Priestly Silver Jubilee celebrations in Brikama Parish

May 1st this year was Workers Day in honour of workers and a day marking the annual all workers sports festival. 

In the Catholic Community of Brikama, it was a day set aside to mark a milestone in the history of the Catholic Church. The community on this day, celebrated with jubilation the priestly Silver Jubilee of Rev. Father Edu Gomez, their parish priest. Father Edu as he is commonly called clocked twenty-five years of ministry in the Catholic Church on the 12th April 2011. This date was within the season of lent and so its celebration was differed to the 1st May or the Second Sunday of Easter. The Easter Season is a more appropriate time to celebrate such a glorious occasion as it also marked the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ in the Christian Church.

The jubilee day celebration began with holy mass at 11am and the celebrant was Father Edu, the Jubilarian.  The con-celebrants were Rev. Fathers David Jarju, Bruno Toupan and Jacques Coly.  The mass was well animated in singing by the St. Theresa’s Junior Choir and the host choir, The Resurrection Parish Choir. The liturgy was a free flowing one where all the worshippers and choirs sang their hearts out in praise of God who made this day possible.

The homilist was Father David Jarju who is a colleague jubilarian of Father Edu. Fr. Jarju welcomed the parishioners who turned up in their hundreds to fill the large church of Brikama. He first thanked God for the life and ministry of Father Edu whom he knew from St. Augustine High School where they both began in 1973. Father Jurju reminded the faithful and all worshippers of their obligation to support priests in their ministry and work. In doing this, he also preached against the parishioners and members of the Church who are in the habit of possessing and personalizing priests to the extent of creating barriers among them. He further opined that some lay faithful are in the habit of interfering in the lives of priest to the extent of creating unhealthy division among them which is not good in the Church. Those involved in such practices should desist from them, he concluded.

The highlights of the day’s celebration was the reception and lunch held for all those who were present. There were no special invitations as all who attended were treated to dishes of various kinds that satisfied them. Cold drinks and snacks were also in abundance.

After lunch the entertainment that followed was a street carnival dance of different cultural groups. The dancing began from the parish church to the gate of the Gambia College and back.

Parishioners and visitors who attended the celebration danced to the various kinds of cultural beatings for a period of three hours. It was really an experience of great joy which people will live to remember. The remaining hours of the night were spent to the treat of the youths at a dance at the Brikama Jokor night club were they enjoyed themselves. We give God thanks and the glory for this happy and joyous occasion.