Radio Veritas 102.9FM
Bishop_Mendy_Ordination_Feb2018
GPI Accommodation for Guests
Bishop_Mendy Installation Feb2018
Radio Veritas 102.9FM
GPI Accommodation for Guests
Bishop_Mendy_Ordination_Feb2018
Bishop_Mendy Installation Feb2018
Radio Veritas 102.9FM
GPI Communication Facilities: Studio
Bishop_Mendy_Ordination_Feb2018
Bishop_Mendy Installation Feb2018
Radio Veritas 102.9FM
GPI Workshop Facilities: Dinning Hall
Bishop_Mendy_Ordination_Feb2018
Bishop_Mendy Installation Feb2018
Bishop Mendy Thanksgiving Mass LaminFeb2018
 | The end of the year and beginning of a New Year is a unique moment in our lives as believers and members of Christ’s Body, the Church. We |
| reflect on our past experience in life and we look forward in hope to the future. At the same time, we thank God for his blessings and protection and we pray that he will grant us a prosperous, peaceful, and healthy New Year that will renew and strengthen our faith and life on earth. We also make resolutions and promises... | |
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| Reflecting on the Life and he loss of a Catholic priest, a young one for that matter, sends shockwaves among the Catholic community, and leaves an indelible mark on the hearts of those who knew and loved him. The death of Rev. Fr. Matthew Ambrose Mendy is one such poignant moment that has left a void... |
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| The weather begins to change, calendars continue to turn, Christmas and New Year’s celebrations drift further into the rearview mirror. All are signs that Lent is drawing near. Where does Lent come from? Lent draws its inspiration from the 40 days Jesus spent in the desert. The Gospels tell us that after his baptism, Jesus fasted in the desert and then... |
 | “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty |
| God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.” -Isaiah 9:6-7. | |
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| Reflecting on the Humanitarian and Missionary works of Rev. Fr. Jackie Sharpe (C.S.Sp) in The Gambia R ev Fr John (Jackie) Sharpe worked as a priest at the St. Therese’s Catholic Church, Kanifing and several other parts of The Gambia, spanning over five decades as a Missionary. He won souls, impacted... |
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| The dinghy boat had just capsized swelling up the number of such seaways accident and leaving many deaths in its wake including some promising youths of The Gambia. Join me not to weep for Africans nor for Gambians, for indeed tragedy has swept away the best of her hope; where many of her youths... |
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By Philip Saine Mary was conceived without original sin, agreed with the Virgin birth and participated in the redemption of Man. The ever Virgin |
| Mary, the Immaculate Mother of God, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory. She is queen of heaven and earth and of all peoples. Mary did not ascend into heaven on her own power, as Christ did, but was raised into heaven by God’s grace. The belief in the Assumption of Mary was a widely-... | |
 | This is Rev. Father Angel Fernandez, the 10th Successor of Don Bosco, the Rector Major (General Superior) of the Salesians of Don Bosco. He created |
| Cardinal on the 30th September 2023 by Pope Francis and newly appointed as a memeber of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life. Father Angel Cardinal Fernández, will visit The Gambia from the 16th to 18th November 2023.... | |
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| The Catholic Church in The Gambia is renowned for its adherence to the church’s command of dedication to the recitation of the holy rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In this practice and devotion to the Virgin Mary, they also portray a deep reliance on the maternal love, care and protection of the Virgin Mary by invoking her assistance in times of need through fervent recitation of the holy... |
 | The feast of Assumption of the Virgin Mary is one of the central events that bring the varying faiths together in The Gambia. One beautiful observable |
| thing is that, in the celebration of 'Sang Marie', as it is popularly known in this country, it is hard to identify who is a Christian and who is not. Evidently, the event throws every Gambian into a festive mood, as people of all religions join hands in celebrating it. Intrinsically, one comes to terms with the reality of the fact that, the Virgin Mary is the Mother of all. The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated on the 15th of August, and is regarded as the most important Marian... | |
 | Thus, there is a recognized need for The Gambia to rebrand herself and repackage it for regional and global reckoning, that will set it apart from |
| its regional competitors and inform global perceptions on the country’s potentials, especially in specific areas such as tourism, investment and international relations. There is the urgent need to create an overall national identity with consistent messaging which can be used by all internal and external stakeholders who are involved in the promotion of The Gambia to the global audience... | |
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| Concentrated poverty concerns the spatial distribution of socio-economic deprivation. In The Gambia, it is now a trending case in our rural communities, and a consequence of the abandonment of the rural communities to their age-long fate of hopelessness. With the growing manner of uneven development in the country, one notices a very clear spatial distribution of socio-economic deprivation. Income poverty and household food... |
 | The representative of the Holy Father in Sierra Leone has advised the new Bishop of the country’s Catholic Diocese of Makeni to view his Episcopal co |
| nsecration as a humble service to the people of God and not a call to “honor.” In his homily during the Episcopal Ordination of Mons. Bob John Hassan Koroma, Archbishop Walter Erbì also urged the new Bishop to be “a faithful servant, a faithful steward, moderator and guardian of the mysteries of Christ.” “Consider that you are chosen from among men and appointed on their behalf for those things that pertain to God,” Archbishop Erbì said | |
| The Veil Civil Suit in The Gambia initiated by ‘Concerned Citizens’ came as a surprise to many, but never the less, does not surprise Gambians |
| who are versed with their disturbing agenda. At this stage of Gambian development, it would have been thought that ‘Concerned Citizens’, rather than striving for the wearing of veils in schools, should have spent time and energy to upgrade standards of education, provision of appropriate school learning materials, devising ways to improve on school transportation, improving on school performance and examination results. These would have been most ideal tenets | |
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| Her Excellency Dr. Fatou Bensouda presented her Letters of Credence to His Holiness Pope Francis at the Vatican Apostolic Palace, accrediting her as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of The Gambia to The Holy See, with residence in London. Following the presentation of |
 | Easter is one of the principal feasts of Christianity. It marks the Resurrection of Jesus, three days after his death by crucifixion. For many Christian |
| churches, Easter is the joyful end to the Lenten season of fasting and penitence. Christians celebrate Easter to remember the great sacrifice that Jesus made. Although Christians believe that Jesus is not physically among us, they trust that He is still present in our hearts. In Luke 24:6-7; we note, “He is not here; he has risen! Remember how He told you, while He was still with you in Galilee: 'The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the | |
| As we continue to luxuriate in what the 21 st century has to offer nations and its people all over the world; we as the Nehemiah of the present |
| generation, must not fail to strive to reinforce the gaps and rebuild the broken walls of trust and development, which has continued to undermine the respective steady growth of many countries including The Gambia. The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others --- Mahatma Gandhi. For over many centuries, civilizations have come and gone, nations have risen and fallen and still rising, while countries are striving for growth, progress and all-round | |
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| The National Catholic Pilgrimage Committee is pleased to inform you that Air Travel and Tours Agency Limited in collaboration with Fly Travel Agency Ltd. will take intending pilgrims to Two Nations Christian (Holy Land) or (Holy Sites) in Israel and Jordan from 15th October to 30th October, 2023. |
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| The first essential point in human-beings A Christian must always be dressed modestly. Whether male or female, Jesus Christ must be revealed in your dressing. How we dress our bodies is so much important to God because the body is God‘s temple; it is the dwelling place of God. 1 Cor 3:16. Do you know that you are God‘s temple and God‘s spirit dwells in you? If the body is God‘s temple, His temple must be dressed appropriately to His standards. ... |
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| Lent is one of the five seasons of the Catholic liturgical calendar, along with Advent, Christmas, Easter, and Ordinary Time. It precedes Easter and is a solemn period centered on prayer, fasting, and alms giving. While Lent is often associated with the Catholic faith, many Christians– including Protestant and Orthodox–observe it. There is no better time to reconnect with or deepen one‘s faith than Lent. During this time, we can draw closer to God as we prepare for... |
