Altar, other furnishings blessed at Maloney church

Saturday, August 16, became a significant date in the calendar of the parish of the Church of the Incarnation in Maloney. On that day, Ornella Lovell, on behalf of the parish, welcomed Archbishop Charles Jason Gordon who had been invited to bless the newly renovated altar and also the Presider’s Chair, the Ambo and the Ambry in the sanctuary, in a special Mass. Special mention must be given to the hard-working Building Committee who worked tirelessly with Terry Seyjagat (Seyjgat’s Woodworking and Construction Ltd) and Shawn Belcon (Restoring Natural Stone and Speciality Cleaning Limited), to restore the marble tiles of the sanctuary.

Fr Kwesi Alleyne, the parish priest, gently pushed his congregation to recall, “God’s grace in the life of the parish”, pointing out that the newly renovated altar would always be “the centre of the thanksgiving that is accomplished through the Eucharist … a sign of Christ, the true and living altar”. He reminded them that they too were “spiritual altars”.

The Archbishop moved with deep reverence as he devoutly blessed these new furnishings, praying that they be set apart to serve worthily in the celebration of our sacred redemption. He then sprinkled the various sacred items, and the spirit-filled congregation with holy water. Our dynamic and vibrant music ministry provided the appropriate musical accompaniment with Don Moen’s ‘This is Your house’.

Archbishop Gordon started his homily with a humorous reflection of the church starting out as “the Church of Neal and Massy” because of its first physical foundation. He was pleased as he recognised that because of the sacrifices made, the parish was able to achieve this present upliftment and improvement.

“You can’t outdo God in generosity,” he said. As usual, Archbishop Gordon encouraged loud responses from the church body, as he pointed out the many ways in which Christ was already preeminently present, even before the congregation entered the church, even if the church was empty. “Christ is always present in the people of God because we are the Body of Christ.”

The altar as the central item in the sanctuary was blessed separately after the Prayers of the Faithful. After the singing of ‘The Lord’s Prayer’, the now joyful congregation shared a warm and traditional Caribbean Catholic Sign of Peace.

At the end of the Mass, Aaron Thompson gave a heartfelt thanks to all who played an instrumental and significant role in making the gathering a success, with special mention to God and the Archbishop. All were invited to participate in sharing afterwards which allowed everyone to mix and mingle and renew acquaintances.

– Kenika Quash, parishioner