The parish of St Thomas rolled in its celebrations for We Gatherin’ 2025 with powerful messages of faith from its various religious communities yesterday.
In a multi-faith service held at the Lester Vaughan School in Cane Garden, St Thomas, representatives of religious communities across the parish were offered a platform to share their messages of unity before their parish-folk.
Maintaining the spirit of We Gatherin’, the service included prayers and declarations shared by members of the Rastafarian movement, the Muslim community, Spiritual Baptists alongside the Christian representatives of churches in the parish.
Parliamentary representative for St Thomas Cynthia Forde reflected on the moment of unity as a signal for greater unity and community involvement, “I want for us, as we come together in this We Gatherin’ session, I want us to get down to the basics and let us work with those who live next door,” she said, “Too many of us are sitting in our houses and people are out there hungry and we do not listen to them, we do not reach out.
“Those of us who have teaching skills, policing skills, doctor skills, pull them together and they will want to teach themselves [because of] the things that you say to them. Not all will conform, but many of them will come,” she added.
Forde also praised the return of the We Gatherin’ celebrations, recalling how the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown put a premature end to St Thomas’ celebrations in March 2020.
The service, organised by the St Thomas Parish Organising Committee was a soulful affair, accentuated by the energetic performances from Rhythm Tribe and some of the parish’s stalwart gospel acts such as Chosen Generation, the Gratitude Choir, The Gospel band, and the Shem and White team, among others.
The young and talented members of the Holy Innocents School Choir joined a cast of singers and other performers.
Kofi and Kymani Gilkes showcased their talent in a saxophone selection that left those in attendance lending their vocals and tapping their feet along with the music.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Senator Dr Shantal Munro-Knight emphasised the purpose of We Gatherin’ as a call back to Barbadian roots and pride in what that means.
“That special sense of self that is grounded in our appreciation for our community in these fields and hills that
belong to us that sometimes we take for granted. It’s that moment where we are able to pause and recognise it once again,” she said.
The minister disclosed that more than $280 000 in partnerships have been secured for the We Gatherin’ initiatives, and identified this as a signal of the value of national identity, self and belonging as a national product.
“If we look, though, at the societies that are thriving, they’re thriving because their people have a deep understanding and appreciation of who they are. That is a strength that Barbadians will have from these We Gatherin’ celebrations,” she said.
“That despite the uncertainty that we have in this world, if we can continue to come together . . . find value in the small things within our communities that is what will allow us to maintain, build resilience, and withstand everything that this world will throw at us.”
Munro-Knight also addressed criticisms of the initiative, assuring detractors that they will come to understand the wide range of offerings should they give the festivities a fair chance.
“I want to invite them to actually come out, move away from the phone sometimes on the call-in programmes and actually visit the activities for We Gatherin’. I want them to come out to the events and see the smiles of Bajans who are just happy to be in a space that’s safe where they can just connect, and that is the beauty and value,” she said.
(JRN)
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