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| The Annual Retreat for Priests of the Diocese of Banjul started on Sunday of the Epiphany and ended on Friday of that week at the Gambia Pastoral Institute (GPI). The retreat preacher was Rev. Fr. Andrews Obeng SVD from Ghana, who guided the priests on the theme: The Priest, Servant of God’s mercy and compassion. Why are priests required to go on a yearly retreat? A yearly retreat is required by canon law and imitates Jesus' own example of prayer before public... |
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| Yearly, Christmas provides a perfect occasion to come together with family, or the assorted means of connecting with one another, and celebrate the birth of our savior, Jesus Christ, with lots of prayer, fellowship, food and conversation. However, there are lots more to Christmas. It is a time of year when many Christians encounter claims that pagan deities, predating Jesus Christ, were born on December 25. In popular films, Internet videos, and other media you can find long lists of gods who were supposedly born |
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| Mr. Ulrich Kny, the Head of Section III of Aid to the Church in Need Desk responsible for The Gambia and other African Countries visited the Diocese of Banjul from Saturday, 26 th November to Wednesday, 30 th November. During this time, he was able to visit closed projects, as well as ongoing ones. His visit took him to the different communities and regions of the country. At the GPI, he toured the Communications Department... |
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| The act of pilgrimage On this day, 10th December, 2022, large numbers of Catholics and others, converge at Kunkujang Mariama for the 34th pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady Queen of Peace, held annually on the Saturday nearest to the Immaculate Conception (8th December). In Senegal, since 1888, a pilgrimage at Pentecost... |
 | The Rosary means “Crown of Roses”. Our Lady has revealed to several people that each time they say a Hail Mary they are giving her a beautiful rose and |
| that each complete Rosary makes her a crown of roses. The rose is the queen of flowers, and so the Rosary is the rose of all devotions and it is, therefore, the most important one. The Holy Rosary is considered a perfect prayer, because within it lies the awesome story of our salvation. With the Rosary, in fact, we meditate the mysteries of joy, of sorrow, of glory and of light of Jesus and Mary. It‟s a simple prayer, humble so much like Mary. | |
| The Gambia is well known as 'the smiling coast' for the obvious reasons that the people are among the friendliest people you could hope to meet and |
| never leave visitors without a soothing and reassuring smile, most especially the first-time visitors. The Smiling coast of West Africa simply refers to the friendliness of its people in generosity with smiles on their coast to many of the visitors. This unique and memorable cultural gestures is the main take-home report of anyone to have visited the country‟s shores in the past. Justifiably, the revenues from | |
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| It has become very visible that, one of the major problems facing the educational system in The Gambia is the abysmal failure of students in public examinations, particularly at the secondary level of education. The high percentage of candidates who fail West African Senior Schools Certificate Examination (WASSCE) yearly is reflected in the low |
| The development of any country is not a rocket science; that is almost a mystery to humanity but a carefully` planned effort to genuinely and sincerely |
| develop a country. Development of any country does not come by coincidence or happenstance. History have it that the world used to be divided into empires and kingdoms but not in the modern times where, nations or nation states have replaced empires as the basic unit of human political organization and development. Nations just do not happen | |
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| President Adama Barrow, Thursday, 9th June 2022, called on the faith groups to propagate and maintain peace and tolerance as a prerequisite for social and economic development. The President was speaking at the Statehouse during a meeting with the Outgoing Vatican Ambassador to The Gambia, H.E Dagoberto Campo Salas, who came to bid |
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| It is in my state of life as a senior member in society and in the Catholic Church that I dare to speak out and to question certain behavioral patterns that I see rampant and gaining momentum in the Gambian society today. The land that has cradled us all with peace and integrity has, unfortunately, become a source of great tension, disunity, power struggle and the bullying of the weak by the powerful. |
 | To keep up with the necessary periodical maintenance at the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital (EFSTH) admissions wards are supported |
| by corporate institutions. Thus, we find the Petrogas- Medical Ward and the 1 st Lady Fund- Obstetrics Unit. These innovations contribute significantly in reducing mortality, but still greater results could be achieved if both patient and individual health care providers are rewarded. The Morgue, however, benefited little from such initiatives and the name remains unchanged- the ‘Mortuary or ... | |
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| People are becoming very apprehensive as rumors make waves around The Gambia that, the price of bread will be increased to D15 at minimum. Giving way for such an increase in the price of an essential food product like bread is not in the best interest of the nation and the people, especially the very poor ones. Well, good leadership or a dynamic leadership is about generating useful ideas. It is about adjusting to challenge... |
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| It was in August 1987 that a land measuring 850m x 300 m was applied for the purpose of a Catholic Shrine at Kunkujang Mariama. The application was approved and granted by the Commissioner Western Division, in Brikama. On 3 rd September 1987, an official document allocating the requested land was handed over to the Christian Shrine Committee (CSC). At the time of ... |
 | The political economy of a country is pivotal to its economic dynamics as well as its social system. While politics and the process of |
| politicking do not necessarily give rise to the social structure of a people, the institutional framework, process and outcome of this exercise do influence, to a very large extent, the course and outcome of achievable socio-political and economic status of the nation and its people. The primary expectation of electorates ... | |
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| The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is the be-all and the end-all of the Christian faith. If Jesus didn‘t rise from the dead, all bishops, priests, and Christian ministers should go home and get honest jobs, and all the Christian faithful should leave their churches immediately. As Paul himself put it: ―If Jesus is not raised from the dead, our preaching is in vain and we are the most pitiable of men.‖ It‘s no good, of course, trying to explain the resurrection away or rationalize it as a myth, a symbol, or an inner subjective experience. ... |
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| March 25th, 2022 marked both the solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord Jesus Christ and the ordination to the diaconate of Revs. Andrew Bangura, Sawyer Mbokey, and Victor Kargbo. The Bishop called to ordain them was Bishop Henry Aruna of the Diocese of Kenema. He urged the deacons to be like Mary, full of faith, humility and patience in waiting on God's divine will making a great... |
 | THAT TOOK THEIR VOWS IN 2021 / 2022 Heavenly Father, you have created joy and gladness, pleasure and delight, love, peace and fellowship. Pour out |
| the abundance of your blessing upon this couple in their new life together. Let their love for each other be a seal upon their hearts and a crown upon their heads. “A happy marriage is the union of two good forgivers.” – Robert Quillen “Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.” – Henry Ford “Marriage is a ... | |
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| Inter-Territorial Catholic Bishops’ Conference of The Gambia And Sierra Leone (ITCABIC) held in Banjul, 24th to 30th January 2022 A conference of bishops, which is sometimes called episcopal conference, is a grouping of all the Catholic bishops in a region or territory, who are empowered to make a limited number of decisions regarding policy for the whole region, and who are also encouraged to develop projects, initiatives, or apostolates together,... |
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| Synod on Synodality In January 15 th , 2022 – a meeting called „Synod on Synodality‟, was held at GPI. Many people, even many practicing Catholics, may find the name “Synod on Synodality” and its purpose puzzling. What is a synod in the first place? The word derives from an ancient Greek term that means “coming together” or “traveling together.” Ancient Christians developed a custom of local leaders coming together to pray and make decisions about matters affecting... |
