Tea With Our Lady In Tortuga

This year’s procession with Our Lady of Montserrat was limited to inside the Tortuga church because of inclement weather. The statue is accompanied by, among others, Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Nicola Girasoli and Frs Alan Hall and Glyn Jemmott. A Mass celebrated in Spanish by Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Nicola Girasoli and Tea with Our Lady of Montserrat (“Te con Nuestra Senora de Montserrat”) marked Tortuga’s commemoration of the Feast of Our Lady of Montserrat. The Tortuga church is nestled in the Montserrat Hills in Trinidad’s central range. The area was named by Spanish settlers after the Montserrat Mountains of Catalonia in the region of Barcelona, Spain. Although it is unknown when the statute of Our Lady of Montserrat, also called “La Moreneta”, came to Tortuga, it is believed that it was brought by Capuchin missionaries. The wooden statue in Tortuga is said to be a replica of a statue of Our Lady in a shrine in Montserrat, Spain. In honour of the Spanish spiritual ancestors, Te con Nuestra Senora de Montserrat (Tea with Our Lady of Montserrat) and the Spanish Mass were held on April 27 – the feast day of Our Lady of Montserrat. Non-Spanish speaking attendees followed in booklets and through translations by Tortuga Parish Priest Fr Alan Hall. Fr Glyn Jemmott also spoke fluent Spanish as he offered prayers during the Mass. Archbishop Girasoli, for whom this was his first visit to the 135-year-old church, did the homily in English. He told the congregation that Our Lady was always giving the best direction to her Son and led the way to Him. The children from the Tortuga Primary School sang the recessional song, which happened to be their winning composition from the first ever Joseph T Rostant Hymn to Our Lady of Montserrat competition, held during the 2012 Tea with Our Lady. “Our Lady on the Hills” was performed under the direction of the school’s principal Theresa Roberts. Another of the compositions from the competition, “Mama Maria”, was sung by the Montserrat Sisters as the entrance hymn. The inclement weather prevented the usual procession with the statue of Our Lady from the church to the Tortuga Presbytery. However, “La Moreneta” – on which restoration works were recently completed by Marian devotees from Citizens for Conservation – was paraded throughout the church. Members of the congregation then made their way under umbrellas to the presbytery’s grounds and the inviting ambience at the Tea with Our Lady event. A Spanish menu of empanadas, bollito, arepas and dulces was served along with local favourites. Guitarists Patrick Gouveia, Anthony Gibbons and Lorraine Neves set a soothing mood with music which had a Spanish flair. Singer Turon Roberts-Nicholas warmed the atmosphere under the tents with renditions of “Ave Maria” and “His Eye is on the Sparrow”. To the delight of many, several door prizes were distributed by master of ceremonies Louis Dulal-Whiteway. The Shrine Committee has dubbed 2013 the Year of the Spanish and in December it will host an Advent/Christmas Carol Service and Country Christmas Food Festival. Food of Spanish/Latin American origin will be featured as part of the Food Festival and it is anticipated that art from the Spanish/Latin American regions will be on sale at the event. Over the years, with the assistance of then parish priest Fr Steve Duncan, the Shrine Committee – headed by Diane Bertrand – has introduced several initiatives including Marian devotions every Saturday and a gift shop and museum at the church, known for its many statues and beautiful stained glass windows.

Praying the Rosary with the Archbishop

Dejhan Aaron of Presentation College, Chaguanas, prays the rosary at Archbishop’s House last Wednesday. Students of Catholic secondary schools will lead the rosary at Archbishop’s House each Wednesday in May – the month of Mary. Archbishop Joseph Harris, Papal Nuncio Archbishop Nicola Girasoli and Vicar General Msgr Robert Llanos were among those who attended. Photo: Raymond Syms

Feast of the Immaculate Virgin, Proctectoress of the Dominican Order.

Today throughout the World, Dominicans celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate Virgin, Proctectoress of the Dominican Order.

At a difficult period in his preaching ministry, St. Dominic had a dream in which he saw heaven. Christ was there, arrayed like a king, with His Mother beside Him cloaked in a magnificent mantle. Around the Blessed Mother were countless souls from all walks of life—clergy, laypersons, and members of every religious order ever founded. Among the religious there were Benedictines, Augustinians, Carmelites, Franciscans, everyone—except the Order of Preachers. Struck to the heart, Dominic said, “Is there not a single one of mine?” The Lord gestured to His Mother, who opened her mantle. There, under it, were hundreds and hundreds of Dominican souls in their black and white habits. The Lord said, “Behold, I have left your Order in the care of My Mother.”


Prayer Dedicating the Order of Preachers to the Blessed Virgin Mary
Virgin Mother Mary, with trust we approach you. We, your preachers, fly to you who believed in the words sent from heaven and pondered them in your heart. We stand close around you, who are always present to the gathering of apostles.

In you the Word was made flesh, that same Word which we receive, contemplate, praise together and preach. Therefore, under your guidance we today devote ourselves anew to the ministry of the Word. Furthermore, we declare to you that, hearing with you the Word within ourselves and anointed by the Spirit whose sacred vessel you pre-eminently are, we are consecrated in the name of Jesus Christ to the evangelization of the world.

With the eyes of your heart enlightened, you understood the mystery of the Word. Through you we, too, are able to perceive the presence of that same Word in the history of our time, so that we may finally contemplate him face to face.

Through you the Father sent his Son into that world that he might save it. Through you we will be powerful in the sight of your people, becoming witnesses of that truth which frees and of that love that unites.

To this place we have brought our needs and here we ponder them. Do you, Mother, give us strength and perserve the harmony of our family, so that what was begun by our profession may be brought to completion by our love for one another, for the salvation of the world and to the praise and glory of God.