Guyana Revisted
Tim Curtis returns to Guyana after eight years and discovers that, while some things have changed, many of the old challenges remain.
The flight from Gatwick to Guyana was delayed a couple of hours while the pilot insisted on having a radio that worked. But there was still time for me to make my connection in Barbados for the little Liat flight to Georgetown. Alas, my bag did not make it, so for the first 24 hours all the clothes I had were those that I was wearing on the flight.
The first thing I noticed when Malcolm Rodrigues picked me up at the airport, was how smooth the airport road was. On the way from the airport I also noted lots of new hotels that had been built and the brand new cricket ground. In fact, because of the cricket World Cup, many things had been improved and smartened up. I was so tired that I slept like a log that first night. Even the mosquitoes seemed less voracious than I remembered them.
It is some eight years since I left Guyana. I had spent one year there as a scholastic (Jesuit student), working in the Sacred Heart parish. After my ordination I was assigned once more to the Sacred Heart Church for six years. This was followed by my tertianship (an advanced stage in Jesuit formation) and then another six years along the East Coast. Thanks to the generosity of the readers of Jesuits and Friends, Jesuit Missions was able to buy me a jeep for travelling among the six parishes that I served.
Though I know the country well, there was still much to be learnt on my trip. Many of the Jesuits that I served with are still going strong. Fr Harold Wong, despite the difficulty he has in walking, still does a lot of work from his bedroom on the first floor of the Jesuit presbytery, which one could easily have mistaken for a Dickensian emporium.
I was happy to speak with Malcolm Rodrigues about his work with the rainforest in Guyana. The government has set aside a large portion of the rainforest for the Iwokrama International Centre for Rainforest Conservation and Development. We hope that by contributing to this venture the Jesuit Missions office can offset the carbon emissions involved in travel abroad.
I made my own personal pilgrimage to the site of the Sacred Heart Church which burnt down on Christmas Day 2004. The bishop and parishioners are still discerning about how it should be replaced. I also saw the new spirituality centre which is nearing completion in Vryheid's Lust. This will be a very useful facility for the development of the whole diocese. It is hoped that the centre will be opened by the summer
New spirituality centre
I was able to visit my old friend, Sr Noel Menezes, and see the wonderful house she has developed for those graduating from the orphanage in Plaisance. It is a great help to these young men as they find their feet in the world. On the Friday evening there was a Jesuit gathering at Brickdam, where we could meet together informally. I was able to give the presentation on Jesuit Missions that I had given to the entire Province at our meeting in Easter Week. We had a very useful discussion about how the mission office can best support those working in the region.
One thing I noticed is how successful Fr Joe Chira, the former Regional Superior, had been in attracting Jesuits to go and work in Guyana. The Indian Provinces have been very generous in supplying men and currently there are four scholastics as part of their formation (two from Zimbabwe and two from India). This really does bring new vitality to the work of the Jesuits there.
The cricket World Cup final took place while I was in Guyana, and as cricket is the unofficial religion of the country, all work stopped on that day. It was, however, the time set aside for me to meet my friends from amongst the religious of Georgetown. Thanks to the radio playing in the kitchen, we were kept abreast of the latest score.
On the Sunday I was able to visit two of my former parishes for Mass. At Plaisance, Fr Bob Barrow and Fr Aloysius Church had made some changes. The church now has a disabled ramp and there are even toilets installed in the church tower. St Peter's Beterverwagting is still much the same, though the parishioners are trying to have their church rebuilt. At both churches I met lots of old friends, though too, there were some vacant pews reminding me of parishioners who had emigrated.
Eddy Bermingham in Trinidad
After Guyana, I stopped off in Trinidad to see the work Fr Eddy Bermingham is doing as Dean of Philosophy of the regional seminary. Currently there is one Guyanese in training to be a diocesan priest, my friend Terry Pile, so despite the fact that he was supposed to be studying for an exam, we took time to catch up on old times. I also saw Fr Michael Campbell-Johnston in Barbados. He must have the most idyllic parish in the whole of the Society of Jesus, overlooking the blue of the Caribbean Sea. Jim Webb was also visiting from Jamaica so it was good to catch up with news of Jesuits from there.
Sr Noel with one of the residents from the hostel
The British Airways flight back to London was full, but uneventful. This time I only had carry-on luggage (minus all liquids) so there was no chance of my bag being lost. On the flight I reflected on the many ways in which we, at the mission office in Wimbledon, can still offer much needed help and support to the Jesuits of Guyana, Trinidad and Barbados.