 | In 1969, two new mission houses were opened in Bwaim, Foni and Picton Street, in Banjul. In the same year, a young Gambian, Sister Madeleine Mendy |
| came to join the sisters in the Serrekunda convent. With an aspirant (Madeleine) in their midst, there was a need to have a formation house. On February 7th, 1971, the Presentation of Mary novitiate was... | |
 | The Gambia Electoral Cycle has reached a climax for the 2021 Presidential Elections. A total number of 962,157 voters have been registered and |
| citizens are presented with 6 Presidential Candidates namely: Abdoulie Ebrima Jammeh, Abubacarr Ousainou Darboe, Adama Barrow, Essa Mbye Faal, Halifa Sallah, and Mama Kandeh, There would be 1,554 Polling... | |
 | Pan Africanism and patriotism have being a crusade by great men of the African continent over years, but this is far from becoming a reality simply because |
| of tribalism and ethnicity. To begin a write-up on such a topic, it is appropriate to draw a classification between the terms ‘ethnicity’ and ‘ethnocentrism’. Ethnicity is simply the way a group of people share a common origin, live with common culture, customs and traditions. On the other hand, ethnocentrism is the unshakable... | |
 | Rev. Fr. Emile Sambou (known also as Bocande, Ponkal), born in Dombondir, Cassamance on the 6th December, 1966, was the fifth born of his parents, |
| the late Kuba Sambou and Christine Ainaino Demba. He attended St. Patrick’s Primary School, Darsilami and St. Peter’s Technical High School, Lamin, for his priamary and secondary school education, respectively. On completion of | |
| On Thursday, 2 nd September, 2021, the National People’s Party (NPP) and the Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC) formed an |
| alliance that seems not to be a popular initiative. The Peoples Progressive Party (PPP) leader also said his party has no problem with the alliance, arguing that in the 2017 National Assembly and Council elections, the PPP put up candidates | |
 | Reverend John Nicolas Correa, C.S.Sp was born into the family of Augustus Ken Correa (of blessed memory) and Anna Marie Mendy of Bakoteh on the 10 th |
| October, 1990 at Fajikunda in the Kanifing Municipality of The Gambia. Reverend Correa received the sacrament of Baptism as an infant on 17 th October, 1990 and First Holy Communion in 1997 at St Charles Lwanga Parish, Fajikunda. | |
 | It is about six months now since the official launching of Radio Veritas and our commencement of operations. In summing up our activities report |
| so far, one would rightly say; so far so good. Since the inception of our broadcasting service, we have used the Radio to reach most of the unreachable Catholics and Christians alike, which is in line with our mission and ultimate goal – the Planting of the Catholic Church in The Gambia and the strengthening of Christendom in our part of the world. | |
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| The recent funerals of Rev. Fr. Louis Thomas Mendy and Rev. Peter Solomon Gomez have been described as ‘double tragedies’ in the Diocese of Banjul. However, soon after the expression of deep sorrow, it became apparent that these were rather ‘double triumphs’ for the Diocese of Banjul. History reveals that following the introduction of the Catholic faith in The Gambia these Gambian priests were ordained;.... |
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| On this day, we celebrate in a very somber and peculiar way the Solemnity of Mary’s Assumption into heaven because of the Covid – 19 pandemic, I would like to deliver my message on the power of God’s right hand in Mary’s Assumption into glory. For obvious reasons, as the Virgin Mother of our saviour, our focus and attention tend to center more on Mary whenever we celebrate her feasts, even her assumption into heaven. But the... |
 | Rev. Father Michael Ndecky, our Mass Celebrant, Rev. Fr. Anthony Gabisi, Chaplain to the Knights of Saints Peter and Paul, essay |
| competitors and their parents, relatives and friends, dear brothers and sisters in Christ. I have been requested to make some remarks by way of introduction to the genesis of today’s ceremony to give a background to the organization of the process leading to this event, and I am happy to do so. The Knights of Saints | |
 | 3 o' clock every afternoon is the hour of powers, and the ‘Hour of Great Mercy', which in effect ,calls for a serious devotion to the Divine Mercy |
| of Jesus. The Diary of St. Faustina gives us precise instructions from Jesus as to how He wanted the new devotion to His Mercy to be formulated. From the very depths of His tender mercy, He created the Feast of Mercy, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, the Divine Mercy Novena, the Image of Divine Mercy and the conversion prayer known as the 3 O’ Clock Holy Hour. At 3 o’clock on Good Friday, Jesus died in incomprehensible agony on the | |
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| Never take the Holy Mass for granted, for strange events take place when you attend Mass. St. Pio of Pietrelcina once stated, “It would be easier for the world to survive without the sun than to do so without the Holy Mass.’’ One awesome thing is very clear about the Mass; the angels are always present at the Eucharistic Sacrifice. If we understand the value of the Mass, we would certainly participate in it actively and regularly. As |
 | Through St. Faustina, the Merciful Savior has given the aching world new channels for the outpouring of His grace. These new channels |
| include the Image of The Divine Mercy, the Feast of Mercy (Divine Mercy Sunday), the Chaplet, the Novena to The Divine Mercy, and prayer at 3 o’clock in the afternoon, the Hour of Great Mercy. Although these means of receiving God’s mercy are new in form, they all proclaim the timeless message of God’s merciful love. They also draw us back to the great Sacrament of Mercy, the Holy Eucharist, where the living Lord, who suffered and died on the Cross and whose Heart was... | |
 | Divine Mercy Sunday is also the day after the culmination of the novena of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. St. Faustina wrote that Jesus |
| instructed her that the Feast of Mercy (the Sunday after Easter) be preceded by a Divine Mercy Novena which would begin on Good Friday. The feast of Divine Mercy, according to the diary of St. Faustina, receives from Jesus the biggest promises of grace related to the Devotion of Divine Mercy, in particular, that a person who goes to sacramental confession (the confession may take place some days before) and receives... | |
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| The bestowment of the title of Knighthood was a common practice among monarchs, the Protestants and the Catholic Church of the middle ages. However, there are a lot of legends surrounding the title of Knighthood. There are also many misconceptions about them based on the legends and stories that have come about in the ages since the conception. Most of the allegations were leveled against them by the French King... |
 | On October 14, 1934 he celebrated his first mass in The Gambia, called a red-letter day as noted in the Spiritan Journal 'de la communauté'. |
| His ordination was very remarkable too as in the case of the first locally ordained Gambian Priest, Fr. Joseph Mendy. In fact, it is alleged that, he addressed the people in the vernacular on that day. One of his Irish colleagues, Fr. Whiteside, told the congregation: “Receive him with joy into your midst. He is of your soil, of your race, he understands your mentality, your language, your customs, better than any European priest can ever do.” The Irish... | |
 | What does it mean to say that 2021 is the Year of St. Joseph? The Church observes the passage of time through the liturgical calendar |
| which includes feasts such as Easter and Christmas, and seasons such as Lent and Advent. In addition, however, popes can set aside time for the Church to reflect more deeply on a specific aspect of Catholic teaching or belief. Past years designated by recent popes include a Year of Faith, Year of the Eucharist, and Jubilee Year of Mercy. Thus, the Vatican announced that the period from December 8, 2020 - December 8, 2021... | |
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| His Lordship Bishop, Most Rev Dr. Gabriel Mendy, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Banjul blessing the new GPI’s ‘Radio Veritas’ On Wednesday, 20th January, 2021, the Catholic Diocese of Banjul marked another milestone in the history of the Diocese with the launching of the Gambia Pastoral Institute’s ‘Radio Veritas’. Below is the excerpt of the opening speech by Rev. Fr. Peter Lopez, the Director of Gambia Pastoral Institute... |
 | Joseph Charles Mendy was a Gambian Roman Catholic priest who served the Gambian Roman Catholic Church for eight years |
| (1924-1932) only; his career was cut short when he unexpectedly died during an operation, and was widely considered a saint by his contemporaries. However, there seem to be a universal opinion that, probably no priest in his country has set a finer example of personal holiness and selfless service than Fr. Joseph Charles Mendy, who was ordained ninety-six years ago in Bathurst, in what is now the Cathedral of our Lady of the Assumption... | |
 | Profession of Sister Marianna Ndecky of the Parish of St. Josephine Bakihita Hann Marist, on 17 th October, 2020. |
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Final/Perpetual Vow of Sr. Marie Ellen Mendy of St.
