The Tribune

PARISHIONERS just recently came together from the length and breadth of Long Island to celebrate and begin yet another liturgical year.

St Andrew’s Anglican Church in Whymms, Long Island, was adorned with flags on the exterior and the altar was decorated in the patronal festival colour of red, denoting the colour attributed to Apostles who were martyred.
Patronal festivals are seen as the birthday of any particular church.

St Andrew’s had been closed for a number of years, but recent years underwent extensive renovations. The first mass after the reopening was held on July 7, 2010. And it was just last year when Diocesan Bishop Laish Boyd rededicated this remodelled edifice to the honour and glory of God and the people of Long Island.

During its patronal festival, Anglican members from St Peter’s in the north and St Paul’s in the south came together at St Andrew’s to praise life and give witness to the apostle Andrew. Father Chester Burton, rector of St Peter’s in North Long Island, selected this patronal festival to recognise his five Catechists.

The gospel reading for the Eucharistic celebration was taken from Matthew’s gospel, chapter 4 verses 18-22, in which Jesus is walking down the Sea of Galilee and comes into contact with Simon Peter and Andrew, who are brothers, and also James and John, the sons of Zebedee.
Canon Harry Ward, in his sermon at the festival service, preached on the simple yet profound words of Jesus when he told Andrew and his brother Simon Peter that he would make them fishers of men. Firstly, Canon Ward made it absolutely clear that Matthew’s account of the call of Andrew and Simon Peter is significantly different that the account in John’s gospel.

Canon Ward then in his sermon asked the following poignant and rhetorical question: “Does anyone in the congregation want to be considered an Andrew?” He admonished the congregation that Jesus picked some of the most unlikely characters to assist him with spreading the gospel message and told the congregation they are no different than Andrew.

This year’s feast of St Andrew’s marks 37 years for Canon Ward as an ordained priest. He was ordained in San Francisco, California.

Canon Ward posited that the Anglican Diocese owes the many Catechists throughout the archipelago a debt of gratitude for their commitment, dedication and resourcefulness.

After the Eucharistic celebration, Father Burton recognised and saluted his five Catechists who render yeoman service to the parish. He thanked Catechists Lawrence Adderley, Dan Deal, Mavis Knowles, Jerry Harding and Frieda Fox.