A diocesan conference to build and form community will be one of the major activities in 2008 during the Jubilee Year for the diocese of Willemstad.

The diocese – comprising the islands of Curaçao, Aruba, Bonaire, Saba, St Eustatius and St Maarten - celebrates its golden jubilee on Monday, April 28 with a solemn Mass. Chief celebrant will be Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Thomas Gullickson with Bishop Luis Secco officiating. Theme of the celebration is Six islands one in Christ

Archbishop Gullickson is met at the airport April 21 by Bishop Luis Secco and Jubilee Organising Committee coordinator Erich van der Hoeven. Photo courtesy Extra newspaper

Explanation of the logo:Boat extending to the six stars signifies the testimony of faith and love of the faithful living on the six islands of our Diocese. It is full of the fire of the Holy Spirit (red color), sailing (as pilgrims) with a mission and hope (green sail) along the Caribbean waters (blue/light blue sea). Jesus is at the center (cross), and Mary (letter M) near Him in the middle of the Church

The conference will involve the Catholic communities on the six islands and according to the diocesan website, it “will be a time for sharing desires, experiences, preoccupations and challenges that will inform our diocese better and make us more equipped to comply with our mission as a Church on all our islands”.

From the conference, diocesan mission 2008-2011 will be formulated, based on the continental mission.

Some of the key areas to be discussed at the conference: How to fortify the Catholic faith and responsibility to comply with our mission; and how to find better ways to a personal encounter with Christ, especially through the Word, the Eucharist and the preferential option for the poor and those marginalised.

“Another important objective is community-formation on the family level, group level and parish level, and Look for pastoral ways that are more communitarian, participative and missionary.”

Following is the prayer for the golden jubilee:
God, our Father, as we celebrate the fifty years of our Diocese’s existence,
behold your children, filled with gratitude for your many blessings.
Over those fifty years, we have indeed felt your loving providence,
particularly in times of need.
During this great Jubilee Year, we ask you to bless the mission
we wish to accomplish in this time of grace:
renew our life of faith, revive our hope in your goodness and
increase our love for you and for each other.
Grant our families the grace to open the door to Christ who
saved us through the mystery of his passion, death and resurrection.
This we ask through the intercession of the Immaculate Virgin
Mary, Patroness of our Diocese, and Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Amen.