Toronto
Celebrates Father Guiseppi’s Silver Jubilee
By
William Doyle-Marshall
“Brother Carlyle (Guiseppi) is to you as he is to
us, truly a man of faith: someone who knows God well, who has walked with God
in his journey in life and that makes him so relevant to each and every one of
you.” Father Robert Colburn, Provincial
Superior of the Congregation of the Holy Ghost made this observation during
celebration observing the 25th anniversary of Father Carlyle
Guiseppi, a Trinidad and Tobago national’s ordination in 1989.
The Tiny Tots cerenaded the Parish Priest
It was quite a day of celebration as the
congregation of Our Lady of Good Counsel Church where Father Guiseppi is the
Parish Priest. The congregation turned out and freely expressed their feelings
for his work over the past seven years. He received tokens of appreciation from
parishioners and La Petite Musicale during the celebratory service and later in
the parish hall downstairs. “Just like God knows your troubles Father Carlyle
knows your troubles too; probably more than you wished he knew,” Father Colburn
noted.
The parish priest expressed his thanks to members of
the church for organizing the event. He was prevented from participating in the
planning. “I said to the community I wanted to have a little thing and they
said to me ‘they are going to organize’ and when I asked them what was going
on. They told me: keep out of it.” He was denied access to details right to the
very end. The night before the celebration, Father Guiseppi was ordered not to
go downstairs. “They banned me from downstairs. Imagine that!” He was also
warned against going to peep. The congregation heard that Father Guiseppi
followed parishioners’ directions. “I don’t know how downstairs is looking, if
it is even there,” the told the Sunday church gathering.
Since his ordination Father Guiseppi served various
communities in south Trinidad including San Fernando, La Brea, Penal and Les
Effort as well as Sangre Grande. He built the Resurrection Church and
Presbytery in La Horquetta. He was Parish Priest at Arouca’s Holy Trinity and
its seven surrounding churches; Holy Rosary and St. Martin de Porres Church,
Port of Spain, and St. Peter’s Church, Carenage. Father Guiseppi also
ministered at The Brickdam Cathedral – the Roman Catholic Cathedral in Guyana.
He moved out into this career path following his beginning as an engineer with
the then national airline BWIA.
Reflecting on his colleague’s1989 ordination Father
Ronald Mendes recalled: “he was an aircraft engineer and he was very good at
his job and could have made enough money to give us all a trip or two but
something touched his heart.” Father Ron
surmised very powerful parental impressions were integral in Guiseppi’s
decision to join the priesthood. “If his father was living in Toronto and if it
was winter, he would have had frozen teeth. He couldn’t keep the smile off his
face. Here was a couple who having had few children rejoiced when one of them
came and said that he wanted to give his life to God. Not many parents today do
that. Carlyle’s parents who had a hard life brought up their children and gave
them, aside from all of the love that is present in that home even to today,
gave them a very precious gift. They gave them the gift of faith.”
Father Colburn called Guiseppi a fine spiritan who came
to another country and became part of the community that he broke into (a bunch
of us Canadians and people who are from all over the world) and he of course he
won their hearts of everyone and has truly become a powerful member the community.
Father Colburn regards Father Guiseppi as faithful to the many Spiritan
gatherings in spite of his ill health. More importantly Father Colburn told the
congregation Father Carlyle also knows all their blessings and happiness, the
joys of their life. “He is the one who has officiated at baptisms, weddings; he
has been here as you sent off your loved ones to God’s arms. But he has done
more than that. He has been with you when you are sick; he has been with you
when you have struggled; he has been there when you have rejoiced. And today we
give thanks to God for Father Carlyle and also to his family – we must not
forget how important family is in the vocation of the priesthood and religious
life and also to each and every one of you who makes Father Carlyle’s ministry
meaningful,” the Provincial Superior concluded.
