Show solidarity during hurricane season – AEC President

The President of the Antilles Episcopal Conference (AEC) says Caribbean people must support each other to endure the current hurricane season.

Speaking before the final blessing at the July 5 morning Mass at the Archbishop’s House chapel (Archdiocese of Port of Spain), Archbishop Charles Jason Gordon stressed the importance of solidarity among regional nations, stating, “We are one Caribbean people. As a Caribbean people, we have to find a way to be generous to those who are hurting today. Tomorrow, it might be us.”

He called for generosity and support for those affected by Hurricane Beryl, particularly in the Grenadine Islands. He announced that the AEC will be collecting donations to aid those affected by the hurricane.

Archbishop Gordon coined a new term, a “spirituality of hurricanes”. He said this spirituality involves recognising human vulnerability in the face of natural disasters. “Every time a hurricane passes through our area, we recognise we are dust, and unto dust we shall return.” This recognition, he said, should lead to deeper spiritual reflection.

The Archbishop urged people to embrace this “spirituality of hurricanes” by recognising human vulnerability, being grateful for life as a gift from God, and practising generosity towards those in need.

Archbishop Gordon mentioned the increasing frequency and intensity of hurricanes in the region, noting that Beryl is just the second named storm of the season: “Beryl begins with B. That means they had an A. We haven’t reached the Z yet, and we are at the very beginning of the season.”

He ended with a call for generous donations, acknowledging the possibility of more devastating events in the future: “Whatever we do will go for people who have been hit by disaster in this season and in this year. But be generous because we think we might have to ramp up again before the season ends.”
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