On the afternoon of Wednesday, November 21, the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, Castries, St Lucia, was more beautifully decorated than ever before.

Floral clusters of white and yellow, beginning at the entrance of the Church, extended along the full length of the main aisle up to the sanctuary rails, radiant in beauty, reflecting the joy and gladness of the occasion.

All of this heralded a unique religious liturgy, filled with symbolism and ancient ritual, as Mother Marianna Pinto, pioneer and shepherdess of the local Benedictine community of nuns, was blessed and officially presented to the people of God as Lady Abbess Marianna in charge of the Abbey of Mount of Prayer, Coubaril.

Archbishop Kelvin Felix was chief celebrant at this concelebrated Eucharistic liturgy, Feast of the Presentation of Our Lady.  He was assisted by the Papal Nuncio, Archbishop Thomas Gullickson and Coadjutor Archbishop Robert Rivas.

Present also were Archbishop Joseph Mazombwe of Lusaka, Zambia, Bishop Gabriel Malzaire of Roseau, Dominica and Bishop Francis Alleyne OSB of Georgetown, Guyana.

Apart from a large contingent of locally based priests, the Benedictine Order (regional and international), male and female, were prominent in the sanctuary.

Abbot John Perreira OSB of Trinidad and Tobago; Abbot Oscar Rivera OSB of Puerto Rico; Lady Abbess Ildefonsa Paluzzi OSB of Rome; Prior Peter Caesar OSB of Martinique and Prioress Placida OSB also of Martinique.

A unique religious liturgy in the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Castries

Abbess Marianna Pinto with her coat of arms behind her

Fr Henry O’Shea OSB, Secretary to the Abbot Primate and Secretary General and Procurator General of the worldwide Benedictine Confederation represented the Abbot Primate.

Present also in the sanctuary was Msgr Pio Pinto, Mother Marianna’s brother from Rome.

St Lucia Governor General, Dame Calliopa Pearlette Louisy headed the company of local dignitaries and officials which included the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Attorney General, Dr Nicholas Frederick and members of the Diplomatic Corps.

This ceremony focussed on the exaltation of the contemplative life, emphasising its deep spirituality and its missionary outreach.

It was indeed a public manifestation by the Church of her respect and reverence for women in religious life, amply demonstrated by the removal of the ceremony from the confines of the monastery, and holding it in the Mother Church of the Archdiocese.

Archbishop Thomas Gullickson in his homily highlighted this central theme of the ceremony, as he challenged the women and girls present to give serious consideration to the contemplative religious order of Benedictines, and in this way help “to turn the tide” of materialism and secularism in their society and in the world.

He urged mothers in particular to seek to foster and nurture vocations among their daughters and within their Church communities.

The Rite of Blessing and Presentation of the Abbess was quite simple but pregnant with meaning. Abbess Marianna was presented to Archbishop Felix by Sr Scholastica Felicien OSB, one of the pioneers of the Order in St. Lucia.

Thirty-two years ago, Mother Marianna joined Sr Scholastica and Sr Gertrude Gurney OSB, now deceased, in the implantation of the Order in St Lucia at the invitation of Archbishop Patrick Webster OSB.

Abbess Marianna, after having been examined by the Archbishop and after the invocation of the Litany of the Saints, was conferred with the Rule of St Benedict and the abbatial ring. On a previous occasion at the monastery, she had already received the Pectoral Cross another symbol of her office as Abbess.

The Liturgy was a beautiful amalgam of the ancient, modern and the indigenous. There was the Christus Vincit and Salve Regina as well as Jesi Pawdonnen Nou and Papa Bondyé Ou Sen.

Prior to the proclamation of the Gospel, nine Zambian nuns, presently in formation at the Abbey, presented the Book of Gospels, dancing up the aisle and scattering flowers, heralding the Good News, much to the joy and delight of the faithful. 

At the Collection, the music ministry was enriched with a beautiful innovation – a classical duet rendered by professionals Barbara Cadet on the saxophone and Luther Francois on the flute. At the Offertory, the gifts were borne by members of the Pinto family and close associates of the monastery.

A combined choir, consisting of Cathedral Seniors and Juniors together with Our Lady’s Choir under the direction of Dr Rosemary Mathurin and Mervyn Jn. Jacques, enhanced the active participation of clergy and faithful, while the animators, Msgr Patrick Anthony, operating in both English and Kwéyòl together with Debbie Bushell, provided leadership and direction befitting the occasion.

At the conclusion of the Mass, Fr Henry O’Shea OSB brought greetings and felicitations from Fr Notker Wolf OSB, the Abbot Primate in Rome. It was then time for Abbess Marianna Pinto to approach the lectern in order to give thanks and to pay tribute to all those bishops, priests and lay people who have assisted her over the years in establishing and maintaining the Order in St Lucia. 

Significant in this list was deceased Peter Bergasse, who was a close associate and devoted benefactor of the monastery.  Archbishop Kelvin Felix came in for high praise for his support and untiring assistance to the Benedictine community, while Coadjutor Robert Rivas was invited to follow in his footsteps.

It was only fitting that the Magnificat, Our Lady’s great canticle of humility, praise and thanksgiving should be the Recessional for this beautiful and grace-filled liturgy.

Lady Abbess Marianna Pinto is the first Abbess to be appointed and consecrated in the Caribbean region.