Archbishop Patrick C Pinder of Nassau , Bahamas , has offered his condolences to the Bimini families of the 20 deceased passengers of Chalks Flight 101 last December. The flight crashed en route from Miami to Bimini December 19.

In a letter addressed to parishioners of the archdiocese, Archbishop Pinder voiced his sorrow at the loss of eleven members from the Bimini community among them Salome Rolle and Genevieve Ellis, both sisters of Monsignor Simeon Roberts who has ties in Trinidad since he completed his seminary studies at, Mt St Benedict.

The Archbishop urged parishioners to pray for those who “perished in this most unfortunate accident…that their families may find comfort at this time of profound grief.”

He counselled the victims' families to remember that Christmas acknowledges God's presence with us “in joy and in sorrow. He will see us through this moment of gloom,” he wrote “to a bright dawn of hope in his divine providence.”

The Catholic News wishes to extend our prayerful condolences to Monsignor Simeon Roberts on the loss of his two sisters, and to families and friends who lost their loved ones in this tragic incident.