screens in the Church, the streaming of Mass and our social media presence, owes its existence to Fr. Don who saw the need to improve

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2 Early in 2014, we welcomed Fr. Don. Four years later, we are saying farewell to him as he leaves for Trinidad and Tobago to assume the position of General Secretary of the Antilles Episcopal Conference. Last year, we celebrated with him his 25th anniversary of priestly ordination which coincided with the publication of his book Transformed by the Deep: Reflections of a Caribbean Priest. This type of publication is the first for a Roman Catholic Priest in the English-speaking Caribbean. screens in the Church, the streaming of Mass and our social media presence, owes its existence to Fr. Don who saw the need to improve communication within and outside of the parish. We thank God for sending him to us, we will miss him but we release him with 0ur prayers and best wishes. As Fr. Don goes we are blessed to welcome Fr. Roger Graham as the Pastor of our parish. Fr. Roger is no stranger to Sts Peter and Paul as The Communications Ministry, which is re- he was our Associate Pastor for approximately sponsible for this Newsletter, the website, the one year. Remarkably, he has also celebrated Mass in almost all church parishes and missions in the Archdiocese of Kingston. Ordained in 2009, Fr. Roger was the Pastor of Our Lady of the Angels and St. John the Baptist Catholic Churches until three years ago when he went to Canada to pursue further studies. He pursued the Licentiate in Canon Law at St. Paul s University in Ottawa and is now a Canon Lawyer. This graduate of St Jago and St Catherine High Schools, enjoys listening to music and is an avid sports lover. He plays some football, table tennis and is skilled in martial arts. We extend a warm welcome to Fr. Roger! Loreen Walker

3 B eloved, Father s Farewell To remember what God has done and continues to do for me, for us, to remember the road we have travelled; this is what opens our hearts to hope for the future Pope Francis. When one comes to the end of any journey, it is customary to reflect on both the praiseworthy and imperfect experiences encountered while on that sojourn. In recent weeks, I have experienced a tsunami of memories of my time here at Sts. Peter and Paul and St. Martin de Porres. Certainly, there have been challenging moments but the positivity and tremendous growth in both parishes are foremost in my mind. Pope Francis signals the importance of recall when he challenges us to,... remember the road we have travelled. As we embark on this season of Advent, I implore you to recognise the call to reflect on your individual as well as your collective experience. Firstly, it is important that we take the time to recall God s continued goodness and mercy to us. Admittedly, there have been many interruptions on our individual road. We have experienced suffering because of selfish actions meted out to us; our uncaring actions towards others and the consequences of such; illnesses and death. However as the Church Militant, we are called to stand resolute in our suffering, just as Christ did, and use this as our catalyst towards positive change. Further, as we reflect on these moments, we should always recognise that God s grace manifests in His steadfast presence to us during these dark times. When we recognise this, and seek to do His will, we open our hearts to work towards a future with the Church Triumphant. Secondly, the road we have travelled also requires that we recall our collective historical experience as Caribbean people. Our unified suffering has been that of slavery, indentureship, colonialism and other forms of oppression; similar to the experience of the Israelites. Yet, our emergence from these hardships is a clear signal of God s power. Further, the collective experience is also that of our parish family. What are some of the misfortunes that have confronted us? How can we use these misfortunes as teaching moments and transform our actions for the building up of the Church? When we begin to create transformative actions we,... open our hearts to hope for the future. As both parishes begin a new journey, I would like to welcome, my brother and friend, Fr. Roger to our dynamic family. I know that you will give him the support that he needs to continue to build our parish and the Archdiocese of Kingston. As we come to the end of our road together, This is my prayer: that your love may increase ever more and more in knowledge and every kind of perception, to discern what is of value, so that you may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God (Phil. 1:8-11). My sincere thanks to you all for a wonderful journey! Fr. Don 3

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5 St. Martin de Porres Youth Say... SHARIANN: BRANDON: ABEGAYLE: Fr. Don, you have been a great Priest to us here in Gordon Town. Your riveting homilies will be missed, especially by the youth of the church. We wish you nothing but happiness in your future endeavors and we hope you will always remember us as we will do the same. God Bless! Fr. Don, you have been a great example of Fatherhood to me. I really appreciate your presence among us. You were open to listening to us. I am not happy you are leaving but I am happy I have met you. May God continue to bless you. Sts Peter And Paul Youth Say... Johanna: Fr. Don is the first priest whose homilies I can pay attention to and relate to. From getting to know him over the years I have found him to be a cool priest, super caring and generous. Good luck in your new position! As told to Kerrian Williams You have always been there for me, especially in my time of need. You have taught me what I didn t know and have shown me which path to go. It is always hard to say goodbye. I ll let my tears stay at rest. You have taught us the basics and left us to grow. Although you are leaving your teachings will stay with me because they motivate me day by day. You are not only my Priest but my brother. Walk good Fr. until we meet again. As told to Haidee Heron Neethu: Fr. Don is one of a kind. He is cool and involved in our youth ministry. He is also health conscious which I admire. Fr. promotes family life. When he comes to our house he is very warm and open. His conversation brings messages. His homilies are relatable, so you will remember. I will miss his homilies the most. Also he gave a little more recognition to the ushers because he thanks us and makes us feel special. 5 Mariana: Fr. Don is one of the nicer priests I have met. He is interested in the youth. He is just cool to talk with and you don t feel he is judging you. Jordan: When Fr. Don comes to mind I think of a man of passion, love and resourcefulness. He is a father to all the people he meets. He is one of the greatest influences in my life and I really commend him. Fr. is an example of the influence I can have. Shout out to Fr. Don!

