DOMINICA

As the Commonwealth of Dominica celebrated 44 years of independence Thursday, November 3, the Apostolic Administrator for the Diocese of Roseau Archbishop Gabriel Malzaire of Castries, St Lucia, pondered, “What, then, can we say of our nation? What have we to show in 44 years? Are we a kinder, gentler, more Christian, more humane nation?”

In his message to faithful in the Our Catholic Community, Archbishop Malzaire said that 44 years of nationhood is a significant milestone for any nation. It provides an opportunity to look back and examine successes and failures as a nation; an opportunity to ask where the nation is amid a rapidly changing world on the social, economic, technological, and religious/spiritual levels.

He remarked that it is often said that change is the only constant thing in this world. “The simple reason is that life is on a continuum; it is going somewhere and unable to stop in midcourse. In our occasional nostalgic moments, when we reflect on what we regard as the good old days, we easily fall in the trap of wishing that time would stop for just a while, to savour the goodness/sweetness of the past. However, the mind jolts us into reality and forces us to focus on present needs,” the Archbishop said.

He said this year’s theme: One Dominica, One People, One Vision, provides great impetus for reflection on what Dominicans wish to be as a nation.

Archbishop Malzaire underscored while oneness has always been the goal of any conscientious group of people, it is by no means synonymous with uniformity.

“On the contrary, the oneness of a group or people recognises the giftedness of every part of the community that could bring to the table whatever would work for the common good,” he said.

He outlined the responsibility of building the Commonwealth of Dominica is the common denominator among all its citizens. No one, he stressed, is too little to contribute to the total of what they ought to be as a people.

“This realisation, especially among the poor and marginalised, augurs positively towards the oneness which this year’s theme promotes,” he said.

The Archbishop wrote that it is often said that the strength of a nation is judged by the way it treats its weakest member.

“It can be paraphrased thus: ‘The strength of a nation is determined by the manner in which the poorest and weakest are permitted to make their rightful contribution to the building of the nation.’”

He then invited Dominicans to pray that their future endeavours as a nation will reflect the achievement of their oneness, working with a common vision for the common good.