Joseph of Cluny Sisters held at the Blessed
Sacrament Parish, Kanifing Estate on Saturday,
14 th November 2020 with the Bishop as the chief celebrant. Sr. Harriet Mendy of the Presentation of Mary Sisters takes her Perpetual Vow. Religious life is a pure gift from God, and a grace that God has given to Sr. Harriet... | |
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| The Catholic Relief Service (CRS) Gambia recently sponsored the manu- facturing of COVID-19 hand-washing equipment by the Gambia Technical Training Institute. The innovative product was launched on 16 October 2020. Catholic Relief Service have been working in the Gambia since 1964. They engage in different sectors in the country, such... |
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BY: PHILIP SAINE Is President Barrow trying to marginalise Gambian Christians? This issue was clearly settled by |
| Christians when the nation was declared an Islamic State by the erstwhile leader. As it has come up again; this despicable act of marginalising christians will never be accepted in The Gambia! As Christians, we must continue to defend the democracy and human rights of all citizens of The Gambia irrespective of their religious or political affiliations. And, any government that tries to ... | |
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Death of Michael Joseph (Miko) Cleary C.S.Sp. We regret to announce the death of Bishop Michael Cleary. |
| He died peacefully yesterday (Thursday, 3/09/2020) in Nazareth House, having celebrated his 95th birthday earlier this week. Born on 1st September 1925, Michael was the youngest of four children of Mary (née Flanagan) and John Cleary of Tulrahan, Ballyhaunis, Co. Mayo. His mother died days later and his father in 1929. Michael was raised in Castlebar by his maternal grandmother and his uncle and aunt. After attending St. Jarlath’s College in Tuam, Michael entered... | |
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| Each of us is probably yearning for certain things from our pre-pandemic life, but there is one thing that just about everyone in the Catholic Church has in common; we miss going to Mass, either daily or Sunday Masses! Moreover, we are all concerned about helping our churches survive and even thrive during this critical time. Difficult times such as they are today, can have a major impact on church finances. It is a time that both our faith... |
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'LENT' is a short word for the second-longest season in the Church’s calendar (the longest being Easter Time). |
| Beginning on February 26th, Lent lies before us once again, with all its challenges and opportunities. The prime challenge is to take our Christian faith more seriously. The prime opportunity is to celebrate Easter with greater joy than ever. During the roughly forty days of Lent, we are asked to fast (but only on two days). We are also asked to abstain from certain pleasures or foods, or to engage in good works and works of ... | |
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'LENT' is a short word for the second-longest season in the Church’s calendar (the longest being Easter Time). |
| Beginning on February 26th, Lent lies before us once again, with all its challenges and opportunities. The prime challenge is to take our Christian faith more seriously. The prime opportunity is to celebrate Easter with greater joy than ever. During the roughly forty days of Lent, we are asked to fast (but only on two days). We are also asked to abstain from certain pleasures or foods, or to engage in good works and works of ... | |
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| ON Saturday 7th December great crowds of Gambian Catholics and many others gathered from across the country and beyond to Kunkujang Mariama in the Western Region. It was the 33rd national pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady Queen of Peace, the first having been held in 1987. The annual pilgrimage is held on the Saturday nearest to 8th December - the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. Origins At Pentecost every year since 1888 a ... |
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| After the first pilgrimage, it was realised that extended facilities were needed. Bishop Cleary provided a D50,000 loan (a large sum in those days). Fr Sharpe designed seating around the altar, and local labour made lots of slabs. After three years or so, the Presentation Sisters identified a new site for the grotto. Youth groups used to arrive the evening before the pilgrimage. But their vigil |
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Praying, Promoting, and Preserving Peace in The GambiaIN the third verse of the hymn God Gives His People Strength, we sing
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| God gives his people peace when sorrow fills us to brim and courage grows dim. He lays to rest our restlessness in him. God gives his people peace. God gives his people peace because our God is a God of peace and not a God of hatred, violence and war. He is the origin and source of the peace and order that exists | |
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The colour for Christmastide is white or gold
For the Feast of the Nativity, the Church provides four
Masses:
* Evening Mass of the Vigil (Christmas Eve, Tuesday,
24th December) * Mass of Midnight * Mass of the Dawn (early Christmas morning) * Mass of the Day |
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| HUGE crowds welcomed Pope Francis to Mozambique on Wednesday 4th September as he began a six-day tour of three African countries. He was the first Pope to visit Mozambique since St John Paul II in 1988. After being greeted by President Filipe Nyusi, Pope Francis was whisked away in his popemobile as crowds waved placards reading |
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EIGHTY-FIVE YEARS AGO ON 14th October 1934, Fr Thomas Gregory Jobe celebrated his first Mass in The Gambia. At the |
| Mass, Fr Jobe addressed the people in the vernacular. One of his colleagues, the English priest Fr Harold Whiteside, told the congregation: ‘Receive him with joy into your midst. He is of your soil, of your race, he understands your mentality, your language, your customs, better than any European priest can ever | |
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| ON All Saints Day, Catholics celebrate all the saints, known and unknown. Some saints have a particular feast day in the calendar - usually, the date of their death. But saints who have not been canonised - those who are in heaven, but whose sainthood is known only to God - have no particular feast day. In a special way, All Saints Day is their feast. All Saints Day arose out of the tradition of |
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THE MOST Revd Gabriel Mendy on Friday 19th July conducted his first ordinations as Bishop of Banjul when he admitted two young
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| Gambians, the Revd Etienne Colley and Richard René Mansal to the Order of Deacons. The Mass also marked the end of the Pastoral Year in the Diocese of Banjul. Etienne and Richard studied French in Zinguichor from 2014 to 2015, and pursued their priestly formation at the François Libermann Seminary, Dakar, from 2015 to 2019. | |
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Pope Francis has said that his relationship with Benedict XVI gives him strength and reminds him of the living tradition of the Church.
Speaking
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| on 2nd June on the papal flight from Romania, Francis said that each time he visits Pope Emeritus Benedict, he feels more ‘like family’. ‘Every time I go to visit him I feel like that; I take his hand and get him to talk. He speaks little, slowly, but with the same depth, as always - because Benedict's problem is his knees, not his head; he has a great lucidity, as... | |
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| A 9th-Grade pupil at St Peter’s Technical Junior Secondary School Lamin, 16-year-old Mama Ansel Sanyang, has won a national and international essay competition sponsored by the International Alliance of Catholic Knights. In a ceremony at the end of Mass at Holy Cross Church Brusubi on 9th June... |
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PENTECOST – in Greek, Penticosti - means 'fiftieth day'. The ancient Jewish festival of Pentecost was the 'Feast of Weeks' at the
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| end of grain harvest, 50 days after Passover. Exodus 34:22 says, ‘You shall observe the feast of weeks, the first fruits of the harvest.’ Over time the Jews came to celebrate Pentecost not only to give thanks for the harvest but to commemorate the day when God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses. ... | |
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SOME years ago, at a question-and-answer session with Pope Benedict XVI, a priest asked: ‘More and more, the young
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| people who receive these sacraments (First Communion and Confirmation) prepare themselves well during catechetical sessions, but then don’t come to Sunday Mass.... Sometimes there’s a desire to say, “Just stay at home.” Instead, however, we go on as always and accept them, thinking that... | |
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| TENS of thousands of Catholics and others, including a large contingent of Gambians, will converge on Monday10th June at the Shrine of our Lady at Popenguine, on Senegal’s Petite Côte, for the 131st annual pilgrimage. The pilgrims, many of them in organised groups of young people, will travel to... |
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FRIDAY 31st January was the Feast of St John Bosco (pictured right), and the Salesian Fathers of Don Bosco based at Kunkujang led
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| a 'Weekend with St John Bosco' at St Augustine’s Senior Secondary School, Banjul, from Friday 1st to Sunday 3rd February. Around 200 young people gathered on Friday evening to register, and on Saturday took part in a varied programme of talks, discussions, games and a candle-light procession and rosary. After Mass at 6.30am on Saturday, Fr Peter Wojnarowsk SDB, leader of the... | |
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to be canonised POPE Francis has confirmed the authen-tication of a miracle attributed to Blessed John Henry Newman, a
