The Priest-in-charge at Our Lady Queen of the Universe Catholic Church, Diocese of Bridgetown in Barbados, founder of a catholic congregation known as FRIENDS OF JESUS, Monsignor Vincent Harcourt Blackett, on Wednesday 15th August, 2018 celebrated his 43rd priestly ordination.
Msgr. Vincent was ordained a catholic priest on 15th August 1975, at the St. Patrick Roman Catholic Cathedral, Jemmott’s Lane, St Micheal Barbados. After his ordination he was assigned to the Our Lady Queen of the Universe Roman Catholic church, Black Rock, St. Micheal.
Msgr. Harcourt while interacting with CeoAfrica said, proclaiming the gospel has been his joy, owing to the facts that his involvement in different vocations in Africa has boasts his missionary work. Hence, the cleric maintained that priesthood is a joyful thing that every priest of God most knows.
In his word, “The joy of the gospel; proclaiming the gospel is a joyful experience for me.
“I believe that priesthood should be a joyful experience and if you don’t have that joyful experience, you have to question yourself.”
The dynamic priest revealed that in the course of his missionary work, he exercised his religious duty in different parts of the world, which includes Caribbean, England and Southern African, particularly the Zambia.
“I did a lot of retreat in the diocese I worked”. He added
According to the clergy, “some of my most creative years were on the continent of Africa, especially in Zambia. I was involved in the ecumenical setting of the ecumenical leadership and development.”
In celebrating this milestone, the members of his congregation conferred Msgnr. Vincent who they see as a source of encouragement to them by his simple nature, with a chieftaincy title ‘Ichie 1 of Friends of Jesus’.
While accepting the kind gesture from the members of the community, he reminded them that Jesus still remains their chief.
Thus he said, “first of all I will like to say that we are friends of Jesus, Jesus is our chief and it is him that we are trying to emulate. I accept the gesture from the members of the community, if this is the way they want to show their appreciation”.
In the same vein, the priest stressed that the world of today is facing a lot of challenges, a place where people are shying away from doing the right things. The Idea of sacrifice, the priest said is dwindling and young people are on the receiving side.
“We are living in the world where people have shifted the moral goalpost and everybody wants everything to suit them”. Hence he said, “The idea of sacrifice is dwindling.”
Msgr. further enjoined young people to become a sign of contradiction to the world’s negative view of life.
“If the world is saying this is the way we must live, this is how we must behave; you can say no, there is another way. And that is the way taught to us by Jesus.” He said.
However, he lauded the youths who are prepared to make sacrifices, those who want to accept the challenges of living a sacrificial lives, thereby reaching out to the poor, the marginalized and the vulnerable people in the society.
On that same note, the founder of Friends of Jesus reminded the members of their call to always emulate Christ way of life by being prudent in their daily living, if they really want the congregation to grow.
Thus he said “It was in the upper room that Jesus said, you are my friends, and you have been thought to describe what that friendship means; ‘that a man should lay down his life for his friends.’
“You are my friends and you know Christ laid down his life for his friends, and that is what we are called for. If you we are going to be true followers of Jesus, if this community is going to be friends of Jesus, then we must imitate Jesus and the way he lived on earth.”
