On Sunday, September 15 the parish of Holy Cross, Princes Town celebrated their patronal feast day, the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (September 14) at Holy Cross RC Church. It was the culmination of a week of Novena Masses by various priests. Fr Steve Duncan, Episcopal Vicar for Clergy and Cluster Moderator for Santa Rosa/Malabar was the main celebrant.

A vibrant Fr Steve began his homily singing the well-known Christian classic, ‘The Old Rugged Cross’; the congregation eagerly joined in. Fr Steve focused on the classic testimonies of the cross through songs, poetry and stories. The songs he lustily sang and stories he narrated touched the hearts of us all.

He proficiently gave reason to the infamous ballad of the ‘Priest’. He explained the motive of a husband filled with an anguished heart crying out to a priest to endorse his desire of ‘drunkenness’. He demonstrated that the cross we all bear which is an emblem of suffering is also the instrument of salvation.

Parishioners shared a sumptuous lunch together after Mass. Entertainment followed as we all participated in the various activities celebrating together as one family.

Our priests who took the time from their busy schedules to preach on the exaltation of the cross to God’s faithful were instrumental in creating a renewal of the Holy Spirit in us and our belief in the power of the cross.

Parish priest Fr Puliyammakkal Santhosh MSFS and his parishioners thank all our presenters for their profound messages as we continue to focus on the three important words of Archbishop Jason Gordon and reiterated by Fr Trevor Nathasingh, parish priest for Laventille/Morvant, ‘Live. Believe. Share’.

—Annette Lall Singh