Roman Catholics and Government officials inAnguillawelcomed the newly-appointed Bishop of St. John’s/Basseterre, the Most Reverend Kenneth Richards, to the island this week. He succeeds his fellow Jamaican countryman, Bishop Donald Reece, who retired from the position but serves as President of the Jamaica Council of Churches.
Bishop Richards, 53, was the main celebrant at the Mass at St. Gerard’s on Sunday, May 13, alongside Parish Priest, Fr. Pawl Czoch. There he met and exchanged greetings with parishioners both at the Church and at a reception later at the nearby Conference Centre. On Monday he paid courtesy calls on Governor Alistair Harrison and Chief Minister Hubert Hughes. He also visitedHeritageCollectionMuseumatEast End, where he met its Curator, Colville Petty, OBE, and toured various other parts and facilities of the island.
The Bishop, who was appointed in November 2011 by Pope Benedict XVI, has responsibility forAntigua and Barbuda, British Virgin Islands, St. Kitts-Nevis, Montserrat andAnguilla.
He spoke to The Anguillian about his vision for the Roman Catholic Church which, he said, was concerned with growth in faith and growth in numbers: “I hope that during my time as Bishop of this Diocese, that I can nurture, among our young people, an awareness of any call to serve the Church,” he stated. “Of course in the Catholic Church it requires great sacrifice but, if you truly love God, and if you receive a calling, sacrifice is relative. It then becomes a delight and a joy as it has been for me.”
He continued: “The Church also has to meet the challenge that society is facing, and I have to lead the Church with respect to that. First of all, there is an awareness of the complexity of social conditions affecting the way of life of our people. In recent times the challenge that economies are facing is posing difficulty for family existence, sustenance and livelihood, and the Church has to facilitate a means with respect to how it ministers during this wave of economic difficulty and challenge.
“There is also the need to be aware of the other challenges where secularism is surfacing in such a way that it seems to overwhelm the quality of life in terms of the faith disposition and vision of life that people should have.”
Bishop Richards started his theological studies at a preparatory seminary inMontego Bay,Jamaica, and after two years continued at St. Michael Seminary, University of the West Indies,Kingston,Jamaica, where he actually did his ministerial and philosophy studies. He was ordained to the ministry in 1985. He did pastoral service inCoventry,England, for three months. In 2004 – 2011 he served as Administrator at Holy Trinity Cathedral,Kingston,Jamaica, and during the period from 2008 to 2011 he was ordained Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Kingston.
