Whither Union Island’s original churches post-Beryl?

EDITOR: The fateful day of July 1st, 2024 is indelibly etched in the collective memories of the people of Union Island, Unionites as we fondly refer to ourselves, and the Southern Grenadines as a whole.

It was on that day that Hurricane Beryl “visited” us and unleashed her wrath leaving us in a state of located/dislocation for months thereafter. Two years on, there are visible improvements on the island following Beryl’s decimation of the economic, social and psychological strength and will of Unionites. This improvement is due in large part to the philanthropic assistance of Mr.Wace. However, there is still work to be done to restore the island to optimum functionality.

In St.Vincent and the Grenadines places of worship are woven into the fabric of the island’s claim to being a Christian nation.

Apart from that, they serve as places of refuge in times of disaster. When Beryl “arrived” on Union Island in the early hours of 1.7.24, every single church was damaged. All, except the Gospel Hall Assembly in the village of Ashton, were inoperable as places of shelter. Since then, most of the non-traditional churches have been restored though not necessarily to their former glory. However, the two original churches on the island- the St. Matthias Anglian Church (SMAC), which opened a place of worship in 1875 in the village of Ashton, and the St. Joseph Roman Catholic (SJRCC) Church which got a permanent home around 1919- are still without permanent places for worship.The SMAC has most of its walls standing. However, the roof is yet to be restored. The SJRCC, on the other hand, is still a pile of rubble.

It stands as a stark reminder of Beryl’s onslaught on its sacred space. The same is the case for the Catholic church in Mayreau.

Of course, it is a given that worship can take place in any available space. This piece does not lose that salient perspective.

Should these SMAC and the SJRCC remain in their present unrepaired state, the faithful few may lose hope in returning to them for worship, burial of the dead and other functions for which these sanctuaries are utilised to bring solemnity to these occasions. It is important that the hierarchies of the St. Matthias Anglican Church and the St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church, which are outside of Union Island, assuage the fears of their parishioners that they will be restored as permanent places of worship. Beryl’s devastation tested the faith of Unionites; the least the members of the Anglican and Catholic faiths can have is the restoration of their sanctuaries, though it may not be to their original state.

Godwin E. James, a resident of Union Island