By Laura Ann Phillips in Barbados

Apostolic Delegate to the Diocese of Bridgetown, Archbishop Robert Rivas recently installed Pallotine priest, Fr Andrew Roziak SAC as priest-in-charge of the Sacred Heart worship community in the parish (geographic) of St Philip.

About 70 Sacred Heart members and invited guests from other Catholic parishes in Barbados witnessed the simple ceremony during a Mass on June 29, the solemnity of Ss Peter and Paul.

Fr Andrew’s confrères - Fr Luke Kopaniak, leader of the local Pallottine Mission and parish priest of St Dominic’s in Christ Church, and Fr Arthur Kalewski, assistant parish priest – concelebrated the Mass.

The Pallottine Order was founded in 1835 by St Vincent Pallotti – an Italian priest – and is a Society of Apostolic Life, hence their initials, SAC, which stands for the Italian translation of their status: societas apostolatus catholici.

The three Polish priests have been in Barbados since last December and also serve in St Patrick’s Cathedral, Bridgetown, Our Lady of the Rosary in St John and additional ministries.

Fr Andrew’s appointment as priest-in-charge followed a recent meeting between Archbishop Rivas, the visiting Polish Provincial of the Pallottines, Fr Jozef Lasak, their Secretary of Missions, Fr Grzegorz Mlodawski and Fr Luke.

Speaking about the meeting, Archbishop Rivas said it was decided that “the Pallottine community would be taking responsibility for developing the community into a parish.”

This would be a challenge, noted the archbishop, given their responsibility for St Dominic’s construction project. Nevertheless, since coming to Barbados the Pallottines have been fired “with the zeal of St Paul and a desire to serve the local Church”.

St Dominic’s is currently heavily involved in fund-raising to build a parish hall, but have committed $288,000 (Bdos dollars) from its building fund to help Sacred Heart’s drive to build their own. “St Dominic’s has made a commitment to this worshipping community,” said Archbishop Rivas.

Fr Andrew Roziak

Now in its seventh year, Sacred Heart community was the brainchild of Msgr Vincent Harcourt Blackett, who saw the need for a Catholic presence in the south-eastern parish of the island.

Since June 2002, this community of believers has evolved into an active group that ministers God’s love through worship and service to the poor and disadvantaged. They look forward to the day on which they will be known as Sacred Heart parish. But “before any structure (can be built),” counselled the archbishop, “you have to become a community! Don’t try to short-circuit what God is doing. Be a community that is going to take hold of the promise!”

The Methodist Church has fostered the development of this, having allowed the use of its church at Beulah every Sunday for Holy Mass and that at Shrewsbury, just eight minutes east of Beulah, for the celebration of Easter Triduum liturgies since 2002.

They also allow the use of their church hall at Beulah for Sacred Heart’s weekly prayer meetings, conducted by the Living Water Community.

However, the construction of a building for worship was an important step toward Sacred Heart becoming a parish, said the archbishop. The community intends to build a parish hall first, in which all activities would take place, including Holy Mass, and build a church as soon as funds allowed.

Gazing out at the Sacred Heart choir, clad in their festive uniforms, and the assembly of community members and guests, Fr Andrew pledged that he would, “try to love Jesus with my whole heart and soul and strength. I hope God will bless everything we do and bless our community at Beulah.”