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| 19th-century English theologian and priest. The miracle which Pope Francis has authenticated occured when a pregnant woman suffering a haemorrhage asked Newman to pray for her; and the haemorrhage ceased immediately. The date for John Henry Newman’s canonisation - being listed as a Catholic saint - is yet to be announced. Newman was born in London in 1801.... | |
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| Palm Sunday Humility, love and redemption WE interpret the Old Testament by what has been revealed in the New Testament. Thus, today’s First Reading from Isaiah, applied to Christ, depicts him as a willing sufferer: ‘I did not hide my face from insult and spitting.’ Whenever Jesus spoke to his disciples about his forthcoming death they didn’t want to hear about it. We too,... |
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ON SUNDAY 3rd February Bishop Gabriel Mendy CSSp celebrates the first anniversary of his episcopal ordination. The news that the
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| Diocese of Banjul was to be led by its first Gambian Bishop had come from Rome on 30th November 2017 - St Andrew’s Day. Before a great congregation at the Independence Stadium Bakau on 3rd February last year, Dr Mendy became the Fourth Bishop of Banjul and the first Gambian to lead the Catholic Church in The Gambia. In a four-hour ceremony,... | |
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| THOUSANDS of Catholics from all over The Gambia and beyond, together with other Christians, as well as many Muslims, converged on Kunkujang Mariama on Saturday 8th December for the annual national pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady Queen of Peace. It was the 32nd such pilgrimage, and the first to be led by Bishop Gabriel Mendy... |
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| THE PRESENTATION of Mary Sisters closed their Golden Jubilee celebrations on Saturday 28th December with a Vigil at St Therese’s Church Kanifing, and the following day with a Mass of Thanksgiving at which Bishop Mendy presided. The vigil included the recitation of the Rosary and Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament... |
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A DINNER in honour of Archbishop Dagoberto Campos- Salas, Papal Nuncio to The Gambia, was hosted by
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| Bishop Gabriel Mendy at GPI on Monday 19th November. The Nuncio comes from Costa Rica, and has served in Sudan, Chile, Sweden, Turkey and Mexico. He is also Nuncio to Liberia, to which he was assigned in July. Since 1537 Popes have sent nuncios to reside in the countries to which they are accredited. A nuncio represents the Catholic Church in the country or countries to which he is... | |
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| BISHOP Gabriel Mendy was warmly received by elated crowds of Christians and Muslims on Friday 9th November when he arrived to pay his first visit as Bishop to Basse. That evening he attended a fund-raising concert in the Parish Hall, presented by the choir of St Joseph’s Church. The following morning Bishop Mendy met St Joseph’s Parish |
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| A NEW chapter in the ongoing story of the Shrine of Our Lady Queen of Peace at Kunkujang Mariama opened in October when three priests of the Order of Salesians of Don Bosco arrived to take charge of programmes at the shrine, particularly among young people. On Sunday 4th October, Fr Peter Wojnarowski, Fr Carlos Valdiviezo and ... |
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DOES the Church still teach the doctrine of purgatory? This is a question often asked, because in homilies Catholics may seldom hear any mention of the
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| topic. Yes - purgatory is very much part of the Faith. Yet the doctrine may be considerably misunderstood by Protestants, and even by some Catholics. The Catechism of the Catholic Church has only three, but very important, paragraphs on purgatory. The first paragraph reads: 'All who die in God's... | |
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ONE hundred years ago, at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, the Great War ended. Germany, beref of manpower and supplies
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| and faced with imminent invasion, signed an armistice with the Allies in a railway carriage outside Compiegne, in France. The First World War left nine million soldiers dead and 21 million wounded, with Germany, Russia, Austria-Hungary, France and Britain each losing nearly a million or more lives. In addition, at least... | |
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| 1WHEN we do something wrong, or offend someone, we may say, ‘I know I’m no saint.’ This is probably all too true. But do we actually want to become a saint? Who, indeed, are the saints, so honoured by the Church? THE SAINTS are those throughout history and throughout the world who have striven to discern and... |
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ON Friday 6th July the Presentation Girl's Vocational School in Banjul held its 13th annual ceremony to mark the completion by 56 students of three
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| years’ training in the school’s departments of home management, commerce and hair-dressing. The ceremony, which included the award of certificates and prizes to outstanding students and teachers, was attended by the Deputy Mayor of Banjul, parents and relatives ... | |
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SOME might say that in The Gambia we don't need to be reminded about Sang Marie. Banjul used to be known as St Mary's Island, and the title Kombo
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| St Mary is still in use. Moreover, our Cathedral and the Diocese of Banjul are dedicated to Mary, under her title, Our Lady of the Assumption. The Anglican Cathedral is also dedicated to Mary. Sang Marie became a public holiday in The Gambia in 1958. It was dropped as a holiday in 1976, but reinstated the following year. Referring to the ... | |
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| Peter Lopez, Anthony Njie, Philip Saine, Dominic Mendy, Lamin Cham (Editor of the Standard newspaper) and myself visited Juffereh to talk to the elders in the neighbouring villages. We crossed in two vehicles on the 10.30 am ferry, and after a brief stop in Essau to present ... |
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TWENTY-SIX years ago, in February 1992, Pope St John Paul II visited Senegal and The Gambia. The founder of JeunEspérance,
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| Emilie Faye, afterwards joined a Catholic charismatic renewal group. On 12th February 1994 she held ‘A small meal for Jesus’, at which 100 young people met for a Bible quiz, praise and teaching, and to hear a call for conversion. They were reminded of the importance of confession, attendance at Sunday Mass (and weekday Mass, too), adoration of the... | |
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| Introduction: Catholic Relief Services (CRS) Gambia completed a week-long training on the themes of peacebuilding and social cohesion. The need for such a training has risen out of the fact that Gambia is at a political crossroads. Over the past 22 years, Gambia has been under an authoritarian government,... |
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| TEN YEARS AGO. At the invitation of Bishop Robert Ellison, the Cardinal Archbishop of Dakar, the Most Revd Théodore-Adrian Sarr, visited the Diocese of Banjul from Thursday 5th to Sunday 8th June 2008. Great roadside crowds, Christian and Muslim, waved an... |
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A MASS of thanksgiving for the episcopate of Bishop Emeritus Robert Patrick Ellison CSSp was celebrated at the Cathedral of the
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| Assumption Banjul on Saturday 10th March. In an address at the end of the Mass, the Vice Chairperson of the Cathedral Parish Council, Albino Jatta, said: ‘It is good to give thanks and praise to God ... and today we have just done that in appreciation to God for the life, health and strength of Bishop Ellison:.. | |
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PRESIDENT Adama Barrow has expressed the prayer that the ordination of Bishop Mendy will further strengthen relations amongst Gambians
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| of all denominations and religions. In a statement, the President urged the bishop to promote peaceful co-existence amongst Gambians, and wished him success in his new task. He said, ‘The ordination of Bishop Mendy is a solemn occasion for all Gambians, the first time a citizen among the Gambian community is called to that position.’ At the Episcopal... | |
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| 'We are witnesses!' 'WE are witnesses!' cried St Peter, when he and his fellow apostles proclaimed the Good News of the Resurrection to everyone who would listen. As today's reading from Acts relates, the Resurrection and the descent of the Holy Spirit made the little band of apostles new men: eager, articulate, fearless. As St Paul declares in the... |
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FATHER Gabriel Mendy CSSp was born in Lamin, and is a Catholic priest of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans).
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| He holds a BA in philosophy, a BA in religion, an MA in theology, and a PhD in systematic theology. Since his ordination by Bishop Cleary in 1997, Fr Mendy has worked in Sierra Leone, and in 2004 he began doctorate studies in Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, USA. After graduation in 2009 he became a Parochial Vicar at Our Lady Star of.... | |
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OUR Bishop-elect is a Spiritan, and so were the three Bishops of Banjul who preceded him. Throughout the 20th century, it was Spiritan priests from
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| Ireland who ministered to and built up the Catholic Mission in The Gambia. In modern times, it was only in the 1980s thar the first Gambian priests were ordained, to the joy of Bishop Michael Cleary, who in company with his Irish confreres had worked and prayed for Gambian vocations, so that the Church in The Gambia could truly become the... | |
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LOOKING at what the Church asks of us this Lent, some might say ‘not very much’. In earlier times, it was different: Give up this. Don’t do that.
