Father Kevin de Loughry O.P. was two years old when he arrived in Trinidad & Tobago in 1954. "Two years, that is, into my priesthood" he quips with a twinkle in his 74 year old eyes.
Although the beloved parish priest of Maraval/Paramin is convalescing at the St Finbar's Priory from very recent double by-pass heart surgery, he is part of the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of his July 13, Priestly Ordination, which started yesterday (Saturday) with a Concelebrated Mass at the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes, followed by a reception where he was presented with many gifts including a "purse." And will continue with Holy Mass at 10 o'clock this morning at the new Paramin Church, ending tomorrow (Monday) with 11 a.m Mass at St Finbar's in Morne Coco Road.
Born in Tipperary on September 4, 1927, Father Kevin, grew up in Kilkenny, Ireland, and studied for the priesthood at the House of Studies in Cork and then in Tallaght, County Dublin. After his ordination and another 12 months of studies, he was given the responsibility for the Retreat House in Tallaght for another year. But for this Irish priest, there had been since his early teens, the lure of an adventure in the Caribbean island of Trinidad.
"At age 12/13" says Father Kevin "I heard the priests who came home from Trinidad on holidays to stay at the little church where I was an altar boy, tell fantastic stories, some may not have been true, but they stirred up something." Something which made the young Dominican priest leave his late brother, and older sister who is still alive and has been to Trinidad many times with her husband, and journey to an unknown place where he has made his home for the past 48 years and plans to remain in retirement.
The year 2002 brings back memories for Father Kevin, as never before of Duncan Street, Piccadilly Street, John John, the Cathedral office and the Cathedral itself. "The first two years of a spiritual journey and an adventure which if anything, has intensified in its joy and mystery over the years. The Tenth P.O.S. Boy Scout Troop and the Cathedral Acolytes, as well as the youngsters of Nelson Street Boys School challenged my youth and helped me to discover who I was at that time."
In August 1956, Father Kevin went on his first assignment as parish priest of Moruga. With dire warnings of loneliness in this isolated spot on the south coast without electricity or pipe borne water says Father Kevin "I am yet to experience such loneliness, I was received with open arms and warm hearts. Grand Chemin, Basse Terre, Rock River, La Lune, Marac and Penal Rock Road may have challenged my health and strength but never my inner peace. The spirit of adventure remained."
From The Cathedral to Moruga, Sangre Grande, Tobago, Cedros and
finally Maraval, this very humble priest with an unusual sense of humour, has left a piece of himself in each parish. In Moruga, the teachers and children of five schools that he cared for as he struggled with his shyness, will never forget him. Not to mention the class he taught on Friday afternoons at the Convent in San Fernando.
In 1960 Sangre Grande Parish stretched from Matura to Coryal Tamana and from Sangre Chiquito to Cumaca, nine communities with seven schools. Father Kevin accepted the fact that "The only recognised lay minister then was the local head teacher who often conducted funerals and gathered the people to pray when the priest was not available."
Father Kevin was commissioned to complete the new Sangre Grande Church of St Francis which had been started by his predecessor. That was his baptism in the building trade. Later in the same parish there was the challenge of erecting a new school and chapel in Cumaca and the new Convent of Holy Faith Sisters on the grounds of the old church. Countless fundraisers eventually earned him the nickname of "Mr Bingo."
After a stint in Tobago, Father Kevin went to Cedros from 1980 to 1989 which he considered "another opportunity to get back in touch with the fishermen." Again in Bonasse Father Kevin's building skills came to the forefront as he spearheaded the building of the Church of St Joseph The Worker. "As Catholic communities, Bonasse, Fullerton and Granville were thriving and very alive, Chatham and Icacos were struggling to survive. One of the great blessings was a very strong Lay Ministry with deeply committed and deeply spiritual people, young and old. I was quite proud of our Cedros Lay Ministry. They could take full charge of Eucharistic Services and did so on a regular roster over the five communities." The Mustard Seed in Cedros parish was the newly established youth group which covered the whole parish and united the youth of each community. The leader of the Bonasse group was eventually ordained a priest in The Dominican Order, Father Ferdi Warner O.P.
And finally 12 years ago, Father Kevin came to "the great adventure of Maraval" and moreso Paramin, where he has fought the good fight for water for the hill people. And on December 12, 2001, the Archbishop of Port of Spain, Edward Joseph Gilbert, dedicated the beautiful new Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe built by Father Kevin and the people of Paramin at Morne Cyril.
And I repeat after the people of Paramin: "Mesi Bondye pou ba nou li - Thank You God for giving him to us (Trinidad and Tobago). I fe travai-la I te ni pou fe - He did the work you sent him to do. Benni'y suple, Papa Bondye - Bless him please Papa God. Benni Monpe Kevin - Bless Father Kevin."