Archbishop of Port of Spain in Toronto

Archbishop Harris Meeting T&T Diaspora in Canada

By William Doyle-Marshall

When Trinidadian clergyman Joseph Harris, was ordained Archbishop of Port of Spain, he was informed that his duties were not confined to the City of Port of Spain. As a Bishop he was ministering for the Catholic flock wherever. That advice has been on his mind for a while and as he grew more and more concerned about the Trinidadian Diaspora he wanted to be certain that they did not follow the tradition of easily losing their roots. So his current visit to Canada is motivated by that belief.
Speaking in an exclusive interview Friday at the Caribbean Catholic Center in Toronto, headed by fellow Trinidadian Reverend Carlyle Guissepi, the Archbishop noted “there are lots of people who, when they leave home forget their roots and their religious roots.” Since the Caribbean Catholic Center is run by the Holy Ghost Father and he is a member of that Order, the Archbishop thought it would be good to come up and just meet the people in the Diaspora, talk with them, animate them as far as possible and give them a sense of hope and encourage them to remain Trinidadian do not become too much people from the north.

o

Archbishop Harris

In addition, the Archbishop is here as an emissary for the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception fundraising team. They are presently engaged in a major restoration project of the cathedral costing approximately $70 million (TT) $15 million (Canadian). With this venture on their hands, the team members have asked Archbishop Harris to say a word for them out here. Before flying out to Manitoba Archbishop will say the homily Sunday at the Caribbean Catholic Center on College Street (at Ossington Avenue) in Toronto where members of the Caribbean community frequently participate in church services.

Emphasizing the need to provide ongoing religious counseling, Archbishop noted that many of the country’s best minds have left and have not gone back. He believes part of the problem is ‘a lack of patriotism’. He is of the opinion that nobody can be a patriot unless they love the land on which they stand. Archbishop Harris said many nationals, especially Afro-Trinidadians, have never loved the land. “We have always viewed it as part of our shame. It was there that we were made to work cruelly made to work under the lash, the hot sun, dehumanized to a large extent and so for many people the land has never been something that they have loved because it has been a symbol of all that dehumanized.”

   In responding to the concern of getting T&T nationals who are residing out of the country to provide some help, Archbishop Harris said “people have to come back and people have to show a love for the land from which they came. Come back to Trinidad to work in Trinidad for a while. Spend a month, spend two weeks, come back and do something. Give something to this land from which you cane.” He cited a national of Trinidad and Tobago who is now a doctor residing in the United States of America and is currently engaged in organizing projects that offer opportunities for volunteers – a way of giving back to the country of their birth.

“I think the example of seeing people who love Trinidad and Tobago enough to want to come back and give back to Trinidad without looking for any recompense is something – that example in itself is something that will help Trinidad but we don’t see it,” he explained.

Archbishop Harris is the second national of Trinidad and Tobago to be appointed to the position in the capital city of the twin island nation