Christ the King Church in Springfield, New York presents an annual Shining Star award. The church helps those who are not citizens to gain citizenship in the USA.

Winston Mayers, formerly of Our Lady of Perpetual Help parish in San Fernando, has been instrumental in doing this. In October 2007 the Shining Star award was bestowed on Winston Mayers.

Deacon Winston Mayers was born in 1924 in Trinidad, son of William and Estelle, he has one brother and two sisters who still live in Trinidad. Married to Marjorie for 53 years they are the parents of three, Ian, Brian and Nigel.

In 1971, Deacon Mayers migrated to the United States with his family. Before leaving Trinidad, the Mayers family were very active members of Our Lady of Perpetual Help parish in San Fernando. Deacon Winston was also a lector, a member of the St Vincent de Paul Society and a very active member of the Knights of St John.

After their arrival in the United States Winston Mayers attended New York University where he graduated with a business degree. During this time Deacon Winston, his wife, and all his family started going to Christ the King Church in Springfield Gardens, where they became members and participated at Mass every Sunday.

Mr & Mrs Mayers started serving their community; they became lectors, and Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, and because of their constant support and always being there, the people from their community chose them to be the coordinators of these ministries. They humbly accepted this position and guided and coordinated that ministry for a long time, for the love of the Lord.

In 1982 Winston Mayers was invited to attend an “open night” for the Diaconate programme that was about to start that year. Though he was very interested at the time, he was unable to pursue this because of his academic studies.

After graduating and receiving his degree from New York University in 1984, he was accepted as a candidate to the programme, and was ordained as a Permanent Deacon for our Diocese in April 1988 by Bishop Francis Mugavero.

After his ordination Deacon Winston was assigned to the parish of Christ the King where he has continued to serve for the past 19 years. He has been a loyal servant of Christ for them; his ministry at his parish is his priority, and he feels very blessed to be the instrument of the Lord to initiate many children and adults to the Catholic faith teaching with the RCIA programme and celebrating the Sacrament of Baptism. He has been working also with married couples for a few years at this parish.

It is without a doubt, that Deacon Mayers for these and many other reasons is truly a shining star for the West Indian Apostolate and deserving of the 2007 Shining Star Award.