Long Island Churches
Beez Neez now Chy Whella
Big Bear and Pepe Millard
Wed 30 Mar 2011 21:36
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The Churches on Long
Island
    Our car journey exploring Long Island
was not complete without a church every few minutes. Starting with the Anglican
and Catholic Churches in Clarence Town. Both of these churches were built by
Father Jerome Hawes. He first designed St Paul's Anglican
Church (sorry about the power cable Colin) which was consecrated on the
19th of May 1848. Loved the light shades in this lovely church............
    .............and then St Peter's
Roman Catholic Church after his conversion to Catholicism. I wasn't too fussed
about the 'cardboard cut-out' look of the crucifix
but was charmed by the altar and lectionary
cloths complete with shell and conch shell design. We
signed the visitors book saying it felt like a "holy little place of
worship".
Born in England in 1876, John Cecil
Hawes became an architect, then an Anglican priest. After the 1908 hurricane,
which devastated parts of the Bahamas, the Anglican Bishop sent this
architect/priest to restore the damaged churches. His unique stamp of
hurricane-proof stonework with its thick walls and barrel-vaulted roofs can be
seen in the seven Anglican Churches that he rebuilt on Long Island.
Settling in the Deadman's Cay area he ministered to the people of Long Island.
After an interim elsewhere as a wagon train driver, a monk, a missionary and a
horse breeder, he became a Catholic priest and returned to the Bahamas to
build Catholic churches and the St Augustine Monastery in Nassau. Quite a
curriculum vitae.
On Father Jerome's first approach to
New Bight (Cat Island) in 1937, he immediately selected Comer Hill, the highest
spot, as the sight for his retirement home and a location in town for a new
church. His last church, Holy Redeemer Catholic Church at New Bight, s a sturdy
and lovely reminder for Cat Islanders of this remarkable man.
  Steven's Seventh
Day Adventist Church was locked and as it was a Wednesday, we couldn't
hang on until Saturday, so off we went.
  Down the road a short distance in
Hamilton's was Holy Cross Anglican
Church.
    Next to Holy Cross was the Catholic Family of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, this tiny
church was dwarfed by a modern one beside it
 We loved this simple little Church of Christ
   As we drove past the front of St
John's Anglican Church I heard - Oh look, there's
a snake in a cup painted on the bell tower. Yes dear, some may say
the asp of life in the Eucharistic Chalice
 Macedonia Baptist
Church
  Just by way of a change, we put in
the Senior Citizen's Recreational Centre
  Lastly St
Theresa's Anglican Church (once again sorry about the power lines
Colin) - now I am all churched out, there were many more though
ALL IN ALL LOVELY TO SEE
SO MANY PLACES OF
WORSHIP
MUST BE A CHURCH FOR EVERY TEN
PEOPLE
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