The Tribune

By AVA TURNQUEST

Tribune Chief Reporter

aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis led tributes yesterday to Monsignor Preston Moss, a long-serving religious leader who died yesterday at 79 after battling cancer. 

Monsignor Moss served as Vicar General of the Catholic Archdiocese of Nassau, retiring as pastor of St Anselm Parish in Fox Hill in 2016 after years of service. He was among the first crop of recipients of the Bahamian National Honors, honored alongside Rev Dr J Emmette Weir under the rank of Officer.

“His half a century of ministry coincided with our national development as a sovereign Bahamas,” Dr Minnis said in a press statement.

“Monsignor Moss played an essential role in our country’s development, and the indigenization of the local church. He was known for his holiness and pastoral care. His ministry of love, mercy and reconciliation touched many Bahamians over a number of generations. He walked with grace and dedication in the footsteps of Christ.”

“Monsignor Moss was known for his powerful preaching ministry at home and abroad, including throughout the Antilles Episcopal Conference. He greeted one and all with the word, “Peace”, which served as a blessing and a sign of grace. Like many others, I was fortune to be inspired by the life and ministry of a saintly pastor, who counseled scores of Bahamians, including prisoners. He was especially committed to the poor and immigrants. He cared for the sick and dying, and those often neglected and abandoned by society. He saw in others the figure of Christ, always demonstrating his respect and defence of the dignity of all regardless of circumstance of birth. His is a profound loss for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese and the people of the Bahamas and the region. Monsignor Preston Moss’s stellar life serves as an example for those committed to the spiritual life and the common good. His charisma was one of love and gentleness. He taught us how to live, how to love, and how to die with dignity and with peace. We pray for his eternal soul. May he rest in peace.”

Tributes poured in from across the Bahamas for the beloved monsignor. 

Former Governor General Sir Arthur Foulkes said his passing left the country bereft of a “truly noble prince of the church”.

Sir Arthur said he was privileged to have his friendship, and to witness the “flowering of his long and wonderful spiritual pilgrimage” over the decades.

“Msgr. Moss was well-suited to the vocation to which he gave his life,” Sir Arthur said. 

“He was a man of great empathy for others, deep insight into the human condition and the ability to lighten the lives of many with whom he came onto contact.

Sir Arthur said: “Even as a young man there was an extraordinary dignity about him which only matured during his life of service to his Church and his country.”

Opposition leader Philip “Brave” Davis said Monsignor Moss “faithfully pastored over his spiritual flock for many decades with a sense of humility, kindness, compassion and concern.” 

“His wise counsel, community outreach and evangelism have left an indelible impact on the moral and social fabric of our country and its people, well beyond the Fox Hill community,” he said. 

“He has been a source of support to those in need, and encouragement to those in despair. His life was one of service.”