A congregation of more than 8000 celebrated the 50th anniversary of the diocese of Willemstad last month at the national stadium in Curaçao.

Cardinal Simonis

Governor General Goedgedrag

The Willesmstad diocese – comprising the islands of Curaçao, Aruba, Bonaire, Saba, St Eustatius and St Maarten - celebrated its golden jubilee Monday, April 28 with a solemn Mass. Theme of the celebration was Six islands one in Christ. Twelve children from the Cathedral parish also received their first Holy Communion.

Heading the list of invited guests was Governor General of the Netherlands Antilles, Frits Goedgedrag, and a representative of Aruba’s Prime Minister, Nelson Oduber.

Main concelebrants at the Mass were Cardinal Adrianus Johannes Simonis, Archbishop of Utrecht, Netherlands; Trinidad-based Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Thomas E Gullickson; Archbishop Porras Cardozo of Merida, Venezuela, the vice president of the Latin American Episcopal Conference; Msgr Karel Kasteel, secretary of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum; Msgr E de Jong from the Netherlands; Bishop Wilhelm de Bekker of the diocese of Paramaribo, Suriname and host, Bishop Luis Secco.

Catholic youth were prominent as there were delegations from almost all the Catholic schools in Curaçao. Each island of the diocese presented a special offering gift, to represent their part of the diocesan family. The presentation of gifts was accompanied by young people performing a beautiful liturgical dance.

Cross-section of the 100-member choir that sang at the Mass. Rutzen Lucas photo

Towards the end of the celebration messages were read from the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone; Cardinal Ivan Diaz, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples; and Archbishop Gullickson.

In a very well received speech, accompanied by spontaneous applause, Cardinal Simonis emphasised the urgency of working together and expressed his congratulations and best wishes for the diocese.

In continuation of the anniversary celebration, the diocese is preparing itself for the Diocesan Conference Mission 2008- 2011, in October.