Priest: Pray for healing on Xmas

A Roman Catholic (RC) priest has called on citizens to pray for healing at Christmas time.

During mass at the Lady of Perpetual Help RC Church on Harris Promenade, San Fernando on December 25, Fr Bernier told the congregation there were many people who were broken in spirit because of many hardships they were experiencing.

He reminded them that Christmas was a time of healing as signified by the birth of Jesus Christ.

"Let us pray for all who are broken and suffering. Let us pray that they will find comfort in the Lord and they shall be healed."

Bernier urged people to use Christmas as a time for reflection and to renew their faith in Christ.

During the mass, prayers were offered by members of the congregation for people who were unable to spend Christmas with their families and for families who had relatives who died before Christmas.

The mass was held against a background of the murder toll for the year exceeding 600 and efforts are ongoing to find Well Service Petroleum worker Pete Phillip who has been missing since a rig he was working on experienced a partial collapse on December 22.

In statement on December 24, Commissioner of Police Erla Harewood-Christopher expressed disappointment that the murder toll was 607, exceeding the 605 figure set two years ago.

Harewood-Christopher said criminals persisted in committing violent crime, but the police were committed to fighting it.

"They have become more brazen and indiscriminate in their desperate attempts at maintaining their criminal enterprises.

"The TTPS (Trinidad and Tobago Police Service) will continue to exert itself to the fullest extent to do what is required to deliver effective law enforcement to the deserving citizenry. We give our unwavering commitment in that regard."

In a statement on December 25, Heritage Petroleum said it continues to support efforts by Well Services Petroleum to find Phillip who was reported missing when and incident occurred on Well Services' Rig 110, located in Heritage's offshore area near Point Fortin.

Teams from Well Services, Heritage, T&T Salvage and the Hunters Search and Rescue Team have been involved in search and rescue operations for Phillip since the incident happened.

Energy Minister Stuart Young has met with the families of the rig's 75 workers and been briefed about efforts to find Phillip.

Young said there will be comprehensive investigation into the incident.