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| Yet today the Church doesn’t ask us for much actual fasting, and rather little self-denying abstinence. But think again. Perhaps the Church asks more of us than before. Rather than simply following pious rules, we are each asked, as mature Christians, to consider carefully in what ways we may make good use of... | |
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ON Saturday 7th October the School Sisters of Notre Dame (SSND) joined sisters from other congregations, priests and
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| lay people at the GPI Chapel to celebrate the Silver Jubilee of the religious profession of Sr Dawida Krzempek. She has spent seventeen of her twenty-five years as a sister in The Gambia. Sr Dawida is working as a teacher in the Parish of Mary Mother of God at Soma. The celebrant at the Mass of... | |
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| CHRISTMAS is a time of rejoicing. Parties, family get- togethers, gifts, reunions, good food and drink: all these mark the Christmas and New Year celebrations that many millions enjoy, throughout the world. It’s a time, too, when differences are put aside, peace is emphasised, and good resolutions made. Yet for the majority, all this rejoicing at... |
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| ON SATURDAY 9th December great crowds of Catholics and others will gather from across the country and beyond at Kunkujang Mariama. It will be the thirty-first pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady Queen of Peace, the first pilgrimage having taken place ten... |
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SPEAKING at the blessing of a 30-bed hostel and cafeteria at Mariama Kunkujang in June, Bishop Robert Ellison said,
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| ‘Silence is no longer part of today’s vocabulary. Perhaps we should encourage more members of our community to help them discover the peace and joy of spending a few days or nights in this holy place.’ The bishop revealed: ‘Soon after my ordination as Bishop of Banjul, I paid a visit to the National Shrine of Our Lady of | |
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| 15th AUGUST was, as usual in The Gambia, a public holiday to celebrate the Solemnity of the Assumption, known in this country and in Senegal as Sang Marie. In Banjul, the celebrations took the usual form of morning Mass in the Cathedral and an afternoon procession from the Church of the Holy Ghost, Campama. Taking part in the |
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| FIRE in the Junior Seminary at Lamin in the morning of Wednesday 30th August caused considerable damage. The fire has been attributed to an electrical fault. The sole seminarian resident on 30th August raised an alert, and the fire brigade was called. The fire damaged the multi-purpose hall and items kept there, including personal effects of Fr |
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THE AMERICAN Ambassador, C. Patricia Alsup (right), spoke at a recent reception to honour
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| achievements in malaria reduction in The Gambia. An addresss by President Adama Barrow was read on his behalf by the Minister of Health & Social Welfare, Saffie Lowe Ceesay. The reception, at the Coral Beach Hotel on Tuesday 11th July, was hosted by the Ministry of Health, the US Embassy and Catholic Relief Services (CRS). | |
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| IN The Gambia and Senegal, the solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is simply known as Sang Marie. In some other countries, too, the solemnity has a simple name: 'Lady Day', for example; and in Spain and Latin America, the Immacoloda. Sang Marie, like All Saints' Day, has long been a public |
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| IT has been 500 years since what is seen as the beginning of the Reformation, when the German monk Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of a church in Wittenberg, challenging practices in the late mediæval Catholic Church and ushering in a schism that led to the rise of... |
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A REQUIEM for Fr Joseph Gough CSSp was held at St Therese’s Kanifing on Monday 27th March. |
| Present were Bishop Robert Ellison, nineteen other clergy, and a large congregation. The principal celebrant was the District Superior of the Spiritans in The Gambia, Fr Michael Gomez CSSp. Three of the clergy present at the | |
 | 'PENTECOST' means 'fiftieth day'. It refers to the fiftieth day after the great Jewish feast of the Passover - the feast of the redemption |
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of the Jews from slavery in Egypt. Passover for Christians is the great Paschal Feast when we celebrate the redemption of all mankind from the slavery of sin. At the Christian Passover - Easter, or Pasch - we celebrate the | |
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| ‘O GIVE thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his loving kindness is everlasting.’ This verse from the First Book of Chronicles provided the theme for the National Day of Prayer and Thanksgiving at the Independence |
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The Lent Message of the Marionite Archbishop of Damascus, SAMIR NASSER An apocalyptic scene |
| IN six years of war the face of Syria has changed quite a lot. It is a huge disaster zone of debris, carbonised buildings, burnt-down houses, ghost neighbourhoods and towns destroyed to the ground. More than twelve millions Syrians -50 per cent of the population... | |
 | AT a joyful Mass in Star of the Sea Church, Bakau on Monday 27th February, Sister Mary Potin gave thanks for 25 years as a Sister of the |
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Presentation of Mary. The principal celebrant was Fr Benedict Mba. Bishop Ellison was among those who attended the reception that followed at Shalom Retreat Centre Fajara. ‘All for God, all through his holy love!’ The Presentation Sisters began their work of | |
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| all denominations are to be held at the Independence Stadium Bakau on Saturday 25th March, from 4 to 7 pm. For Catholics and Anglicans, the day is the feast of the Annunciation. The event is a follow-up to prayers at the stadium on Saturday |
 | ON Saturday 24th June 2017, our Diocese of Banjul will become 60 years old. It was on 24th June 1957 that Pope Pius XII raised the Prefecture |
| Apostolic to the status of a diocese, with the title ‘The Diocese of Bathurst in The Gambia’. But it wasn’t until 5th January 1958 that Monsignor Michael Moloney, who had been Prefect Apostolic, was named as the first Bishop... | |
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| THE ANNUAL December pilgrimage to Kunkujang Mariama was held on 10th December, the Saturday nearest to the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Pilgrims came from throughout the country and beyond, and it was remarked that participation was even... |
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Ashes. prayer and supplication OUR use of ashes on Ash Wednesday derives from ancient tradition among the Hebrews and others. Smearing oneself or one’s clothing with ashes is a sign of mourning or repentance. In Jonah 42:6, for instance, the King of Nineveh seeks.. |
 | HE DEATH occurred on Sunday 20th November of a leading educationalist THE DEATH occurred on Sunday 20th November of a |
| leading educationalist, Delphine Carrol. Delphine Eileen Sarah Carrol was born in Freetown, the eldest daughter of Oliver and Marie Macaulay, in November 1932. After primary and secondary education in Freetown, she obtained a BSc at.... | |
 | ‘LONG overdue’, writes Fr Joseph Gough, past Principal of St Augustine’s Senior Secondary School, in a foreword to George F. |
| Gomez’ newly-published history of the school. He is echoed by Abdou Amadou Samba, former Secretary- General, who describes the book as ‘very timely’. St Augustine’s past pupils and many others | |
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| ON Sunday 20th November, Feast of Christ the King, Pope Francis closed the Holy Door at St Peter’s Basilica, formally ending the Holy Year of Mercy he had declared to stress the need for greater reconciliation and forgiveness in the... |
