Members of the Knights of St John and their female equivalent, the Ladies Auxiliary, have been hailed for their 95 years of service to the local Church.

Seminary rector Msgr Michael de Verteuil, celebrating Mass last Sunday at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in the absence of vacationing Cathedral administrator Msgr Cuthbert Alexander, thanked both organisations for their work.

He told the Knights and Ladies to always be thankful for being able to serve God and the Church. “We pray in thanksgiving for each of you - a gift from God - and for those who have gone before. We hope others may feel to serve God through the Knights and the Ladies Auxiliary.”

Iris Turner (extreme left), Supreme First Vice President, Auxiliary 165, Ladies Auxiliary International and Victoria Herd (extreme right), Deputy Organiser, Auxiliary 219 with members of St Paul’s Ladies Auxiliary 304.

Earlier, in referring to the day’s readings, Msgr de Verteuil reminded the gathering that, “without God we are nothing”.

He said many in today’s society have forgotten the second page of the bible – that we are from dirt and that without God’s breath we are nothing. 

When people achieve something, they sometimes think they’ve done so on their own and forget that it’s really a gift from God, he added.

For this reason, Msgr de Verteuil said people must not see themselves as better than one another or look down on or judge others.

Representing Ladies Auxiliary International were Iris Turner, Supreme 1st Vice President, Auxiliary 165, and Victoria Herd, Deputy Organiser, Auxiliary 219. Both are from Baltimore, Maryland, USA, where the international headquarters is based.
After the Mass, the Knights and the Ladies Auxiliary attended a luncheon at Hotel Normandie, St Ann’s.

The Knights and the Ladies Auxiliary are involved in charitable works in the archdiocese, frequently working along with other Church organisations like the Society of St Vincent de Paul.

Gail Austin-Pinder, President of District 1, explained to the Catholic News that five Ladies Auxiliary groups comprised the Port of Spain district. The first to be established 95 years ago was Port of Spain, then Sangre Grande, San Fernando, Carapichaima and, finally, D’Abadie. June 24, the Feast Day of St John the Baptist, is a special day for both groups, which were founded centuries ago during the time of the Crusades. - RS