San Fernando faithful say goodbye to Fr Jayson Grell

By Klysha Best

On the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, the Pro-Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help was filled with clergy, Religious, and faithful who gathered to celebrate the 17th anniversary of Fr Jayson Grell’s ordination and to bid him farewell as he prepares to begin a new chapter in the realm of education.

The Mass, held on Thursday, August 6, was a moment of gratitude, mixed emotions, and hope.

Fr David Khan, who delivered the homily, drew on the Gospel of the Transfiguration to offer a message of encouragement and challenge.

“Transformation is when you take something and you make it into something else,” Fr Khan explained. “Transfiguration is where our Lord Jesus Christ allows His ability to shine through His humanity. He allows His holiness to be seen in His humanness.”

He reminded the congregation that the Transfiguration was not simply a beautiful experience, it was preparation. Jesus allowed Peter, James, and John to glimpse His divine glory before leading them to Calvary, so that when darkness came, they would remember the light.

“Every Christian journey is one of both mountains and valleys,” Fr Khan said. “There are moments of joy, peace, and clarity. There are also moments of sacrifice, uncertainty, and change. The Lord is present in both.”

Fr Khan addressed Fr Jayson directly, urging him to embrace the journey ahead.

“Like Peter on the mountain, we might be tempted to say, ‘Lord, it is good that we are here’,” he said. “However, the Lord did not allow the disciples to remain on Mount Tabor. They had to come down the mountain because the mission continued. Fr Jayson, you have to leave Mount Tabor. You have to leave the Southern Vicariate. You have to come down the mountain because God has greater plans for you.”

He reminded the congregation that priests are not ordained for one parish alone. “Their mission often calls them to leave communities they have come to love in order to serve elsewhere. This movement is not a sign of loss alone. It is a sign that the Gospel continues to spread wherever Christ sends His servant.”

During the Mass, Vicar General Msgr Martin Sirju offered words of thanks on behalf of Archbishop Charles Jason Gordon.

“We don’t have more powerful words,” Msgr Sirju said. “They are the only words we have to show our appreciation. But even though they are two words, they mean a lot. And those are the words of thank you.”

He reflected on Fr Jayson’s missionary vocation as a member of the FMI (Les Fils de Marie Immaculee) aka Sons of Mary Immaculate, noting that he left his country of Dominica to evangelise in Trinidad. He also offered two pieces of advice: to embrace priestly fraternity as a “constitutive dimension of the priesthood,” and to surround himself with children, who “keep you young at heart.”

San Fernando parish priest and Vicar of the Southern Vicariate, Fr Matthew d’Hereaux encouraged Fr Jayson to embrace his upcoming studies in Mediation as a time of purification and preparation for future ministry in a fragmented world.

“This society, this world is so fragmented, so polarised, so divided,” Fr d’Hereaux said. “Having completed your studies in Mediation, you could be a mediator in the Church, on behalf of the Church. You never know that God will be calling you one day to do mediation between warring gangs, warring factions, and families, in workplaces.”

Fr Jayson shared a personal reflection on trust and surrender.

“Perhaps the hardest lesson on this journey of life is learning to trust,” he said. “Trusting means believing that everything, even in its most challenging moments, is unfolding as it’s meant to, in the most beautiful and perfect way.”

He encouraged the congregation to embrace the unknown. “When I choose trust, I’m no longer weighed down by doubt or fear of the future.”

Fr Jayson expressed deep gratitude for the love and support he received during his years of ministry in Trinidad and Tobago.

“The love that I have experienced in Trinidad and Tobago, I cannot complain,” he said. “Because people go out of their way. For me, personally, it has been a tremendous experience.”

He thanked his brother priests, the deacons, the altar servers, the choir, and the young people of the parish, noting the “special something” happening in the Southern Vicariate.

The Mass concluded with a round of applause and a sense of gratitude for a priest who has served with joy, energy, and a heart for the people of God.

In Fr Jayson’s own words: “We come. We do our part. We do our best. And others will come and do the rest.”