Archbishop’s Christmas Message

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Christmas is here again, and all of us are preparing, in one way or another, to celebrate the occasion: the unseen God manifesting Himself to us and the world in the Word made Flesh, that is, in the birth of His Son, Jesus Christ.

In celebrating that birth, which changed the course of the entire world history, we mean to live more truly and intensely His message and His Mission: His message of love and forgiveness, of reconciliation and pardon, of justice and peace. This is why we are all engaged at this time in bringing some measure of joy to the hearts of all, especially to the weak, the poor, the sick and the suffering; so that His Mission of bringing all of us into the Kingdom of His Father may be accomplished.

So Christmas is a time for meeting Christ, who came to us over two thousand years ago in history; and we wait to welcome Him again in glory at the last day when He shall come to judge the living and the dead. But today and every day He comes to us in mystery, in His Word and Sacraments, in the events of daily life, in prayer and worship and through others. Only that we must have the eyes of faith to recognize His coming to us daily in those ways.

We must allow this Christmas Spirit to permeate and transform our lives, so that, that spirit, that Christmas spirit, may endure in us and in our society throughout the entire year. This is the objective of the Great Mission, which will take place in every parish of the Archdiocese during the period January 4 to 14, 2005. This too is the purpose of the Year of the Eucharist which opened on October 19, 2004 and will close at the end of the Synod of Bishops of the world in October 2005 in Rome. And thirdly, this is our preparation to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of our diocese in the year 2006.

Just as Christmas is a time for meeting and encountering the living Jesus Christ, just so must be our Great Mission, the various programmes of activities and celebrations during the Year of the Eucharist, and the Jubilee Year 2006.

If we accept this challenge and take these opportunities seriously, then our aims and our objectives will be realized, namely, renewed individuals fully committed to and actively involved in the building up of the parish community, making it a dynamic embodiment of the Good News of Jesus Christ, a welcoming community of worship, reconciliation and ministry. The sum total of which will be a better Saint Lucia for one and all.

This year has been a hazardous one for many of our islands in the Caribbean and part of the United States where our brothers and sisters have suffered terribly and many lives have been lost. Our people have responded magnanimously in coming to their assistance. May we continue to live that spirit of solidarity and stewardship.

To all our fellow St. Lucians both at home and abroad and to all our cherished visitors and residents in this fair land, we extend best wishes for a Holy and Happy Christmas and God’s abundant blessings throughout the New Year 2005.
In Christ

+ Kelvin E. Felix
Archbishop of Castries

Message of
His Holiness Pope John Paul II
for the Celebration of the
World Day of Peace
1 January 1995
Theme: “Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with Good (Romans 12:21)

1. At the beginning of the New Year, I once again address the leaders of nations and all men and women of good will, who recognize the need to build peace in the world. For the theme of this 2005 World Day of Peace I have chosen Saint Paul’s words in the Letter to the Romans: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (12:21). Evil is never defeated by evil; once that road is taken, rather than defeating evil, one will instead be defeated by evil.

The great Apostle brings out a fundamental truth: peace is the outcome of a long and demanding battle which is only won when evil is defeated by good. If we consider the tragic scenario of violent fratricidal conflicts in different parts of the world, and the untold sufferings and injustices to which they have given rise, the only truly constructive choice is, as Saint Paul proposes, to flee what is evil and hold fast to what is good (cf. Rom 12:9).

Peace is a good to be promoted with good: it is a good for individuals, for families, for nations and for all humanity; yet it is one which needs to be maintained and fostered by decisions and actions inspired by good. We can appreciate the profound truth of another saying of Saint Paul: “Repay no one evil for evil” (Rom 12:17). The one way out of the vicious circle of requiting evil for evil is to accept the Apostle’s words: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Rom 12:21).

Evil, good and love
2. From the beginning, humanity has known the tragedy of evil and has struggled to grasp its roots and to explain its causes. Evil is not some impersonal, deterministic force at work in the world. It is the result of human freedom. Freedom, which distinguishes human beings from every other creature on earth, is ever present at the heart of the drama of evil. Evil always has a name and a face: the name and face of those men and women who freely choose it. Sacred Scripture teaches that at the dawn of history Adam and Eve rebelled against God, and Abel was killed by Cain, his brother (cf. Gen 3-4). These were the first wrong choices, which were succeeded by countless others down the centuries. Each of these choices has an intrinsic moral dimension, involving specific individual responsibilities and the fundamental relationship of each person with God, with others and with all of creation.

At its deepest level, evil is a tragic rejection of the demands of love.(1) Moral good, on the other hand, is born of love, shows itself as love and is directed towards love. All this is particularly evident to Christians, who know that their membership in the one mystical Body of Christ sets them in a particular relationship not only with the Lord but also with their brothers and sisters. The inner logic of Christian love, which in the Gospel is the living source of moral goodness, leads even to the love of one’s enemies: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink” (Rom 12:20).

The “grammar” of the universal moral law
3. If we look to the present state of the world, we cannot help but note the disturbing spread of various social and political manifestations of evil: from social disorders to anarchy and war, from injustice to acts of violence and killing. To steer a path between the conflicting claims of good and evil, the human family urgently needs to preserve and esteem that common patrimony of moral values bestowed by God himself. For this reason, Saint Paul encourages all those determined to overcome evil with good to be noble and disinterested in fostering generosity and peace (cf. Rom 12:17-21).

