Catholics pray for peace

Members of the Catholic church in Barbados travelled around the island praying for peace in society as they searched for moral and spiritual guidance.

Head of the Roman Catholic Church Bishop Jason Gordan, told the media that while there has been what he described as a serious increase in crime and violence in Barbados, and across the region, putting an end to it starts with every individual in society.

“It starts with me. It starts with everyone of us that have to take responsibility for ourselves and to ask ourselves how we want to relate with each other. And I think only when we do that, will we be able to curb the violence. It comes from this life that we are living that is so high- paced and heavy packed. It comes from so many sources. I think every individual needs to ask themselves how they want to live and relate, and how do they want to be. We have to find the ways to sew the seeds of non- violence in our hearts and then to spread it to other people,” Gordan said, while speaking outside the St Patrick’s Cathedral, Bay Street.

Bishop Gordan, and almost 200 members of the Church went on a pilgrimage yesterday, as a time of penance and opening their hearts to God. He noted that churches across the world opened their doors for 40 hours this weekend.

“Pilgrimage is a very ancient part of the Christian tradition. From the very earliest times, people set out on pilgrimage.We are going to all of the seven churches right around the island and each church will have a spiritual offering that it will offer. We will be in buses and cars, we will be travelling together, we will be fellow pilgrims making our way to a deeper conversion and to Jesus Christ and that’s the heart of a pilgrimage. Today is a big feast day so we started celebrating that Feast day in St Patick’s Cathedral,” he said.

Following the day of prayer, penance and confession, the Catholics returned to St Patrick’s Cathedral for mass. (AH)