The parish of Toco/Matelot is today in the limelight. An area generally and jovially regarded as being “behind God’s back” is today in front of God’s face. She is in the news. The drums are rolling and trumpets are sounding today as the parishioners of Toco/Matelot celebrate the coming of the Catholic Church in their community.

This is a very special day for this seemingly neglected community. This is a day, if for nothing else, for the community to take pride in their history. They are celebrating history as they celebrate the Good News and the power of God in their life and history.
The parish of Toco/Matelot stretches from the village of Salybia up to the village of Matelot.

 It comprises of the communities of Salybia, Balandra, Cumana, Toco, Montevideo, Grand Rivere and Matelot. These communities exist in the most beautiful place one that can ever see in this world, hence the huge number of tourists that come every weekend to visit. I recommend this area as a place one must visit at least once in one’s lifetime.

The scenery is idyllic, beautiful flowers and trees, hills and valleys crisscrossing and living in unison. The noisy splash of the sea, intermittently choruses with the angelic voice of the birds of heavens that abound in these communities producing a masterpiece of music that would make Handel and Bach go green with envy.

If you think that the environment is the best, what about the people? The people here are so nice – simple, clean, respectful, contented, generous. (I receive plenty of foodstuff and fish every weekend). They are always smiling. For me they are the happiest people in the world. They live in peace with nature and with God.

The history of the Catholic Church in Toco/Matelot is filled with great epochs, from the time of the beginning of this mission up until today. It was originally a mission meant for the Caribs and was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

There have been many ups and downs in the history of this mission. Great faith has been shown by the many priests, nuns and lay people who have laboured hard in nurturing the growth of faith in this area. Up until today, they continue to labour. The Catholic Church has also done so much in the education and social advancement of the members of the community here.

Church of the Assumption, Toco

The Church has been the voice to the voiceless in these communities. There are also the down sides of this history, as the Catholic Church is seriously experiencing a decline in number. Church attendance is low. The Catholic Church in Toco/Matelot is facing a lot of challenges.

There is a drop in Church attendance even though this has not affected much the faith of the people. Mrs Flora in Grand Rivere, a very lovely and gracious lady would always tell me when the church attendance is at its lowest ebb, “Father, I’s born a Catholic, I’s baptised a Catholic for 80 years and I go die a Catholic.”

The people have continued to demonstrate a strong faith in spite of the decline in number. The Church in Toco/Matelot has really made very serious effort to arrest this development. She has made the young people the core of her evangelisation programme.

In most of the communities there are vibrant youth groups. These young people are really deeply committed, they organise religious and social activities for the church. They are also in the choir and sometimes lay readers. They are the legendary jacks-of-all-trade but master of all.

In order to build continuity, we have also started another group for little children called, “Tots for Christ.” They were really envisaged as the breeding ground for the members of the youth group but they have turned themselves into competitors with the youth group. They believe that whatever the youth group can do, they can do better.

All this gives hope that all is not lost. They bring a smile to the faces of “old” ladies like Clarita Thomas, a woman who has laboured assiduously for the vineyard of God in Toco/Matelot, assuring her that her labours are not in vain. This is what our celebration is all about today.

We are celebrating strong and undying faith, we are celebrating our eternal commitment to the gospel. We are celebrating the power of God that has kept our community alive and peaceful all these years.

We solemnly swear that the light of the gospel given to us, and which our ancestors in faith laboured for, shall never be extinguished in our hand. We will hand it to the next generations and they will keep it burning brightly until Our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.