‘Bittersweet’ 75th anniversary celebration for Carmelite-run hostel

GUYANA

After touching many hearts, whether through educating, counselling, praying, or providing shelter for young women from all walks of life, the Corpus Christi Carmelites, known for managing St Bernadette’s Hostel, prepare to say goodbye to the Diocese of Georgetown.

St Bernadette’s Hostel was established in 1950 as a “home away from home” for young women. Most of the women at St Bernadette’s were formerly under the care of the St Anne’s Orphanage.

Bishop Francis Alleyne OSB was the main celebrant February 5, as he joined the Carmelite Sisters in giving God thanks for the 75th anniversary of St Bernadette’s Hostel, located on Lamaha Street, Georgetown.

In his homily, Bishop Alleyne expressed gratitude for the Sisters’ 75 years of service, highlighting “the witness and testimony of life that has blossomed from here, as reported by the Catholic Standard.

In her address to the faithful, the Superior of the Carmelite Sisters in Guyana, Sr Antoinette Dickie O Carm, expressed her gratitude to all those who contributed to the growth and development of the hostel. It said that the celebration was “a bittersweet one” however, as the Corpus Christi Carmelites, who came to Guyana 75 years ago from Trinidad to manage St Bernadette’s Hostel, are returning to Trinidad, as the majority of the five Carmelite Sisters serving in Guyana are elderly. According to Sr Antoinette, the hostel produced well-rounded academic women in fields such as Business, Medicine, and Information Technology. She said that St Bernadette’s Hostel “will always hold a place in her heart.” She noted that the hostel is currently in a transitional stage of management, and a few Sisters will remain in Guyana until this process is “successful”.