Priest prays for police

As Fr Trevor Nathasingh said final rites over the caskets of Shekeem Francois, Shaundell St Clair and Kudeim Phillips during a triple funeral at the Corpus Christi RC Church yesterday, he also said a prayer for the police.

The priest not only prayed for the protection of hard-working police officers, but called for the Almighty to bring corrupt police to justice.

“Lord, we pray for the safety and protection of our police officers,” he said.

“And we also pray that those police officers who have done wrong...that you bring them to justice. Lord, we cannot live in a place where people believe that they can do wrong and get away with it.”

Relatives, loved ones, friends and schoolmates gathered to mourn the deaths of the three during the service, which began at 1 pm.

Nathasingh told them not to seek revenge against the people who shot and killed the three, along with two others, two Thursdays ago. Instead, he called on the congregation to look to the Lord for comfort and justice.

“We are living in anger, vexation and in spite. We are living, looking for revenge. No, the Bible says, ‘Vengeance is mine, said the Lord.’. God will bring justice. I believe that with all my heart. When men and women believe that they are mighty and all powerful, God always has a way of bringing us to nothing.”

The priest called on the congregation to take responsibility for their children.

“I am asking you all here today, if you are a mother or a father, make a choice to take responsibility for your children...Don’t wait for someone else to take responsibility for them.

“Take responsibility. Pass on values, pass on moral understanding. Pass it on; it is your responsibility.

“The teachers in the school – that is not their job. Their responsibility is to give your children an education. It is your responsibility to shape and mould and form your children to live in this world.”

Nathasingh lamented the violence and apathy rampant in the nation, but said it was the people who allowed the nation to fall to its current state. He called on the mothers of the nation to get on their knees to fast and pray, saying it was their responsibility to make the nation a peaceful place again.

“We allowed it (violence) to happen, so we have to collectively come together to transform this land,” Nathasingh said.

Francois, St Clair and Phillips were among five men shot and killed by police in Trou Macaque, Laventille, two Thursdays ago.

The other two were Nicolas Barker and Mechak Douglas. Police claim they were fired on while executing a warrant against Douglas and St Clair, but residents of the area maintain all five surrendered, butwere still shot dead.

After the funeral, wailing, screaming and lamentations could be heard in the car park of the church as the three caskets were put in hearses headed for the Tunapuna Public Cemetery, where they were buried.

One woman, identified as the mother of St Clair’s child, was so emotional that she had to be held by relatives.

“Tell him to wake up!” she cried, “Please tell him to wake up! My child’s father is gone. Who will my child call Daddy now?”