During the past week the various commissions of the Antilles Episcopal Conference met at the Secretariat on Gray Street in Port of Spain .

On Wednesday, January 26, the Finance Commission of the AEC held their biannual meeting. The Finance Commission includes Archbishop Lawrence Burke of Kingston, president of the AEC. Bishops Malcolm Galt of Barbados and Paul Boyle (a special invitee as he has now retired from Mandeville , Jamaica ), Archbishop Patrick Pinder of Nassau and Archbishop Edward Gilbert They discussed the AEC's budget and matters relating to the finances of the organisation.

They were happy to see that everything was in order, taking note that money had been contributed to the countries affected by Hurricane Ivan. It was decided that contributions would also be made to victims of the East Asian tsunami disaster. The budget for 2005, including funding for the Seminary, was approved.

Twice per year the various commissions of AEC hold routine meetings. Two other meetings were carded for Thursday, January 27, and Friday, January 28, at the AEC secretariat. The Executive Committee for the Seminary was to discuss the progress of an ongoing preaching programme in the United States that the bishops are involved in. This is a fundraising effort by the AEC Bishops for the Seminary.

On Friday, the Permanent Board, a central executive that includes members of both the Finance and Seminary commissions as well as other executive members, was due to meet. Matters for discussion included the upcoming World Youth Day in Germany that will take place in August of this year.

Planning of the Annual Plenary Meeting, which is to take place in Suriname in April, was one of the main objectives for discussion, along with the call from Rome for a day of prayer.

Fr Farfan, General Secretary for the AEC, was pleased to note that everything had gone smoothly last year and that the Conference's meetings were proceeding as planned.

Most of the bishops attending the Port of Spain meeting were expected to travel on to Suriname for today's (Jan 30) Episcopal ordination of Bishop Wilhelmus de Bekker in Paramaribo -KB