 | SISTER Calixte Thomas, who served in The Gambia from 1998 to 1012, died at Bangalore, in her native India, on Sunday 18th |
| September, at the age of 69. Sr Catherine Jarra has recently written of Sr Calixte that she showed love and compassion to many of God’s people. ‘She carried out her duties with great competency, simplicity, humility and dedication, despite her ill-health...... | |
 | EVERY year when I return from my holiday, many people ask me about retired Irish missionaries from The Gambia. The number is |
| rising steadily: Bishop Emeritus Cleary, Fr Gillooly, Fr Fagan, Fr Fleming, Fr Grimes, Fr Gough, Fr Casey, Fr Hagan. There are only three of us left here! Eventually, we too shall join ‘Dad’s Army’ | |
 | “children of God... that is what we are” (1 John 3:1). We have been created in God’s own image; Jesus has taken upon himself our |
| humanity and his heart will never be separated from us; the Holy Spirit wants to dwell within us. That is our real ‘stature’, our spiritual identity: we are God’s beloved children, always. So you can see that not to accept ourselves, to | |
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| THE SOLEMNITY of the Assumption of our Lady is celebrated throughout the universal Church. It is a Holy Day of Obligation, when no Catholic should willfully miss taking part in the Mass. But this doesn’t need to be underlined in The Gambia, where our Cathedral is.. |
 | THE AUTHORITIES in Nigeria's commercial hub of Lagos have shut down dozens of churches, mosques and hotels in a bid to cut noise |
| pollution. The sprawling city of 20 million people is notorious for heavy traffic jams and the deafening noise of churches and mosques that use loudspeakers to spread their message. ‘Seventy churches, 20 mosques and 11 hotels, club houses and beer parlours have.. | |
 | IT is often said that once a new Pope has emerged, the cardinals’ thoughts turn almost immediately to the question of his successor. |
| Pope Francis, although about to turn 80 at the end of this year, does not seem to be running out of steam. Despite having part of a lung missing, Pope Francis seems undiminished by a daunting schedule. This, along with his obvious pleasure in his role, means that it is.. | |
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| FATHER Edward Gomez and Fr David Jimoh Jarju have recently celebrated their thirtieth priestly anniversaries. Fr Edu, fellow-priests and many well-wishers came together on Sunday 17th April for a Mass of Thanksgiving at the Church of the Resurrection, Brikama. Fr Jarju similarly celebrated at St Martin’s Kartong on Saturday 30th April. |
| ON St Matthias’ Day ten years ago, Fr Robert Patrick Ellison CSSp was episcopally ordained at the Independence Stadium as Third |
| Bishop of Banjul. A week later, Bishop Ellison was solemnly enthroned in his Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption, Banjul. The landmark tenth anniversary was celebrated at a Mass of Thanksgiving at Holy Family Church Fajara on Friday 20th May, followed by a reception at Shalom Retreat Centre.... | |
 | THE PAPAL Nuncio, Archbishop Miroslaw Adamczyk, visited the Diocese of Banjul from Thursday 5th to Sunday 9th June. The archbishop |
| is based in Monrovia. He was appointed Nuncio to Liberia, Sierra Leone and The Gambia by Pope Benedict VI in February 2013, and episcopally ordained two months later. He presented his letters of credence to President Jammeh on Monday 4th November 2013. | |
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| TWO priests of the Diocese of Banjul are about to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their ordination. Fr Edward Gomez and Fr David Jimoh Jarju were ordained within a fortnight of each other in April 1986 by Bishop Michael Cleary: Fr Gomez at Banjul, and Fr Jarju at Kartong. The year before they had been |
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| AN ECUMENICAL National Day of Prayer called by the Gambia Christian Council took the form of a rally on Saturday 4th March at the handball court of the Independence Stadium, Bakau. Leading prayers and giving exhortations were the Bishop of the Methodist Church in The Gambia, the Rt Revd Hannah C. |
 | PENTECOST - Penticosti in Greek - means ‘fiftieth day’. The ancient Jewish festival of Pentecost was the ‘Feast of Weeks’ at the |
| end of grain harvest, 50 days after Passover. Exodus 34:22 says, ‘You shall observe the feast of weeks, the first fruits of the harvest.’ Over time, the Jews came to celebrate Pentecost not only to give thanks for the harvest but to commemorate the day when God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses. This day, the Jews assert, celebrates the | |
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| THE CATECHISTS of the diocese from all parts of the country gathered at GPI on Sunday 10th January for their annual retreat and workshop. The Monday to Wednesday retreat was led by Fr Victor Ndecky. The workshop, on Thursday and Friday, was led by Fr Tanislas Ndecky |
 | Thousands of Catholics and other Christians and many Muslims journeyed to Kunkujang Mariama on Saturday 5th |
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December for the pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady
Queen of Peace.
In his homily, Bishop Robert Ellison pointed out that the
pilgrimage to Kunkujang Mariama opened the Holy Year of
Mercy three days ahead of the Pope. We were also celebrating
the Immaculate Conception, reminding us that God has
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 | DURING his visit to Kenya in late November, Pope Francis told an audience of priests, religious and seminarians that without prayer |
| a person becomes ‘as ugly as a dried fig’. The Pope was welcomed with cheers. He set aside his prepared text and instead reflected on the importance of priests and religious, stressing that the Lord had called them to serve, and that service is what their lives must be about. | |
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| TWO young Gambians took their first vows as Novices of the Presentation of Mary Sisters at a joyful Mass celebrated by Fr Moses Drammeh on Saturday 21st October, Feast of the Presentation of Mary. The new Sisters are Marie Gibba and Marie Louise Moussa, both from the Parish of the Resurrection, Brikama. |
 | why a truly happy Christmas depends on a thoughtful and fruitful Advent ADVENT (in Latin, adventus) refers to the |
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'coming' or 'arrival' of Christ in the flesh at Christmas, and his Second Coming on the Day of Judgment.
Advent is a season rich in themes and symbols.
We meditate on • the Old Testament prophecies concerning the coming of Christ • the need for repentance, as preached by Christ’s forerunner, John the Baptist | |
 | OUR new Pastoral Year begins in the shadow of Pope Francis’ visit to the USA. It was a very intense week; as he spoke in Washington |
| to the US Congress and then a day later to the UN, where some 127 leaders from the whole world attended. The topic of his talks: his profound concern for the future of the world in which we all live. We stand at a critical moment in the history of planet Earth when the... | |
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| PRESIDENT Obama has the most Twitter followers, but Pope Francis’s @Pontifex is more influential: his average ‘retweet’ and ‘favourite’ rate is more than eight times higher than Mr Obama’s, according to the annual ‘Twiplomacy Study’ by the public relations firm, Burson Marsteller. The study says that @BarackObama tweets are on average only retweeted 1,210 times, adding that, by this standard, Pope Francis - @Pontifex - is by far the most influential tweeter with 9,929 retweets for every tweet he sends on his Spanish account and 7,527 retweets on average on his English account. Pope Francis was.... |
 | THE VATICAN’S Secretary of State has assured the faithful that all the bishops attending the Synodon the Family are |
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agreed they
proclaim the Christian doctrine of
marriage, founded on the teaching
of Jesus.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin told the
Belgian Christian weekly ‘Tertio’:
‘It is true that pastors can
sometimes have differing opinions
on single pastoral issues, but this really shows that the Church
is a living institution.’ He added: ‘The presence of the Pope is
a guarantee for all and the safeguard of the faith.’
