17 years after a major 6.0 earthquake destroyed the Parish Church of St Andrew, leaving the bell silent, the sound of three bells filled the air in the village of Vieille Case on Sunday 29th November during the celebration of the Parish Feast.
The new belfry was blessed by Bishop Gabriel Malzaire at the end of the Pontifical high mass. The belfry project was undertaken by the Parish Priest, Fr. Herman Sharplis, and was coordinated by Mr. Augustus Brumant, who contributed $14,481.96 of his own resources to the project. The Parish contributed $9,471.52 of the total project project of $23,953.48.
The restoration of the bells which were manufactured in 1931, was done by Mr. Peter London who brought the bells back to their original sound.
According to Fr, Sharplis, this project, which became a reality many years after the Parish church was rebuilt, has brought joy and happiness to all including non-Catholics who expressed a deep interest in this historical event in the village.
Ten parishioners were also honored during the celebration of the feast. The awardees were Mrs. Andrea Lewis and Leonard Royer of Penville, Mrs. Martha Joseph & Mr. Peter Thomas of Vieille Case, Miss Catherine Idona Thomas & Mrs. Antoinette Bontiff of Thibaud, Mrs. Angela Massicot & Mrs. Eurina Thomas of Paix Bouche and Mr. Mitchel Charles & Mr. Jean Lucky Francois of Anse De Mai. They were recognized for their contribution to the church and parish.
The Feast Day celebration crowned with a spiritual homily by Bishop Malzaire, was lauded by many parishioners.
It ended with a mini bazaar.
Vieille Case, Itassi, the birthplace of Roosevelt Skerrit.
Shadows of “for whom the bell tolls” by Ernest Hemingway, an omen?
And its high time that the one at the Lady of Fair Haven rings too. Its more than 17 years since we have not heard the nostalgic rings of the bell on the hour at every hour, half hour and 15 minutes, for weddings, funerals etc etc. The sound of the city – Roseau.
Years ago, when the restoration of the cathedral began, I offered to freely restore the clock and its chiming mechanism. The offer still stands.
Clockmaking, and specifically church clocks and their chiming mechanisms, runs in my family.
It is good that the three bells will once again sound over the village of Vieille Case.
However, we desperately need a new generation of inspired Dominican architects to contribute to the aesthetics of our built environment.
Roger, you are being polite. Sorry folks but that new bell ringing contraption is totally incongruous with the style of the church, like a pig with a bowler hat.It looks like a poor man’s dingeling and the house of God deserves better. Why could it not have been restored in its original style. The money the poor people spent on it is just about two weeks rent for mr. Skerrit’s mansion in Morne Daniel.