Five Vincentians to be ordained

Anglicans throughout the Archdeaconry of St Vincent and the Grenadines will gather this Wednesday, January 25 at 5:00 p.m – being the feast day of the conversion of St Paul, the apostle, to witness the Ordination of five Vincentians to the Diaconate at the St George’s Cathedral in Kingstown.{{more}}

The five, Rosemarie Alleyne, Verbina Gonsalves, Lennox John, Kenwyk Lewis and Inglis O’Garro will be ordained to the Diaconate and will serve as Non-Stipendiary Deacons in the Anglican Church.

Rosemarie Alleyne is a retired Deputy Principal of the Kingstown Anglican School. She is the Mothers’ Union Diocesan President. She has served as a Lay Reader at the St George’s Cathedral and for many years as Diocesan and Provincial Synod representative.

Verbina Gonsalves served as a teacher prior to her migration to Canada, where she worked at Sunlife Assurance Company of Canada for 35 years. Upon retirement in 2000, she returned to SVG and has been serving as a Lay Reader and Eucharistic Assistant in the Parish of St Paul, Calliaqua.

Lennox John is renowned Educator and Sports Administrator, former principal of Bishop’s College Kingstown and SVG Grammar School. He has served as Lay Minister in the Cathedral Church for over 20 years and as a representative to Diocesan synod. John has participated in the life and governance of the Church for as many years.

Kenwyk Lewis is a retired senior civil servant who was in charge of the Information Technology Service Division. He was involved in athletics and played football and cricket. He is a past president of the Men’s Fellowship and Anglican Youth Movement. Lewis served as an acolyte at the Cathedral Church from 1957 to 1976, when he migrated to pursue studies abroad and upon his return continued to be quite involved in the life and governance of the Church and has also served as a Lay Reader.

Inglis O’Garro has worked at Barclays Bank since he left school in 1987 and is now a Sales Specialist at the bank, now renamed – CIBC First Caribbean. He has ten years of ministry as a Lay Reader in the St Matthews Parish.

Upon their Ordination on Wednesday, the Deacons will serve as Non-Stipendiary Deacons throughout the archdeaconry of St Vincent and the Grenadines. The ordination rite specifies a Deacon is called to serve the Church of God and work with its members in caring for the poor, the needy, the sick and all who are in trouble. The newly ordained Deacons will also assist the Bishop and priests in public worship and in the administration of God’s word and sacraments, and in carrying out other duties assigned to them from time to time.

This historic Ordination will be administered by Bishop of the Windward Islands, His Lordship the Right Reverend Bishop C. Leopold Friday.