Healing wounds The Cardinal continued: ‘We are all agreed on the essential: that it is necessary, with courage, to proclaim the Christian doctrine of marriage, founded | |
 | ON Tuesday 1st September, Bishop Emeritus Michael Cleary celebrated his ninetieth birthday. It was as recently as |
| March this year that Bishop Cleary said a fond, final farewell to The Gambia, having spent sixty- two years here as teacher, Principal and Bishop. Before leaving, Bishop Cleary said, ‘As Bishop, I travelled throughout the country and got to know it well and love its people. Otherwise, I would not have stayed. I made many close friends here, both Muslim and Christian. I wish to sincerely thank you for the best years of my life....’ When young Fr Michael Cleary first arrived in 1953, the small Catholic Mission - not then a diocese - was run by Irish missionaries. Now, the much more numerous Gambian Catholic faithful are | |
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| AT the invitation of Bishop Robert Ellison, priests, religious sisters and lay people gathered at GPI on Friday 26th June to mark the end of the Pastoral Year. After registration, the day began with Lectio Divina led by the Vicar-General, Fr Emile Sambou. This being the Year of Consecrated Life, Bishop Ellison spoke on ‘The Prophetic Role of Religious’. Yadi Eribo Njie (pictured above) led a discussion on the Child Protection Policy of Diocese of Banjul, and proceedings concluded with lunch. Lectio Divina (Latin for ‘Divine Reading’) is a traditional Benedictine practice of scriptural reading, meditation and prayer intended to promote communion with God. |
 | FATHER Seán Devereux, until recently Parish Priest at Our Lady of Fatima Bwiam, left the diocese on Tuesday 9th June. |
| This month - August - he takes up a permanent media post for the Diocese of Ferns in his native Ireland. Fr Seán was ordained in 1987. With the agreement of his bishop he came to serve in The Gambia in October 1999, helping to update and extend the radio and television studio (the Communications Unit) at GPI. When Fr Peter Lopez, (now Director of GPI) returned following a three-year media course in Italy, Fr Seán became Parish Priest at St Kizito’s Bakoteh, where he led parishioners in extending the church building and attracted new members to the congregation as well as initiating various community and educational projects. | |
 | Let us, on our part, promote a spirit of inter-faith dialogue and harmony with our Muslim brothers and sisters, as Mary |
| would wish us to do. Inter-religious dialogue is most effective when it springs from the experience of living with each other from day to day within the same community and culture. Christians and Muslims have lived side by side for centuries, and a rich dialogue of life has gone on unceasingly. Every individual and every family knows moments of harmony - and other moments when dialogue has broken down. The positive experiences must strengthen our communities in the hope of peace; and the negative experiences should not be allowed to undermine that hope. For all the times that Muslims and Christians have offended one another, we need to.. | |
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| A great day for the family, to which they’ve looked eagerly forward for months. The young candidate has been carefully prepared by the Church so that he or she understands what receiving the Lord in Holy Communion means. As the day nears, other preparations include the making of beautiful white clothing and arrangements for a family celebration: festive food and drink and lots of party music. Yes, it’s a big day: what the French call a rite de passage, a day which the family wants recorded in photographs and on video. Almost everyone enjoys a party. Hardly any family needs advice on the party side of First Communion, just as no one needs |
 | BISHOP-Emeritus Michael Joseph Cleary quietly said goodbye to The Gambia when on Saturday 14th March he left for Ireland |
| having spent nearly sixty-two years here as teacher, Principal, Vicar- General, Education Secretary, and (from 1981 to 2006) Bishop of Banjul. In a brief statement, Bishop Cleary said, ‘...in my 90th year, I feel I should live nearer hospital and nursing care and not be a burden here. ‘So I wish to sincerely thank you for the best years of my life. I now ask the Almighty to guide and protect you and your friends and families. ‘You will always be in my thoughts and prayers. ‘God love and bless you all.’ Farewell Mass The evening before his departure, Bishop Cleary took part in a Mass with Bishop Ellison and the priests of the | |
 | FIVE years ago, on Corpus Christi Sunday - 6th June 2010 - Father Matthias Murphy announced to his congregation at Holy |
| Spirit Banjul that after more than thirty years as their Parish Priest he was about to retire, just as three years earlier, he had retired from teaching at St Augustine’s School. ‘I can’t believe it,’ was the comment of one long-standing regular at Holy Spirit. ‘When I think of this church I think of Fr Murphy. He’s always been here.’ Not quite. The first Parish Priest at Holy Spirit when it was opened in 1968 was Fr John Hogan, who was succeeded by Fr Michael Murray and Fr Frank Leahy. It was in 1975 that Fr Murphy became Parish Priest. He was to serve the church and parish for almost | |
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| The Gambia’s largest parish, St Therese’s Kanifing). Under Bishop Cleary, Fr Gomez served as Vicar-General for the western section of the diocese, while Fr Gomez, based in Soma, was Vicar-General of the eastern section. Fr Gomez punctuated his ministry in The Gambia for a while to study Liturgy at St Patrick’s College Carlo, in Ireland, and returned for further studies in Ireland in 2008, when he found the country much changed. Fr Gabisi spent two years at Port Harcourt, Nigeria, studying for a master’s degree. |
 | BISHOP Robert Ellison and the Vicar-General of the Diocese of Banjul, Fr Emile Sambou, were present on 22nd February, |
| the First Sunday of Lent, at the enthronement in the Cathedral of Notre Dame des Victoires, Dakar, of the newly-appointed Archbishop of Dakar, the Most Revd Benjamin Ndiaye (pictured left). Archbishop Ndiaye was born in 1947 and ordained priest in 1977. He studied in Jerusalem and Paris. He became Bishop of Kaolack in June 2003, having been Vicar-General of the Archdiocese of Dakar. Last October, he took part in the Synod on the Family in Rome. Archbishop Ndiaye takes over as Archbishop of Dakar from Cardinal Théodore Adrien Sarr, who stepped down in December last year after | |
 | IN his Lent message, Pope Francis warned against indifference to the poor.‘Usually, when we are healthy and comfortable, |
| we forget about others (which God the Father never does): we are unconcerned with their problems, their sufferings and the injustices they endure... our heart grows cold,’ he said. ‘As long as I am relatively healthy and comfortable, I don’t think about those less well-off. Today, this selfish attitude of indifference has taken on global proportions, to the extent that we can speak of a globalisation of indifference. It is a problem which we, as Christians, need to confront.’ He continued: ‘Indifference to our neighbour and to God also represents a real temptation for us Christians. Each year during Lent we need to hear once more | |
 | FOR many people, the season of Lent is a time when they put away their bad habits - only to go back to them |
| after Easter. During Lent, attendance at weekday Mass goes up, prayer meetings are well-attended, and people generally are more willing to help others. But Lent can subtly tempt us to tell ourselves lies, so as to feel virtuous. Suppose I attend Mass every day from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday? If I stop arguing with a certain person during Lent, perhaps it won’t matter what I say to that person at other times. Yes, in many ways I can tell myself, ‘I’m doing the right things during Lent, so it doesn’t matter so much what I | |
 | REJOICING at Lamin and throughout the diocese marked the priestly ordination by Bishop Robert Ellison on Saturday |
| 24th January of two young Gambian deacons, James Mendy and Tanislas Ndecky. The ordination, followed by the usual festivities, was held at St Peter’s Senior Technical Secondary School Lamin on the feast day of St Francis de Sales. The rite of ordination is what ‘makes’ a priest, having already been a deacon. The rite occurs within the Mass. After being called forward and presented to the assembly, the candidates, James Mendy and Tanlislas Ndecky, were questioned. | |
 | FIFTY years ago our country took its rightful place in the family of nations, and Wednesday 18th February is the Golden |
| Jubilee of Gambian Independence. In this country’s history as a sovereign state there have of course been ups and downs. But we can give hearty thanks that The Gambia has maintained its territorial integrity, social stability and its pride in nationhood. Gambians have a sense of ‘family’. This is something to which Catholics especially respond. We know that though we are important as individuals, we belong to the family of the nation, the Church and the world. In our country, Catholics are a minority, but we | |
 | THIS YEAR, once again, I’ve had the opportunity of leading thirty-one Gambian pilgrims to the Holy Land |
| for our annual pilgrimage. We stayed in Bethlehem for seven days. For those making the pilgrimage for the first time, staying at the birthplace of Jesus was a dream come true. We celebrated one of our Sunday Masses at one of the oldest surviving churches in the world: the Church of the Nativity, near the place where it is believed that Mary gave birth to Jesus. Around 160 AD, Justin Martyr wrote that Jesus had been born in a cave in this part of Bethlehem. We used the Christmas Day readings and sang carols. | |
 | FOUR young Gambians made their first profession of vows as Sisters of the Presentation of Mary at a joyful Eucharist |
| for our annual pilgrimage. We stayed in Bethlehem for seven days. For those making the pilgrimage for the first time, staying at the birthplace of Jesus was a dream come true. We celebrated one of our Sunday Masses at one of the oldest surviving churches in the world: the Church of the Nativity, near the place where it is believed that Mary gave birth to Jesus. Around 160 AD, Justin Martyr wrote that Jesus had been born in a cave | |
| THE CELEBRATIONS for the Centenary of our Cathedral have come and gone. For many of you it involved a lot of hard work and commitment, especially as we faced the final great climax of Sang Marie 2014. A special word of gratitude is due to the members of the Centenary Committee for the way in which they kept the process and the implementation of the various events moving right up to the end. For all of us it was a most memorable occasion due to the meticulous preparations of the committee as well as the exceptional attendance of our Catholic community across the entire diocese, along with other friends and visitors - despite the heavy rain with its |