To: Clergy and People
From: The Bishop
16th December, 2022

Greetings, a Blessed Christmas a Happy and Peaceful New Year!

Bishop’s Christmas Message 2022

Please find my Christmas Message for 2022 attached. I am asking all incumbents to have it read in all churches during worship on Christmas Day.

Prayers

I ask your prayers for the Rev’d Mr. Lennox John who is not well and is now confined to his bed, and for The Rev’d Mr. Kenwyck Lewis who is not well, he has some challenges with his feet.

Diocesan Accounts

Mr. Jerome Burke of the Cathedral Parish of St. George and St. Andrew, Kingstown St. Vincent and the Grenadines has agreed to assist with the management and preparation of statements of the Diocesan accounts. Mr. Burke worked with Williams and Taylor as an Audit Junior from 1972 to 1974, Accountant at St. Vincent Philatelic Services from 1974 to 1983 and as Financial Controller at St. Vincent Corrugated Containers Inc. from 1983 to 2015 (over thirty-two years).

The Diocese will surely benefit from his knowledge and experience and we thank Mr. Burke for so graciously offering his services.

Welcome

We welcome the Rev’d Canon Henderson Guy to the Diocese, Canon Guy will be assisting in the Parish of St. John, Gouyave and St. Patrick, Sauteurs for approximately five months. He was ordained at the Cathedral Church of St. George, Kingstown, St. Vincent and the Grenadines to the Diaconate on the 21st December, 1971 and to the Priesthood on 21st December, 1973. Fifty-one years and forty-nine years respectively. I invite you to join me in congratulating Canon Guy on the anniversary of his ordination, in addition your prayers are kindly requested.

Farewell

The Rev’d Fr. Justice Tetteh Apo will be leaving us early in the New Year, since his secondment from the Diocese of Accra Ghana comes to an end on 31st December, 2022. Once again, we express our sincerest gratitude to the USPG for facilitating this and for sponsoring his airfare. We also express our thanks to the Bishop of the Diocese of Accra, Ghana the Rt. Rev’d Dr. Daniel Torto for releasing Fr. Apo. We wish Fr. Apo all the best in all his future endeavours as he returns to his home diocese. May God’s blessings be with him and his family now and always.

Diocesan Almanac 2023

We are working on the Diocesan Almanac 2023. It will be a bit late, we still have to determine whether it will be online as we did this year or hard copies will be printed to be distributed.

Pray for Priest

I invite you to join me in praying daily for vocations to the priesthood:

Almighty God, you have entrusted to your Church a part in the ministry of your Son our great High Priest: inspire by your Holy Spirit the hearts of many to offer themselves for ordination in your Church, that strengthened by his power, they may work for the increase of your kingdom and set forward the eternal praise of your name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen. (Church of England – Common Worship)

Non- Stipendiary Deacons

There are presently eight persons from across the Diocese who are pursuing the online Diploma in Theology Course at Codrington College. They hope to complete this at the end of the academic year 2023. We ask your prayers for them as they come to the end of this course of study and consider ordination.

Diocesan Council

There will be a meeting of the Diocesan Council at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday 5th January, 2023 via Zoom. The members of the Diocesan Council are:

Ex Officio – The Bishop (Chairman), the Dean, the Archdeacons, the Chancellor, The Registrar, Treasurer and Diocesan Secretary and those elected:

House of Clergy:

The Reverend Mrs. Merryl Baptiste-Lord – Grenada The Reverend Eleanor Glasgow – St. Lucia

The Reverend Canon Ashton Francis – St. Vincent and the Grenadines

House of Laity:

Ms. Lana McPhail – Grenada Mr. Mallet Edwards – St. Lucia

Mr. Luis DeShong – St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Clergy meeting

There will be a Diocesan Clergy meeting Via Zoom at 9:30am on Monday 16th January, 2023. The link will be sent to you before the meeting.

Servers Festival 2023

The Servers Festival 2023 in the Archdeaconry of St. Vincent and the Grenadines is scheduled for 10:00am on Saturday 21st January, 2023 more details to follow.

Canterbury Cathedral -The Anglican Pilgrimage

A Conference for Seminarians and Clergy in the Early Years of their Ordained Ministry. MONDAY 30 JANUARY – SUNDAY 12 FEBRUARY 2023. STUDY – WORSHIP – COMMUNITY. Every year – though since 2020 interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic – Canterbury Cathedral invites ordinands and newly ordained clergy from around the Anglican Communion to share their lives together, praying, studying and exchanging experiences and ideas.

Students live in the International Study Centre at Canterbury. They join in the Cathedral community’s life, centred on daily worship. The programme provides an opportunity to explore aspects of our journey with Christ together, particularly in the different cultural contexts in which we minister. Teachers and facilitators with a wide variety of experience of cultures will lead sessions but the primary learning is through encountering one another.

Sponsored by Canterbury Cathedral, the conference has three pillars:

  1. Living together in community learning from each other
  2. Participation in the Cathedral’s life and worship
  3. Theological exploration and exchange

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The Canterbury conference for seminarians and new clergy is designed for those preparing for ordination and priests who are in the early years of their ordained ministry. It is intended as an investment in the future of the Anglican Communion and those who come are ministers who will make a contribution in the years ahead.

Students come from all over the Anglican Communion and have an intensive community experience during their time in Canterbury. This will be the 20th presentation; in that time we have welcomed guests from over 50 countries. The aim of the conference is to broaden horizons by exploring the strength of Anglicanism in practising Communion in a diversity of cultures. We aim that all participants will understand better with heart and mind the nature of the Anglican Church worldwide, and therefore be wiser and better ministers within it.

The Rev’d Keba Cuffy has applied and gained acceptance to attend this course.

Annual Pre-Lenten Clergy Retreat

The annual Pre-Lenten Clergy retreat is scheduled for Tuesday 14th to Thursday 16th February, 2023. The retreat will be virtual, more details to follow.

With every good wish and God’s Blessings!

Yours sincerely,

The Rt. Rev’d C. Leopold Friday
Bishop of the Windward Islands