Father Winston Joseph sends "Greetings and Best Wishes from West Palm Beach." And although he missed his first Carnival as a masquerader of many years, did have us in his thoughts.
Father Joseph, rector at St Patrick's in West Palm Beach, Florida, recently attended his first Convention in the Diocese of Southeast Florida, with another Father 'Winston' Wright, rector at Grace Church, a neighbouring West Palm Beach parish, who was also attending for the first time. Father Joseph, or Canon Joseph as he was in Trinidad & Tobago, writes "I have met a number of Trinis since I have been here... I had tried to be quiet and not get into the social life too soon. I kept away from Miami Carnival and it was not until the week before Thanksgiving a dear soul decided to have a dinner to welcome me to West Palm Beach, She is somewhat like the Lady Ambassador for this region. Well after that Trini Party, I found myself blessing four Thanksgiving tables on that day, driving over five miles to get to the Trini do's . It is important to have a priest bless their tables on that Day."
One of the nice things that happens to Father Winston on a Sunday Morning "is that Trinis from all over Florida come to worship. I have one Service on a Sunday at 8am that runs into 9.15, then we repair to the Hall for Breakfast and Fellowship, and I am free until Tuesday Morning, The out of town Trinis then retire to the Rectory and spend the day." The Canon has certainly gone down a gear from All Saints where he officiated at four services on Sundays, to just one at St Patrick's in West Palm.
"Life is great and easy here, so I have introduced a number of things in the Parish, We have a Bible Study on Wednesday that attracts thirty, a Healing Service once a month, a weekly Prayer Group, a Soup Kitchen that feeds the poor and an After School programme for Children.
The Congregation, he says, reminds him of the Chapel of Ease at Saddle Road, Maraval, "warm and loving with all sorts of professional and little folk. The numbers have increased since I have been here and we moved the Budget from One hundred thousand to Two hundred thousand." Father Joseph spoke warmly of this country's new Diocesan Bishop Calvin Bess: "We are very good friends....I guess he would bring a lot of his management skills to bear on Diocesan matters."