GUYANA VILLAGER THANKS CHURCH FOR THE SCHOOLS

Sir,

After all the desk shifting and paper arranging which followed the taking over of all denominational schools, I would like to state publicly my sincere thanks to all the Catholic missionaries who devoted all their time and energy in improving the welfare-spiritual, social, but more especially academical-of nearly all the interior folks. True they had their faults, but the good outwighed the bad by far.

The Catholic Missionaries did a tremendous job in our schools- a tough job.They struggled over rough terrain through which the gospel penetrated and over which a trickling of education flowed; there was the contínuos battle against the elements; there was the language barrier and the everpresent unknown.

They survived through sheer determination and dedication.These two qualities should become parts of every Guyanese.

I must record my gratitude to the late Frs. Cary Elwes, Keary, Banham, Wilson-Brown (the great botanist), Mather and Bishop Weld. These were true ‘ambassadors’.

Later, Frs. McKenna, Bernard Brown, Maitland, Keane, O´Rielly, Metcalf, Kiss and Doc Loretz, came on the scene.The last batch is still with us.

Their field of operation ranged from the North Pakaraimas to the South Rupununi. It leaves me to wonder if I, a Guyanese, would have been able to accomplish so much under such harsh and heart-breaking conditions.

The work of these priests duplicates the task done by the late missionary Fr. Fray Junnipera Serra among the Indians in what is now known as the United States and Mexico.

Writting now for the people of my village I can safely say they will always remember the good work the priests did in fostering Educational Development in these far-flung corners of Guyana. It will take generations to erase these fond memories of the work they did in our schools.

Joe Torres

Achawib, S. Rupununi.

Fonte: Jesuit Missions, 1976, p.14.