On Saturday 11th May local Catholic church held its fifth annual pilgrimage in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Entitled Our Lady of Fatima Pilgrimage under the theme ‘Mary and the Eucharist’ it attracted over 120 people who were transported by buses and personal vehicles to stop-overs at seven Catholic churches around the island.

The pilgrimage started at 8:15 am with a Mass lead Bishop of the Diocese of Bridgetown Neil Scantlebury. The pilgrimage traveled to St. Dominic Church in Maxwell, Christ Church before moving on to Sacred Heart of Jesus in Groves, St. Philip and a lunch stop at Our Lady of the Rosary in Verdun, St. John. At each stop the pilgrims went into prayerful reflections and sang songs of worship. After the stop in St. John the pilgrimage headed north to Our Lady of Sorrows in Ashton Hall, St. Peter before stopping at St. Francis of Assisi in Mount Standfast, St. James and Our Lady of the Universe in Black Rock St. Michael. The pilgrimage ended at St. Patrick’s RC Cathedral, where it started.

Bishop Neil told the media that he was pleased with the turnout of church members, especially the number of young pilgrims. He noted that the annual event is seeing more interest and participation and he is looking forward to it becoming a major liturgical event for Catholics and others. The members of the church were asked to use the scared pilgrimage to pray for our nation as it grapples with too many murders and suicides, domestic violence and drug addiction. (by Christopher Williams)

Bishop Neil Scantlebury washed and kissed the feet of 12 men last night during the Mass which symbolically recreated the Lord’s Supper. The day and the mass is one of the high points on the christian calendar, taking place on the day before Good Friday, called Maundy Thursday or Holy Thursday it commemorates the washing of the feet and last supper of Jesus Christ with the Apostles as described in the gospels. (maundy comes from the latin word mandatum or commandment)

It was at the supper before His death that Jesus Christ demonstrated humility to his disciples by washing and kissing their feet.

Bishop Neil preached that the act of washing and kissing someone’s foot is a deep and meaningful expression of love and service and an example that we should follow in our lives.

His Excellency The Most Rev. Santiago de Wit Guzmán, Apostolic Nuncio and Delegate of the Holy See to Barbados and the Antilles was welcomed to Barbados this week, he arrived on Monday, 2nd October 2023 and presented his credentials to the President of Barbados along with other officials.

As the Pope’s Ambassador to the region, he will present his credentials in each member-country of the Antilles Episcopal Conference.

Apostolic Nuncio and Delegate of the Holy See meeting with Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley, Minister of Labour Colin Jordan, with RC Bishop of Barbados, Neil Scantlebury and other officials.

While in Barbados His Excellency visited each parish and met with the Clergy and other groups in the diocese.

His Excellency The Most Rev. Santiago de Wit Guzmán

Born in Valencia, Spain on September 5, 1964, he was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Valencia on May 27, 1989. He served in the Netherlands until 2004 and then Paraguay in 2007. From 2007 to 2010 he was a counselor in the Apostolic Nunciature in Egypt, then in the Democratic Republic of the Congo until 2012, and then in his native Spain. 

On March 21, 2017, Pope Francis appointed him titular archbishop of Gabala and Apostolic Nuncio to the Central African Republic—and later named him Nuncio to Chad as well. In 2022, the Pope appointed him as his Delegate to the Antilles. He is resident in Trinidad and Tobago.