Ten years ago, in addressing the General Assembly of the United Nations about the need for common commitment to the service of peace, I made reference to the “grammar” of the universal moral law,(2) to which the Church appeals in her various pronouncements in this area. By inspiring common values and principles, this law unites human beings, despite their different cultures, and is itself unchanging: “it subsists under the flux of ideas and customs and supports their progress... Even when it is rejected in its very principles, it cannot be destroyed or removed from the heart of man. It always rises again in the life of individuals and societies”.(3)
(To be continued)

Feast of Christ
The King

“Celebrate Jesus! For his Mercy Endures Forever” was the theme we echoed, in joyous praise of Christ the King, at the Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, on the feast of Christ the King, November 21, 2004. A large, appreciative audience gathered at the Minor Basilica for the Praise Concert that took the form of an evening of joyful celebration in song, dance, music, drama and steel pan, in honour and praise of Christ the King. His Grace Archbishop Kelvin Felix was among those present.

This event is the third of its kind held annually to celebrate the Feast. The first Praise Concert, which took place on November 24, 2002 at the Minor Basilica, coincided with the official launching of the three-year preparation programme of the Archdiocese of Castries, leading up to the celebration of the Golden Jubilee of the diocese in 2006.

Rev. Father Michel Francis, Cathedral Administrator, welcomed and led the audience in the chanting of a Litany of Thanksgiving (Psalm 136). All present, loudly and joyfully proclaimed the faithfulness of God. The talented performers, with voices and instruments, created a warm and joyous atmosphere of celebration and praise in honour of Jesus the King of Kings.

Performing Groups:
The talented students of the Ave Maria Primary School performed the opening dance entitled “The River of God” and rendered an amusing song with note worthy lyrics - “Why Jesus is Better Santa” The endowed young boys of the St. Aloysius RC Primary School performed a musical ensemble – “Hymn to Freedom” followed by “He is the King of King.” “My Redeemer Lives” was performed in sign language by the gifted students of Lady Gordon Opportunity Center. The Cathedral Junior

Choir and Lady Len presented a combined performance in song - “Can’t Even Walk” and “Hail the King.”
The Sacred Heart Parish Choir and Liturgical Dancers also presented a combined performance of song and dance - “Let us Build Together” and “Together we are Christ Body”, while Mrs Virginia Marulaz rendered a solo – “You Do Miracles So Great.” The Flames of Love blended their voices in “He Gave Her Water”, “Amazing Grace” and “Awesome God”; Praise and Worship Ministry of the Bezata Community performed a Skit, depicting a modern day interpretation of the Prodigal Son and God’s Mercy. The all–male Disciple Voices, rendered, among others, their original composition: “Called to Discipleship”; and LEGATO – a group of young and talented ladies from the Cathedral Parish, who decided to try their hands at the steel pan, made their first appearance at the Concert with “See What the Lord Has Done For Us” and “I Can See, I Can See the Downfall of Satan.”

All joined in the grand finale, led by the Praise and Worship Ministry doing a medley of praise – “For the Lord is Good and His Love Endures Forever;” “These are the Days of Elijah”; and “The Lord Reigns.”

Thank you
The members of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal - organizers of the Praise Concert, wish to express heartfelt thanks to His Grace for attending; Reverend Father Michel for permitting the use of the Minor Basilica for the occasion; to all participating groups, and all who contributed in one way or another, to making the concert a real success. We look forward to the next event in 2005 and exhort all groups to prepare for a grand celebration in the Golden Jubilee year 2006 – Feast of Christ the King! May our daily lives continue to reflect a joyous celebration of thanksgiving and praise to Christ our King!

Bishop Darius Says Thanks

BISHOP’S OFFICE,
P O BOX 375
ST GEORGE’S, GRENADA
Phone: (473) 443 5299
Fax: (473) 443 5758
Email: bishopgrenada@caribsurfcom
22 November 2004

Dear Archbishop Felix:
Thank you for your very generous donation to the Diocese of St. George’s-in-Grenada. Please convey our sincere thanks to the clergy, religious and faithful of the Archdiocese of Castries.

As you are aware, at the best of times our needs are always much greater than our limited resources. Given the devastation caused by the recent hurricane, we cannot even think of beginning the restoration process on our own. We are making applications to the usual funding agencies that have helped us in the past, but with approximately 90% of our churches, schools and presbyteries totally destroyed or damaged, the task is almost formidable.

In addition, most of our parishioners have suffered some form of damage to their homes; some have completely lost their houses, and in a great many cases now have no jobs as one of the effects of the hurricane is that quite a number of persons have been retrenched and in a few cases some businesses have been closed.

It is therefore heartening when kind friends remember us at this time of crisis. We have established two relief funds; one to help the most needy persons rebuild their homes, which is our immediate priority, and another to assist with the restoration of the schools, presbyteries and churches.

With God’s help, and the generosity of our benefactors, we are confident that we will achieve our objectives.

Once again, please accept our sincere thanks, as we pray God’s abundant blessings on all our Caribbean brothers and sisters.

Yours sincerely,
+Vincent Darius, OP
Bishop of St. George’s-in-Grenada

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