By Vernon Khelawan

The ordination last week Saturday of Monsignor Robert Llanos, which saw him installed as Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Port of Spain, was rich in Roman Catholic tradition, ritual and ceremony. Our Lady of Fatima Church in Curepe never had it so good, blessed as it was with a multitude of bishops and priests completely filling the sanctuary. Bishop Llanos must have been a happy priest.

And while any good Catholic would have enjoyed the sacredness and joyfulness of the moment, what really made the solemnity of the service take flight was the performance of the musicians and the joint choirs, who combined to raise the ceremony to ethereal heights.

According to the programme, the choir was a collaboration of four groups – Jubilee Singers, People of Praise, Living Water Community and Grace Ministries, all under the baton of conductor Winston Garcia. The upbeat renditions of the carefully chosen hymns and responses, emanating from a choir loft that reflected only smiling faces and contained a combination of melodious voices, backed up by talented musicians, clearly moved the congregation to participate lustily in the singing.

That this well-attended ordination ceremony should take place as our Church observes the Year of Faith is testimony to the fact that God’s work in this vineyard continues unabated.

When, in his homily, Consecrator Archbishop Joseph Harris quoted Pope Francis, “The other person is a brother or sister to love and our relationship with God, who is love, fidelity and goodness, mirrors every human relationship and brings harmony to the whole of creation. God’s world is a world where everyone feels responsible for the other, for the good of the other,” he was in fact messaging Bishop Llanos as to what was expected of him.

Archbishop Harris explained that the quote from the Pope was the dream which this Archdiocese enunciated during its most recent Synod and he told Bishop Llanos that they were both charged as bishops of this portion of the flock to work to make this dream as far as is possible reality. He then urged Bishop Llanos, “The only way in which this can be done, dear brother, is by becoming holy.” This column asks that we all pray for our bishops so that their labour in the vineyard is not in vain.