Tea with Our Lady in Tortuga

The 15th anniversary of ‘Afternoon Tea with Our Lady’ was held at the Central Vicariate’s Sacred Site, the Shrine of Our Lady of Montserrat, in Tortuga on April 26.

It began with Marian devotions and Holy Mass. Vicar for the Central Vicariate, Fr Steve Ransome, was the chief celebrant and homilist. He spoke on the celebration’s theme, Our Lady of Montserrat, Our Sweetness and Our Hope.

Fr Ransome unlocked the profound meaning of the theme from the Salve Regina/Hail Holy Queen. He described Our Lady’s sweetness as the fragrance of incense that rises to Heaven with our prayers and hailed her as our hope and spiritual model. At the end of his sermon, he lovingly and devotedly led the congregation in a beautiful acapella rendition of the hymn.

A sacred procession with Our Lady to the presbytery grounds nearby followed Mass, and after she was enthroned, tea was served under tents beautifully decorated in Jubilee colours. The event hosts, the Shrine Committee, also reflected the colour scheme in their dressing.

A back-in-times singalong put patrons in a nostalgic mood, and there was great excitement in winning the many door prizes. Patrons contentedly went home as the sun set over the Gulf of Paria.

– Diane Bertrand, President, Shrine Committee