How times have changed in SVG

by Nina Maloney 03.DEC.10

I am forced to write this article on two funerals I attended recently – Friday, 26th November, and Saturday, 27th November, 2010, at the Kingstown Methodist Church. Friday was that of Mr. Frank “Frankie” G. Thomas of Cane Garden, which was so rudely interrupted by the blaring amplified music and loud utterances on the microphones from the occupants of the vehicles of both political parties, so loud they were, persons in attendance had to be straining their ears to hear what was being said by the Priest, Eulogist and those paying tributes.{{more}}

This was really disgusting to say the least, as the daughter of the deceased – Eulogist; the Honorable Prime Minister who spoke on Mr. Thomas’ tenure of service in the Civil Service and Mr. Lennox John on his cricketing forowers, all had to pause several times to allow the congregation to hear properly.

Where has the respect for the dead gone to? After all, our blocks are not as long as those in the cosmopolitan countries; it would not take a minute to drive pass the churches on that Block and be silent until they have cleared the area. As I know it, all drivers should drive with due care and attention. So where was their attention? Did they not see a hearse parked in front of the entrance to the church denoting that a funeral service was in progress? How sad. At that same funeral, the worst was yet to come, as the central or main gate to the cemetery was closed, hence the procession to his final resting place had to take another route to enter through the back gate. I have never heard of the dead entering through a back gate or taking another route. This is a no-no. The reason given was the main gate was being welded. Couldn’t that have been done earlier? Did the Kingstown Town Board not know of the funeral on that day? Priorities all wrong. Again, I must ask where is the respect for the dead? Some of us still have it, persons like Randy Kennedy and Dr. Cecil Cyrus, just to name a couple, as I have witnessed the doors to Randy’s Mini Mart being closed as the funeral procession makes its way to the cemetery, and Dr. Cyrus in a commanding tone of voice: “Have some respect for the dead” when persons try to view the dead naked. Hats off to those who still have some respect.

Saturday, 27th November, 2010, at the funeral service of Mrs. Eileen Williams, also of Cane Garden, and again, at the Kingstown Methodist Church, a repeat performance even worse than the day before, which prompted some members of the congregation to leave the church to try and restrain them, but to no avail. Round and round they went as though they were campaigning to persons in the church. What a shame! How insensitive could they be! I am humbly appealing to the authorities of both parties to speak to their drivers to desist from such actions when passing the churches, so that some peace and quiet could be enjoyed by its members and the solemnity of the mass maintained.

Let us go back to the two “R”s: Reverence to the Church and Respect for the dead. Let St. Vincent and the Grenadines remain Hairouna “Home of the Blessed” and not become “home of the wretched”.