Bishop Gordon set to be13th Archbishop of Port-of-Spain

The Most Rev. Dr. Charles Jason Gordon of the Diocese of Bridgetown, Barbados, will be installed as the 13th Archbishop of Port-of-Spain.

News of the appointment by Pope Francis was made official on the Holy See Press Office website yesterday Thursday, October 19, 2017.

Gordon, 58, born March 17, 1959, will replace Archbishop Joseph Harris, who submitted his letter of resignation to the Pope in March when he turned 75. Archbishop-elect Gordon was ordained a diocesan priest in March 1991 at the age of 32.

Bishop Gordon was consecrated Bishop of Bridgetown and Kingstown (St Vincent and the Grenadines) on September 21, 2011; a week after Archbishop Joseph Harris was ordained Co-adjutor Archbishop of Port-of-Spain.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, he began studies for the priesthood at the then Regional Seminary of St. John Vianney and the Uganda Martyrs, Mt St Benedict. He continued his studies at the Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium where he attained both his BA and Masters in Theology. He later completed his PhD in London.

After his priestly ordination, Fr. Gordon lectured at the regional seminary and managed a number of projects in the Living Water Community, including Fountain of Hope and the Marian House for young men.

In an interview with Catholic News in 2009, Archbishop-elect Gordon said his spiritual journey began while he was a student at Fatima College. After graduating from college, he inherited his father’s failing business and was able to turn it around.

During this time while searching for his purpose in life, he became involved in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal as a youth member of the Living Water Community. When he was 22, he
decided to sell the now-profitable business and become a full-time member of the Community.

In 2003, Fr Gordon was appointed parish priest of Rosary/Gonzales and created projects to improve the Gonzales community, which at the time had been deeply affected by gang-related violence. He helped start a homework clinic, an internet café and a project known as CITY (Community Interventions Transforming Youths).

In 2007, then Archbishop Edward Gilbert appointed him to the newly created position of Vicar for Administration. Two years later, Pope Benedict XVI made him a Monsignor.

Earlier this year, Archbishop-elect Gordon was elected Vice President of the Antilles Episcopal Conference, the regional body of Catholic bishops for the English, Dutch and French-speaking Caribbean territories.

Archbishop-elect Gordon is sure to bring his energising and motivational leadership style to the Archdiocese of Port of Spain. The Diocese of Bridgetown will surely miss its Bishop; under his leadership much was achieved.

Some of his achievements include Synod 2014, Catholic Media Centre, Social Justice programmes, reintroduction of the Permanent Diaconate programme, the establishment of the people development organisation – The Hub and the promotion of Family and Youth Evangelization.

His hard working nature is now infused in the diocese and his spiritual leadership has created a vibrant and dynamic diocese.