Deacon Pat and a team of missionaries from Holy Trinity went to Jamaica from November 12 – 19 to visit our sister parish in Hayes and the Annunciation Basic School which we support. While there, they build a house, completed a painting project at the school, and visited the elderly and infirm. You can follow their journey below.
2023-11-12 We arrived!
Departure at 7:30 am meant that we had to be at the airport at around 5:00 am ( you can figure out when we had to get up!). Still, we barely made the flight after standing in the WestJet line for an hour and a half.
We were met by Ranny at the airport in Montego Bay. All of you who have been to Jamaica with us know and love Ranny. Two and a half hours on winding, rutted roads and we arrived at the Marian Shrine in Dunsinane, our home for the next week – tired but happy. A light supper and we are off to bed.
Tomorrow we will begin construction of a house for a deserving family.
Please keep us in your prayers.
God bless,
Deacon Pat
2023-11-13 Day 2
After a long day of travel, it was an early morning. We had a wonderful, intimate Mass, followed by a hearty breakfast. We are building a home for Desmond. Desmond spent his life making sure that his children were educated, so they could climb out of poverty.
At supper we were joined by the pastor of our sister parish, Father Francis, and the Bishop’s assistant. The last picture shows me with the cheques that were donated by our parishioners. Our goal was $27,000. We raised more than $37,000!!! When I handed over the cheques, I was filled with such pride of our very generous parishioners. Thank you all so much!!!
God bless,
Deacon Pat
2023-11-14 Day 3
Our air tickets allowed one checked bag. Because we were using our large, checked bags to carry humanitarian supplies, WestJet allowed us another checked bag free of charge. When we got to the retreat house, we lined them up in the large hallway and sorted the contents. We will bring all the school supplies to our sister school and some of the clothes to our sister parish for distribution. Thank you to all who donated suitcases and contents.
After Mass and breakfast we headed back to the building site in Santa Cruz: a 45 minute drive on winding roads (FYI, ALL the roads in Jamaica are winding!). We painted most of the exterior of the house. By the end of the day the roof trusses were in place. We should finish tomorrow.
Some of the group found a cemetery on the property. It is the private cemetery of Desmond’s family. They spent some time cleaning it up. Desmond’s father (whose name is also Desmond), told some stories about his relatives who were buried there. Desmond senior has a wonderful voice and entertained the group with songs, stories, wisdom. It was the highlight of the day!
We had dinner at a seafood restaurant on the coast. Some of the group walked down the beach before dinner. Most of us had snapper, prepared with “jerk sauce,” a traditional Jamaican method – very spicy! It was prepared whole, with the head on and an eye looking at us! A bit off putting for some of us!
Please keep us in your prayers. You are in ours.
God bless,
Deacon Pat
2023-11-15 Day 4
After Mass and breakfast we were off to the building site. On the way we stopped at the new home of Chevelle. Chevelle and her two girls (Chavonique, age 15 and Vanessa, age 9) were living on and off with different relatives as they had no home. They were gifted land by relatives. The local priest supported their application to the Diocese of Mandeville for a house. The house was funded by Rainbow of Hope for Children, an Alberta-based charity. Deacon Pat and Cheryl Budzinski from our parish serve on the board of Rainbow of Hope and were therefore involved in the funding of Chevelle’s house. The whole group stopped in for a short visit (picture 1). In the two months since Chevelle took ownership of the house, she had already made some noticeable improvements. She even learned to lay ceramic floor tiles!
When we got to Desmond’s house, we immediately got to work finishing the painting. Much of the rest of the work had to be done by the carpenters. It either involved skills beyond ours, or walking around on the unfinished roof. Still, we “hung around” and helped as we could: an exercise in patience and humility!
During the day, Desmond brought us a fresh-picked jack fruit and plantains from his property. For most of us it was our first experience with these fruits.
At the end of the day, with only a little bit of “carpenter work” to do, we blessed the house. All of the members of the team and both Desmonds participated in the blessing. After the blessing, we all gathered on the small veranda for a picture. Before we left the veranda, Desmond senior sang us a very moving acapella version of Just a Closer Walk with Thee. It was the highlight of the day and a fitting close to our three days with Desmond junior and Desmond senior. They now have a house, and a home.
Please keep us in your prayers.
God bless,
Deacon Pat
2023-11-16 Day 5
The best laid plans of mice and men…
Today was supposed to be our day for R&R. We were supposed to head for the beach – sun and salt water. But the rains came in buckets!!!
After Mass and breakfast we headed to the Catholic School of Technology. It is a trade school run by the Diocese of Mandeville. Their two specialty areas are automotive and hospitality. Rainbow of Hope for Children (Cheryl and Deacon Pat are on their board) funded a project at the school. The first picture shows the automobile servicing area. There were major upgrades, including a new roof. On the hospitality side, three industrial stoves were purchased (picture 2). Mrs. Plumber, the director of the school can be seen with Cheryl and Deacon Pat. She was so grateful for the help, saying “Thank you” more times than I could count!
