150th anniversary in Caribbean for Society of Divine Word

JAMAICA

On September 6, Our Lady of the Assumption church was overflowing in celebrating Jubilees: the 150th anniversary of the Society of the Divine Word (SVD) as a Divine Word Missionary and founding, and Bro Bernie Spitzley’s SVD 50th.

Religious from the Archdiocese came to support both, along with the people of St Thomas, Holy Rosary church and St Patrick’s church. “We were honoured to have Very Rev Fr Adam Oleszczuk, The Provincial of the Chicago Province, as the main celebrant and homilist,” stated a Catholic Opinion Online account.

He served at Our Lady of the Assumption from August 2, 1999, to August 30, 2005, and at Reconciliation Church and Good Shepherd from September 1, 2005, to August 31, 2012.

Brother Bernie was honoured for his various ministries, such as house building, Bible-sharing groups, Communion services, and work with Food for the Poor in food and clothing distribution.

The SVD was honoured for not only 150 years of service but especially for the many years in the Caribbean. The Arnoldus family (Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters, and Priests and Brother of the SVD) all renewed their vows as Religious missionaries.

The local news source said that the altar was decorated with pictures of significant SVDs who ministered in the Caribbean. These men served in the Dioceses of St John’s-Basseterre, Willemstad, and the Archdiocese of Kingston.

To close the 150th anniversary, the names of these famous missionaries were called out one last time. After the Mass, the reception was held in the Our Lady of the Assumption Preparatory school, which was transformed into a banquet hall befitting the two Jubilees.