A new church for Matelot

By Kaelanne Jordan

mediarelations.camsel@catholictt.org

After nearly a decade without a permanent worship space, the faithful of Matelot celebrated the dedication of the newly restored Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception RC Church on Sunday, August 3. The Mass was led by Archbishop Charles Jason Gordon, who used the occasion to urge a deeper spiritual renewal alongside the church’s physical transformation.

The project, years in the making, saw the community holding services in temporary locations after the original building was demolished.

“It’s been a journey for us over the last eight to nine years—struggling and praying and hoping and trusting and fighting and quarreling,” said Fr Raymond Francis, the outgoing parish priest. “But God saw it fit in the last year to bless us. And so, we are here this morning to celebrate and dedicate this space to the worship of God for the people of Matelot.”

Archbishop Gordon, who had visited Matelot just over a year ago when Mass was still being celebrated in a community hall, recalled being uncertain about the building’s potential.

“I didn’t imagine we’d have a space as nice as this,” he admitted. “Long time coming—and well overdue.”

Referencing the Book of Nehemiah in his homily, the Archbishop compared the community’s wait for a church to the Israelites’ return from exile and their struggle to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. He stressed that the lack of a dedicated worship space had impacted the community’s spiritual life.

While praising the physical beauty of the chapel, Archbishop Gordon issued a challenge to the congregation: ensure that their spiritual lives reflect the same transformation.

“We need the state of your soul to look more pretty than this chapel,” he said. “Because it is only the restoration of your soul that is important to Almighty God.”

Drawing parallels between the church’s former condition—roofless, water-damaged, and termite-infested—and the state of a neglected soul, he urged the faithful to take responsibility for their spiritual lives.

“If your soul is in a derelict state right now, I pray you—or someone else—see the path to restoration.”

He emphasised that Baptism makes every believer more precious to God than any church building: “We celebrate this building as a place we call church. But the saints of God are more precious to God than the church in which they meet.”

The celebration also marked the end of Fr Francis’ ministry in the region. Archbishop Gordon praised his leadership, which included church renovations in Cumana and Mission, outreach programmes, and hosting missionary families.

“Well done, good servant,” said the Archbishop. “He moves to his next assignment, but the restoration of your soul remains your most important work.”

In closing, Archbishop Gordon urged the community to build a habit of daily Scripture reading.

“Let the Word of God revive that desire inside you—for God and for God alone.”

Fr Francis presented the keys of the new church to the Archbishop on behalf of contractors and community members who helped complete the work.