The Rt. Rev. Dr. and Hon. Neville Wordsworth deSouza
The funeral for the late Bishop of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, The Rt. Rev. Dr. and Hon. Neville Wordsworth deSouza, will be held next Tuesday, December 29 at the St. Andrew Parish Church, Half-Way-Tree at 11.00 a.m.
The Service at which the Archbishop of the Province of the West Indies, The Most Rev. Dr. and Hon. John Holder will preside, and the Bishop of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, The Rt. Rev. Howard Gregory, will be the Preacher, will be preceded by an hour of musical tributes presented by some of the country’s most outstanding choral groups, starting at 10.00 a.m. These groups include the Kingston College Chapel Choir, the Glenmuir High School Choir, the Diocesan Festival Choir and the Jamaican Folk Singers.
The fourth Jamaican to lead the local church, Bishop deSouza was ordained a Deacon in 1958 and became a priest in 1959. He was consecrated Suffragan Bishop of Montego Bay in 1973 and was enthroned as the twelfth Diocesan Bishop in 1979. He guided the ministry of the Church for 21 years until his retirement in 2000.
He died on December 12 after a long illness. In a tribute issued on behalf of the Diocese, the Rt. Rev. Howard Gregory, said Bishop deSouza, who was known for his fearless and outspoken stance on matters relating to social justice, was “truly a pastoral and prophetic voice in some of the most difficult days in the life of modern Jamaica.”
Parking for the Service, which will be attended by Bishops and clergy from overseas, as well as clergy and laity from across the Diocese, members of the ecumenical fraternity and the wider society, will be accommodated at the St. Andrew Parish Church Hall on Ellesmere Road. A shuttle service to the Church will be provided, starting at 9.15 a.m.
Bishop deSouza will be buried in the St. Andrew Parish Church cemetery where all the native Diocesan Bishops are interred.
– Beverley Newell l Communications Officer