The Diocese of Mandeville operates a distribution centre. People and organizations drop off goods to be distributed to those in need. The director, whose name is (appropriately) Hope, asked us to help her organize the place. A look at picture 3 should give you some idea of the state of the place before we arrived. We just looked at each other and asked: “Where do we start?” There was so much to do! In the end, each of us started with what was in front of us. After two hours, the place looked a little bit better organized. We could probably have spent a week there!
We then went to visit a home for the elderly, run by the Sisters of Mercy (Mother Teresa’s order). Many of the patients were very limited physically and mentally. I was very gratified that the group mingled with the patients, exchanging stories – mostly listening. Serena, one of our parishioners , was trying to communicate with one of the patients who could not speak. They ended up writing messages to each other . It was a very touching exchange.
A day that began with disappointment caused by the weather, turned out to be a day rich in life-giving experiences. And I believe it was we who benefited most.
Please keep us in your prayers.
God bless,
Deacon Pat
2023-11-17 Day 6
The rain continued today. No chance of going to the beach. After Mass and breakfast we set out for our sister school: Annunciation Basic School in Hayes, a 45 minute drive from the retreat house. All of the schools on the island were closed because of the rain. But because we were coming, Mrs. Doreen Brown, the principal at the school, phoned the parents of certain students and asked them to come. They had a lovely celebration in the church, acknowledging the prefects and the “head boy” and “head girl”. Both the head boy and head girl read long speeches, accepting their positions. It was amazing listening to these little kids speaking so well in front of so many people. I was asked to distribute badges to the teachers.
After the ceremony, the kids danced with Mrs. Brown and some of the teachers. Following the ceremony, we all had a tour of the school. In the past, we have been to the school in dry weather. This time, with the constant rain, we became aware the many leaks in the roofs. The classrooms were filled with posters, artwork, and other educational materials. The teachers (who really didn’t have to be there, because school had been cancelled), spoke at length with us in their classrooms. The teachers are very dedicated. Everyone was VERY appreciative of the support we are giving to the school.
We then went to visit Audley. Audley had been living in a structure that we wouldn’t even consider a garden shed . He was given a new house from the Diocese of Mandeville through a grant from Rainbow of Hope for Children. He is pictured in front of his new house with Cheryl and me. As you can imagine, he was very grateful. He had a number of fruit trees on his property. He shared with us avocados, tangerines, limes, and key limes.
We were all a bit wet when we returned to the retreat house, but thankful for a wonderful day; privileged to have met so many terrific people.
Please keep us in your prayers.
God bless,
Deacon Pat
2023-11-18 Day 7
We finally saw the sun!!!
We packed up early and headed for the beach! The Bishop of the Diocese of Mandeville came with us. He is the one in the foreground in picture 1. Father Lucien also accompanied us. The water was warm and the sun was hot. A few of us came back with sunburn! I think the delays we had in getting to the beach heightened our anticipation and our enjoyment of the day.
We ate dinner at a restaurant on the premises of the Bosco school. It is a school for troubled boys. One of their main programs is hospitality. So the restaurant gives them opportunities to cook and serve food. The restaurant is called “The Falls.” You can see the waterfall in the background of picture 2. The food was delicious! You can see us toasting the event in picture 3. The back of the Bishop’s head is in the foreground.
We came back to the retreat house and had a very moving debriefing session. Each member of the group reflected on their experiences of the events of the week, their most memorable experiences, and the most impactful people they met. Without exception we were moved with gratitude for the week. We were blessed by the people we met, especially some of those who would be considered very low in social standing. People who lived in (what we would call) poverty, but whose lives were filled with joy.
It’s hard to capture in words what this experience has meant to our missionaries. Those who have been here in previous years will understand. Doing the will of God just feels right.
Please keep us in your prayers.
God bless,
Deacon Pat
2023-11-19 Day 8
A quick breakfast and we were off to our sister parish, Our Lady of the Annunciation in Hayes. I was happy to see some familiar faces. Father Francis was a bit late. He had taken his bus out to the countryside to pick up some of his parishioners for Mass. His dedication amazes me! Because we were leaving for the airport after Mass, he made the Mass “short.” It was about an hour and twenty minutes. He said it usually lasts an hour and a half. Not sure we could get away with that at Holy Trinity!
There was lots of singing, drums, and tambourines. And it was loud! Father Francis has a booming voice and sings very well. The congregation joins in with enthusiasm! Some of the parishioners brought cards and notes thanking us for our support. It was very touching.
After Mass, Father treated us to a meal of “jerk” chicken and breads that were baked in their own large bakery oven. Jerk is a spicy seasoning very popular in Jamaica. He gets the parishioners involved in baking various breads and other baked goods. They sell them, and those involved in the baking split the profits with the church.
We couldn’t stay long because we had to get to the airport in Montego Bay – a three and a half hour drive. On the way we drove through “Bamboo Avenue,” a stretch of road several kilometres long, with huge bamboo trees forming a canopy over the road. Half of the group caught the direct flight to Edmonton and the rest of us headed for Negril for a week of rest and relaxation.
It was sad to see them disappear into the airport terminal. It marked the end of an extraordinary week. I hope you kept us in your prayers. You were in ours.
God bless,
Deacon Pat