St John’s, March 2016. A delegation of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St George, led by Delegate of Great Britain and Ireland and of the Caribbean, Anthony Bailey, attended the Official Dedication and Blessing Ceremony of the New West Building of St Joseph’s Academy, which took place on the grounds of the Academy in St John’s on 14 March 2016. This project was financed by the Constantinian Order and forms part of a wider charitable engagement by the Order in the country and the region.
The Archbishop Donald J. Reeves Building was unveiled and opened in the presence of The Governor General of Antigua and Barbuda, HE Sir Rodney Williams, the Prime Minister Hon Gaston Browne, HM Leader of Opposition The Hon Baldwin Spencer, the Minister of Foreign Affairs The Hon Charles Fernandez, the Most Reverend Kenneth Richards, Bishop of St John’s-Basseterre, the Reverend Bro. E.B. Wakeham, first Headmaster, the St Joseph’s Academy Alumnae Association, and many others distinguished guests.
During his speech, the Prime Minister, The Hon. Gaston Browne said: “My government believes that in moving forward, we must establish meaningful private public partnerships. These have been proven to produce success around the world. I therefore commend the Constantinian Order for its global outreach and for readily providing assistance with the construction of this brand new facility here and for your involvement in other projects around the island”.
The Delegate HE Anthony Bailey highlighted the importance of education within the core mission of the worldwide Constantinian Order. He stated: “The beauty of a country is ultimately created by its people and more importantly the young people. I am confident that the current students will follow in the footsteps of so many great men that have served this country at the highest offices, who truly embrace the fundamental values of this illustrious institution”.
St Joseph’s Academy project reflects the core values of the Constantinian Order, which has made significant contributions to charitable projects in the areas of education, national patrimony and social welfare, by building schools, training facilities, libraries, places of worship. This project has set the grounds to build development, strong values and a better future for the minority Catholic community and the multi-faith Antiguan society as a whole.
In his remarks, the Most Reverend Kenneth D Richards, Bishop of St John’s-Basseterre, thanked the clergy for their contribution to the education and formation of young men who are concerned about the poor, marginalised, the elderly and the forsaken and who will contribute to the development of their country as a place where the love of God and neighbour is paramount. He put on record his appreciation to the Constantinian Order for their much needed financial support which allowed the project to materialize.
St Joseph’s Academy is one of the most recognised and prestigious educational institutions in Antigua and Barbuda and the wider Caribbean region, which was founded by the Christian Brothers in 1958. Today, St Joseph’s Academy is an excellent example of Catholic outreach to wider society and has over 280 students with more than 70% being of faith denominations other then Roman Catholic. The new building, which includes classrooms, administrative offices, an audio-visual conference room and parents rooms, was dedicated to the Most Reverend Donald J. Reece, Archbishop Emeritus of Kingston who was the initiator of the Academy’s expansion project since the 1981 when he was Bishop of the newly created Diocese of St John’s – Basseterre.
The Ceremony included a lively cultural programme, a tour of the new building and musical presentations from St Joseph’s Academy Glee Club, Rhythm Masters, Old Boys Steelband and the National Youth Choir. Among others who spoke at the ceremony was the Reverend Bro. E.B. Wakeham, who spoke about the significant changes the Academy has undergone and thanked the Sacred Military Constantinian Order for their contributions.
The charitable programme in partnership with the Diocese of St John’s-Basseterre, was launched on the occasion of the highly successful Official Visit of the Grand Master HRH Prince Charles of Bourbon Two Sicilies, Duke of Castro and the Grand Prior, HE Renato Raffaele Cardinal Martino, and delegation to Antigua and Barbuda in November 2014.
To download a copy of Anthony’s speech click here.
To see a video of Anthony’s speech click here.
To visit the website of the Diocese of St John’s-Basseterre click here
To visit the website of St Joseph’s Academy click here