Archbishop receives housing at Fatima

Retiring Archbishop Joseph Harris says the Holy Ghost Fathers RC congregation of priests, lay brothers and lay associates, which manages Fatima College, has had “mercy” on him and provided him with housing accommodation at Fatima College.

He made the announcement yesterday at the Fatima annual prize-giving ceremony at the school in Mucurapo. He said his time as archbishop was coming to an end very quickly and it would be his last time addressing them as sitting archbishop. The Right Rev Charles Jason Gordon, the present Bishop of Bridgetown and Antigua, will replace Harris on December 27. Harris, 75, has served as archbishop since December 2011.

At the ceremony yesterday he said Fatima best exemplifies the values they would all like to see in a Catholic school because of the very good staff and the good leader in principal Fr Gregory Augustine, who has built on the legacy of former principals Clive Pantin and Education Minister Anthony Garcia.

“Fatima is now the school of choice, because it is always striving.” He encouraged the young men to keep on striving not to make “plenty money” but to use the gifts of TT for TT that Almighty God wants it to become.

Garcia also addressed the ceremony, saying he was a parent of one of the recent graduating students and grandfather of scholarship winner Damani Garcia and had been Fatima principal from 2000-2009. He said the teachers have continued to ensure Fatima continues to be one of the foremost schools in the country and he thanked them for their commitment to duty.

He said the “ship” of Fatima was being manned by an able and competent principal in Augustine, with whom he speaks multiple times a day.

“Thank you for your tremendous job.”

Holy Ghost Fathers chairman Fr Ronald Mendes said the talents God has given them must be transformed into a life lived with virtue and of service to the nation.

“Remembering always the development of the nation and our people is the most important task you have.”

He said the most important task they have is living in faith.

“We seem to be living in a faithless society.”

Augustine, in his remarks, said character formation is key at Fatima and listed instances of integrity by students including students returning money they found at the school from as much as $100 to as little as $1.

Stokeley Smart, a Fatima old boy and actuary, gave the feature address and said the biggest tragedy in life is wasted potential. He told the students that to rise above the average they have to find their passion and let go of friends who cannot make the journey of potential with them.