PORT MARIA, St. Mary:
THE 141-YEAR-OLD St. Mary Parish Church in Port Maria was rededicated and reconsecrated last Sunday by the Bishop of Montego Bay, the Rt. Rev. Dr. Howard Gregory. A rededication of members also took place.
It was an evening of celebration and thanksgiving held in commemoration of the Feast of St. Mary the Virgin, with the Bishop filling the role of presiding celebrant and preacher.
The interior of the church was transformed into a thing of beauty, decorated with flowers and palms and the service was enriched with songs and a dance and drumming by the Sunday School students.
In his sermon, the Bishop called for a declaration of and a renewal of a relationship with God by the congregation. He further stated that there must be a rededication of life with hope and blessings.
The Bishop referred to Paul's Letter to the Corinthians chapter 3 verse 9, which when interpreted means that we are all God's servants working together.
The temple is more than just a building, he noted, it is a community of faith and one which is holy. He also quoted from Ephesians which states, "All the building fitly frames together groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord".
The national disasters, political upheavals and redundancies are revealing God's anger for not keeping his temple clean in today's world, he said.
He commended the Rector, the Rev. Charles Manderson, the committee members and all who were responsible for maintaining the 141-year-old edifice.
The church has come a long way from the days of plantocracy, the Bishop said, when the parish church used to be just a social club. It was noticeable that a lot of hard work and sustainability has been put into the upkeep of the building over this period.
It was not only a rededication of members, but an evening of celebration, when 13 members of the church and 5 from the missions in the Port Maria Deanery were honoured and received certificates for 25 years of service to the church.
The awardees were referred to in a citation as Christian soldiers who have exemplified themselves over 25 years. Service rendered to God and the community will ultimately be rewarded, it stated.
They were also cited as Christ's ambassadors, who had witnessed unashamed and had spread the good news of the gospel over this period.
The parish church thanked and honoured them for dedicated service to the life of the church and community.
