Jack joins hundreds in March for Jesus

Hundreds of Catholics joined by other religious organisations walked along the Eastern Main Road from San Juan to Port-of-Spain singing hymns and praying during March for Jesus 2012. The march, part of the church’s call for revitalising Catholic culture and identity  ended at the Queen’s Park Savannah.

Spiritual Baptists, along with representatives of the Ethiopian Orthodox and other Christian churches also took part in the event. Archbishop Joseph Harris, who could not attend because he is in Rome, left a recorded message in which he expressed his support and condemned the level of crime in the country.

Harris said not only the Catholic Church  possessed the values needed for the society to heal itself—it could be found in many other churches as well. “All of us are called to look at our own lives to see whether or not we are living by the values of Jesus Christ,” he said. He asked that the march not be taken in a “carnivalist manner” but rather with a “spirit of reflection.”

As they marched along, participants prayed for the protective services and leaders of the nation so that crime would decrease. They displayed banners that read “I love Jesus” and “Have Mercy.” Monica James, who said she recently returned to T&T after living in the United States for several years, said she joined the march in the hope that prayer would return safety to the country.

Another participant, who did want to give his name, said it was time that citizens take back the country from criminals: “We have to take back this country from all this crime, corruption and evil and we can only do that with prayer.” National Security Minister Jack Warner, Minister of State in the National Security Ministry Collin Partap and Minister of Sport Anil Roberts took part in the march, walking briskly and greeting well- wishers along the way.

Warner said he agreed with Archbishop Harris that the country needed to be taken back from the hands of criminals. “I think the Archbishop was bang on target and he made the point that we have to follow the values of Jesus,” he said.