Bishop Gabriel Malzaire, apostolic administrator of the Diocese of St. John’s Basseterre
hands the Kinsale Cross to Fr. George Agger, pastor of St. Patrick in Lookout, Montserrat.

New St Patrick’s Church dedicated in Montserrat
Adapted from an article by Cathy Buffonge

LOOKOUT, Montserrat: Thursday June 18 was an exceptional day here in Montserrat and the culmination of years of planning and hard work. On that evening, the newly built St Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church at Lookout was handed over, blessed and dedicated at a very special service.

The original St. Patrick Church in Plymouth, the capital of the Caribbean island, fell victim to a volcanic eruption more than a decade ago. The Soufriere Hills volcano on the island’s southern end has been erupting since 1995. The most devastating of those eruptions destroyed Plymouth and rendered two-thirds of the island uninhabitable in 1997.

An estimated 8,000 of the island’s population of 12,000 left Montserrat. Dubliner Fr. Larry Finnegan, SVD, who was pastor at the time, held the St. Patrick’s congregation together. In 2006, Fr. George Agger, SVD, became the pastor and oversaw the building of the new church.

Lookout is a new housing area, built after the volcano forced more than half the island’s population to relocate. The new St. Patrick’s Church is the only Catholic Church on the north end of the island.

Both parishioners and dignitaries participated in the dedication ceremony. The apostolic administrator, Bishop Gabriel Malzaire, conducted the service, and Archbishop Donald Reece of Jamaica delivered the sermon. For many years, Archbishop Reece served as bishop of St. John’s Basseterre, which includes Montserrat. Many priests from the Diocese of St. John’s Basseterre also traveled for the event.

Several hundred people attended the service, including people from nearly every religious group in Montserrat. Among the attendees were Governor Peter Waterworth, parliamentarians, and other high profile officials.

Highlights of the service included the dedication of the new church to the lasting service of God and the anointing with oil of the altar and pillars of the church by Bishop Malzaire, who rolled up his sleeves to give the altar a thorough rub with the sacred oil.

The people of Kinsale, Ireland—not to be confused with Kinsale, Montserrat—took special interest in the ceremony. Through Fr. Agger, the people of Kinsale, Ireland, became aware of the Caribbean island’s plight. A special bond formed between the two communities.

The Irish had provided much support to Montserrat, including assistance after the 1997 volcanic eruption. With the opening of the new church, St. Multose (the Anglican parish in Kinsale, Ireland) donated a ceremonial copy of the Book of the Gospels, which is carried in the opening processing at every Mass at St. Patrick.

Canon David Williams, rector of St. Multose, also rallied the community’s church and civic leaders. He commissioned a unique cross on their behalf.

The cross, handmade of stainless steel, features a symbolic sail. That sail represents Christ’s ministry around the Sea of Galilee; the message of Christ being carried across the ocean, blown by the wind that symbolizes the Holy Spirit; and the special relationship between the people of Kinsale, Montserrat, and those of Kinsale, Ireland.

Minister of Government Charles Kirnon accepted the cross on behalf of the people on Montserrat. He, in turn, entrusted the cross to Fr. Agger, a native of Cobh, Ireland, which is about 14 miles from Kinsale.

Along with Fr. Agger, veteran church facilitators and volunteers Cedric Osborne and Roosevelt Jemmotte had the mammoth task of coordinating much of the planning and administration that went into the building of the church. The new church was designed by Antiguan architect Edmond Blaize, and built by local contractor Clement Cassell, who handed over the keys to Bishop Malzaire during the service.