomythatkills,'” he
said,quotingaphrasePopeFrancisused “Either we regain our moral and spiritual dignity, or we fall into a cesspool,” he wrote.
“A Church that sets no limits to love, that knows no enemies to fight but only men and women to love,” Pope Leo said, “is the Church that the world needs today.” ❖
Pope Leo XIV signs his first apostolic exhortation, “Dilexi Te” (“I Have Loved You”), in the library of the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican Oct. 4, 2025, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, as Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra, the substitute secretary for general affairs at the Vatican Secretariat of State, looks on. The exhortation was released Oct. 9. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)
By Francis Canzius
As the centenary of the opening of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception approaches, it is fitting to briefly highlight various aspects of our Cathedral:
Consecration Crosses
All debt on the Cathedral being cleared, Bishop R.L. Guilly SJ consecrated our Cathedral on the 10th of October 1960. Around the Cathedral are twelve stone crosses and at the main door there are two more. Above the crosses are
blessed and anointed these crosses as part of the ceremony.
The date is always noted on the Catholic Calendar as “Dedication of the Cathedral”
The Blessing of the outer walls, Consecration of the High Altar, the Lady Altar and tracing of Ashes on the floor were all part of the ceremony. The Catholic Church Choirs Association led the singing which included theLitany of theSaints.
Upon the consecration of the Cathedral, relics were sealed into
Luke, the writer of the Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles, has been identified with St. Paul's "Luke, the beloved physician" (Colossians 4:14). We know few other facts about Luke's life from Scripture and from early Church historians.
It is believed that Luke was born a Greek and a Gentile. In Colossians 10-14 Paul speaks of those friends who are with him. He first mentions all those "of the circumcision" - in other words, Jews - and he doesnot include Luke in this group. Luke's gospel shows special sensitivity to evangelizing Gentiles. It is only in his gospel that we hear the parable of the Good Samaritan, that we hear Jesus praising the faith of Gentiles such as the widow of Zarephath and Naaman the Syrian (Lk.4:2527), and that we hear the story of the one grateful leper who is a Samaritan (Lk.17:1119). According to the early Church historian Eusebius, Luke wasbornatAntioch inSyria.
In our day, it would be easy to assume that someone who was a doctor was rich, but scholars have argued that Luke might have been born a slave. It was not uncommon for families to educate slaves in medicine so that they would have a resident family physician. Not only do we have Paul's word, but Eusebius, Saint Jerome, Saint Irenaeus and Caius, a second-century writer, all refer to Luke as a physician. He is the patron of Physicians and Surgeons.❖ [From: www.catholic.org ]