The flight from Gatwick to Guyana was delayed a couple of hours while the pilot insisted on having a radio that worked. But there was still time for me to make my connection in Barbados for the little Liat flight to Georgetown. Alas, my bag did not make it, so for the first 24 hours all the clothes I had were those that I was wearing on the flight.
The first thing I noticed when Malcolm Rodrigues picked me up at the airport, was how smooth the airport road was. On the way from the airport I also noted lots of new hotels that had been built and the brand new cricket ground. In fact, because of the cricket World Cup, many things had been improved and smartened up. I was so tired that I slept like a log that first night. Even the mosquitoes seemed less voracious than I remembered them.
It is some eight years since I left Guyana. I had spent one year there as a scholastic (Jesuit student), working in the Sacred Heart parish. After my ordination I was assigned once more to the Sacred Heart Church for six years. This was followed by my tertianship (an advanced stage in Jesuit formation) and then another six years along the East Coast. Thanks to the generosity of the readers of Jesuits and Friends, Jesuit Missions was able to buy me a jeep for travelling among the six parishes that I served.
Though I know the country well, there was still much to be learnt on my trip. Many of the Jesuits that I served with are still going strong. Fr Harold Wong, despite the difficulty he has in walking, still does a lot of work from his bedroom on the first floor of the Jesuit presbytery, which one could easily have mistaken for a Dickensian emporium.
I was happy to speak with Malcolm Rodrigues about his work with the rainforest in Guyana. The government has set aside a large portion of the rainforest for the Iwokrama International Centre for Rainforest Conservation and Development. We hope that by contributing to this venture the Jesuit Missions office can offset the carbon emissions involved in travel abroad.
I made my own personal pilgrimage to the site of the Sacred Heart Church which burnt down on Christmas Day 2004. The bishop and parishioners are still discerning about how it should be replaced. I also saw the new spirituality centre which is nearing completion in Vryheid's Lust. This will be a very useful facility for the development of the whole diocese. It is hoped that the centre will be opened by the summer
I was able to visit my old friend, Sr Noel Menezes, and see the wonderful house she has developed for those graduating from the orphanage in Plaisance. It is a great help to these young men as they find their feet in the world. On the Friday evening there was a Jesuit gathering at Brickdam, where we could meet together informally. I was able to give the presentation on Jesuit Missions that I had given to the entire Province at our meeting in Easter Week. We had a very useful discussion about how the mission office can best support those working in the region.
One thing I noticed is how successful Fr Joe Chira, the former Regional Superior, had been in attracting Jesuits to go and work in Guyana. The Indian Provinces have been very generous in supplying men and currently there are four scholastics as part of their formation (two from Zimbabwe and two from India). This really does bring new vitality to the work of the Jesuits there.
The cricket World Cup final took place while I was in Guyana, and as cricket is the unofficial religion of the country, all work stopped on that day. It was, however, the time set aside for me to meet my friends from amongst the religious of Georgetown. Thanks to the radio playing in the kitchen, we were kept abreast of the latest score.
On the Sunday I was able to visit two of my former parishes for Mass. At Plaisance, Fr Bob Barrow and Fr Aloysius Church had made some changes. The church now has a disabled ramp and there are even toilets installed in the church tower. St Peter's Beterverwagting is still much the same, though the parishioners are trying to have their church rebuilt. At both churches I met lots of old friends, though too, there were some vacant pews reminding me of parishioners who had emigrated.
After Guyana, I stopped off in Trinidad to see the work Fr Eddy Bermingham is doing as Dean of Philosophy of the regional seminary. Currently there is one Guyanese in training to be a diocesan priest, my friend Terry Pile, so despite the fact that he was supposed to be studying for an exam, we took time to catch up on old times. I also saw Fr Michael Campbell-Johnston in Barbados. He must have the most idyllic parish in the whole of the Society of Jesus, overlooking the blue of the Caribbean Sea. Jim Webb was also visiting from Jamaica so it was good to catch up with news of Jesuits from there.
The British Airways flight back to London was full, but uneventful. This time I only had carry-on luggage (minus all liquids) so there was no chance of my bag being lost. On the flight I reflected on the many ways in which we, at the mission office in Wimbledon, can still offer much needed help and support to the Jesuits of Guyana, Trinidad and Barbados.