As the local Church welcomes the ordinations of permanent deacons for the first time in its history, the regional Church has decided to temporarily suspend the preparation and training of priests at the Regional Seminary of St John Vianney and the Uganda Martyrs, Mt St Benedict.

Faced with a decline in the numbers entering the Seminary, the Antilles Episcopal Conference, the ecclesial body of bishops of the English, French and Dutch-speaking Caribbean territories, has issued a communiqué concerning the situation at the Regional Seminary. They stress that the decision taken to suspend training for three years is transitional. Seminarians are to continue their training at a seminary in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

In his weekly column Archbishop Gilbert comments on both events - the joy of welcoming the new deacons and the challenges ahead for the Regional Seminary.