6 FROM ADVENT TO EPIPHANY Advent, the season of joyful anticipation (celebrated four weeks before Christmas) marks the beginning of the liturgical year of the Church. Additionally, Advent should also serve as preparation for the second coming of Christ. One symbol of the season is the Advent Wreath which usually consists of green foliage with four candles that are progressively lit on each of the four Sundays of Advent. Three of the candles are purple (the liturgical colour of the season) and one is rose in colour. This rose coloured candle is lit on the third Sunday, known as Gaudete (Latin for rejoice) Sunday. On this day we rejoice in the awareness that the waiting for the birth of Jesus is almost over. Funeral Masses cannot be held on the Sundays of Advent. After Advent we should be spiritually prepared for the Christmas season which celebrates the coming of God to Earth as our Saviour Jesus Christ. It is easy to be distracted by the commercialisation of Christmas and the festivities which make us forget the real reason for the season. Christmas is also a celebration of God s love for us therefore by exchanging gifts we show our love for each other; in doing this we should not forget the least fortunate among us. Christmas begins on 25 December. On the Feast of the Epiphany (January 6) the Church celebrates the visit of the Magi : o CX-3 who came to pay homage to Jesus. The song The 12 days of Christmas refers to the period from the birth of Christ and His revelation to the Israelites, to His revelation to the Gen: o tile kings at Epiphany. Contrary to popular CX-5 thought Christmas ends on the Feast of the Baptism of Christ which is the Sunday after Epiphany. Understanding the significance of these feasts will help us to appropriately celebrate : o them. CX-9 Robin Rattray Ŀ: o 2 : (

7 EXPLORING CHRISTMAS IN OTHER LANDS Christmas in Nigeria Nigeria, has a population of over 180 million, 60 % are Christians and 23 million are Catholic. Nigeria is the origin of many of our ancestors; the main ethnicities are Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo which are also distinct linguistic groups. Dr Chukuwemeka Nwokocha and family are Nigerian and are vibrant members of Sts Peter and Paul. Their presence is a continuation of our bond with the mother country. Christmas in Nigeria has two weeks of festivities starting on 20 December - 4 January. It is a time where Nigerians in the diaspora and other Nigerian cities journey to their ancestral villages for celebrations with family and friends. A compulsory part of the celebration is the buying of new clothes for everyone, especially the children. The children masquerade from house to house receiving anything from money to sweets. A prayer is said by a pastor before the traditional breaking of the kolanuts by the men who then hand them to the women and children to share in the eating festivities. Palm wine, made from the palm tree, is an important drink at Nigerian festivities. The palm wine goes with the kolanut. Sorrel is also drunk but it is known as zobo. The meal also includes rice, stew, beef, fish and turkey. The cooking of beef indicates how rich a family is. Depending on the clan, if the meal consists of chicken, the parts will be separated so that the women will eat only the rump and the men will have only the gizzard. There is fufu made with cassava which is eaten with a hearty stew. There is never a dull moment as there is constant eating and drinking. Midnight mass with fireworks is the highlight of Christmas. Celebrations also include Father Christmas (Santa Claus) and the annual Christmas Calabar Carnival. Suzanne Barton

8 EXPLORING CHRISTMAS IN OTHER LANDS Christmas in India Of the one billion inhabitants in India, only 2.3% or 25 million are Christians. Christmas is considered a small celebration in comparison to other festivals. It is believed that Christianity was introduced to Kerala in 52 AD by St Thomas the Apostle. In present day Kerala, a quarter of the state s population of 33 million are Christians and there Christmas is celebrated in an elaborate manner. Festivities are reflective of Western and Syriac influences, complemented by local traditions and food. Preparations for Christmas in Kerala begin from Advent Sunday. Many houses and shops are adorned with decorations especially stars of varied sizes and embellishments. Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve is the highlight of the festivities. Entire neighbourhoods attend and there is a procession with the Nativity scene. A Santa Claus figure joins the activities and is best known for gift giving. Fireworks displays often follow Mass. Christmas Day is marked by large family reunions with a lavish spread of traditional dishes such as kappa biryani, potato egg curry, unniyappam appams, achappam cookies, homemade wine and a delectable plum cake like our Jamaican Christmas cake. Marsha James Editor in Chief Rev. Fr. Donald Chambers Editorial Team The Sts. Peter & Paul Communication Ministry Copy Editor Haidee Heron Proofreader Elizabeth McGregor Contributors Suzanne Barton Haidee Heron Marsha James Robin Rattray Loreen Walker Kerrian Williams Photography Andrew Chin Please send your feedback & comments to: thekeysandsword@gmail.com NEWSLETTER TEAM Flight and Anila George, who migrated from Kerala, India to Jamaica over eight years ago, attend the 6PM Mass at Sts. Peter and Paul. Mrs. George is from a generational Catholic family and has found many similarities in the way Christmas is celebrated both in her new and ancestral home. She recalls some differences such as caroling groups from the church going from house to house singing Christmas carols and exchanging gifts. The Midnight Mass is comparable except for the Nativity scene but there is also a large Christmas tree in the church filled with gift cards for the younger children to retrieve and redeem at local shops for toys and stationery.