Pray for Archbishop Emeritus Lawrence Burke who presided at the Mass at our joint Reunion with STGC, May 1009, dispite his waning health.
The following is a letter from Donald J. Reece, Archbishop of Kingston
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A Blessed and Peaceful New Year to You! I write to inform you that Archbishop, Larry, communicated with us that his health condition has worsened. He is now in Florida , and will be going to Boston shortly, presumably to say his "Good-Byes" to his Jesuit confreres with whom he had been staying from time to time for treatment. He will then return to Jamaica . Unfortunately the cancer has spread aggressively, and he has begun to jaundiced somewhat. This is a rapid development, because on the 30th December, while in Jamaica , he was the celebrant at the priestly ordination of two fellow Jesuits. Although he was not as strong in his legs and his breath was short, yet his voice was good, and he made it through the liturgy without my having to step in. He is courageous and an example to us all. I write not to bury Larry, for he may well outlive us. Rather, I write to give you the "heads up," and to ask for prayers for God's strength and consolation as he adjusts to the news that nothing else can be done at this time of his journey through his personal passion (of suffering). I shall keep you informed of any further development as it happens.
God bless!
+Donald J. Reece Archbishop of Kingston Visit InfoServe for website backgrounds.
JAMAICA, LAND THAT WE LOVE.
Author Unknown.
As I think of the hills and clear blue seas,
Memories of Jamaica rush back to me
As I think of the rivers and fertile earth
I remember Jamaica, the land of my birth.
I relive, in my mind, a distant past
And my heart laments the times I've lost
I think of a time and a place I feel
Gone, but etched in memories surreal.
I long to return to a simple way
In that sunshine land that I used to play
And the almost primitive ways and means,
These are the things that fill my dreams.
The beaches, the mountains, a caressing breeze,
Cane fields, Banana, and Coconut trees,
Long and winding country roads,
And country busses with heavy loads.
The hand-cart man selling his wares,
The Jolly Joseph bus & penny-ha-penny bus fares,
A Fudgeman riding to & fro,
Shouting “Icicle, Ice Cream Cake & Choco-mo.”
The market stalls filled with fruit,
The laughter, the innocence of my youth,
Things that I miss and long for so --
Things that remind me of long ago.
At nights I recall the star-filled sky,
And "Peenie Wallie's" flittering by,
In whispered tones we'd spend the night,
Telling "Duppy" stories that filled with fright.
On a windy day the kites would soar,
While angry waves lashed the shore,
Swaying trees in the howling wind,
God, how much I miss these things.
The way the rain slowed everything down,
The earthy smell as it hit the ground,
Refreshing the land and watering the crops,
The exciting clangour on the zinc roof- tops.
Oh Jamaica, I miss your ways
I miss your climate and sunny days,
In a foreign land, where I've come to rest
Spurred on by an economic quest.
Though no turning back, on this traveled way,
For you my homeland, I'll always pray,
My memories of you will never depart,
Jamaica, Jamaica the beat of my heart.
For News and Articles related to Jamaica, click on Links below: (To return to this website, click on the back arrow).
BANDLEADER BYRON Lee, whose career spans over 50 years, was yesterday conferred with the Order of Jamaica during a special ceremony at the Tony Thwaites Wing of the UniversityHospital of the West Indies.
Lee, 73, who has been fighting transitional cell cancer, was being treated in Miami, Florida. He was diagnosed with bladder cancer two years ago and returned to Jamaica by air ambulance on Saturday.
He was given the award by Governor General Sir Kenneth Hall. The Order of Jamaica is Jamaica's fourth-highest honour. Lee was awarded the Order of Distinction in 1982, which was upgraded to Commander class in 2007.
Yesterday's ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Bruce Golding, Minister of Information, Culture, Youth and Sports Olivia Grange and close family and friends.
Boldly recorded
"Byron Lee and the Dragonaires was an institution that made such an impact on the lives of so many people, Golding said. "Byron's contribution must be boldly recorded when the history of Jamaican music is being written."
According to Golding, Byron Lee and the Dragonaires had taken the music to Jamaica and the rest of the world.
Noting that the band only two years ago celebrated its 50th anniversary, Golding said Byron Lee and the Dragaonaires had entertained, inspired and mesmerised three generations of Jamaicans.
Lee is best known as leader of the Dragonaires, a band he founded at St George'sCollege in the 1950s. The band recorded many hit songs, including Jamaican Ska, Tiney Winey and Give Me Soca.
Email received November 3rd, 2008.
Jamaican police left stranded after thieves steal a beach
Rory Carroll , Latin America correspondent, The Guardian,Tuesday . October 21 2008
Thieves in Jamaica have embarrassed police and triggered a political row by stealing a beach - and making a clean getaway.
Hundreds of tonnes of white sand vanished from a planned resort on the island's north coast in July but three months later there is no sign of suspects nor sand.
An estimated 500 truck-loads of sand were removed from the Coral Spring beach in Trelawny and were believed to have been sold to rival resorts, a hefty logistical feat which has stumped police.
"It's a very complex investigation because it involves so many aspects," Mark Shields, the deputy commissioner for crime at the Jamaica Constabulary Force, told the BBC.
"You've got the receivers of the stolen sand, or what we believe to be the sand. The trucks themselves, the organisers and, of course, there is some suspicion that some police were in collusion with the movers of the sand."
A lot of sand is used in unregulated home-building across the Caribbean island but the scale and organisation behind the Trelawny heist - amounting to 400m (1,300ft) of strand - raised suspicions that hotels may have been involved. Jamaica's rampant crime is fuelled by competition for another type of white powder, cocaine, but few are laughing at the novelty of sand theft.
The prime minister, Bruce Golding, has reportedly taken a special interest in the case. The opposition People's National party has alleged a cover-up.
Developers of the planned $108m (£63m) Coral Spring complex have suspended operations and commissioned an environmental study into the impact of the missing beach on nearby saltpans, mangroves and dry limestone forests.
The Jamaica Environmental Advocacy Network has expressed concern and urged authorities to investigate hotels which were under construction at the time of the theft.
Builders are supposed to keep records of their supplies, including sand.
Critics claim that corruption has long dogged beachfront developments.
"Sand is being kicked in our faces, especially by our current government which cannot see beyond its relationship with the capitalist-minded private sector," wrote an anonymous commentator on abengnews.com.
Police are testing other beaches for traces of the missing sand, and local media reported that some of the sand had been located on beaches on the northern coast. So far there have been no arrests.
A question mark has hung over the constabulary's forensic skills since last year, when it launched a high-profile murder investigation into the death of the Pakistan cricket coach Bob Woolmer only to later rule out foul play.
Last year, thieves in Hungary stole hundreds of tonnes of sand from a riverside resort's artificial beach. Adding insult to injury, the thieves also stripped Mindszentas of its beach huts and sun loungers.
Pictures of our Beautiful Island
Sunset at Nigril
Local Coastline, Ocho Rios
Otaheite Apple and blossom
Star Fruit
Toll Highway connecting North and South coast (almost) - "Nylon" Road
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