Four to be ordained

Deacons Stephan Alexander, Kwesi Alleyne, Kenwyn Sylvester, and Mikkel Trestrail will be ordained to the priesthood next Saturday. The venue for the Mass, which begins at 10 a.m., is the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.

The quartet were ordained transitional deacons on February 23 at the St Philip and St James RC Church, Chaguanas. Archbishop Jason Gordon will preside at Saturday’s ordinations.

Deacons Alexander, Alleyne and Sylvester began their journey at a seminary in Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic, as the Seminary at Mt St Benedict was closed at the time. They returned to Trinidad to complete their studies when the seminary was reopened in 2017.

Deacon Trestrail, who is blind, is a founding member of the Companions of the Transfigured Christ. He completed his course of studies in theology at the local seminary, and also studied in the USA.

It’s been more than a decade since the Archdiocese witnessed priestly ordinations of more than two or three deacons. Recent history showed five deacons ordained on December 6, 2003 by then Archbishop Edward Gilbert CSsR. Among the five were Frs Derek Anton, Wilfred John and Gerard Tang Choon O Carm.

Parking on Saturday will be available at the Catholic Centre carpark and at the Parkade (100 spots). There will be three 15-seater maxis available between 8.30 a.m. to 2 p.m. to shuttle Mass attendees from the Parkade to the cathedral. The maxis will be parked on the Western side of Richmond Street corner.