Archbishop of York presented with the key to the city of Montego Bay, Thursday by the St. James Parish Council.

Speaking on the occasion, Chairman of the council and mayor of St.James, Noel Donaldson said that this was a significant moment for the city of Montego Bay. “Your fight for justice and freedom on behalf of your fellowman will always stand out in the mind of the people of this city,” he said. “It is with a great honour that we present to you the keys to the city.”

Archbishop Sentamu is the second person to have received the symbolic key, while pledging his support to the second city, called upon those in authority to ensure that justice is served to every man.

“The responsibility of every councillor is to ensure that the city (Montego Bay) resembles the city of God,” he said, “… and in the city of God, everyone is welcome.”

Archbishop Sentamu further added, “At the end we will not be judged by how well we play, but by how well we serve, particularly the poor and the people facing poverty and injustices.”

The event was followed by a luncheon by the Dioceses of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands.  Archbishop Sentamu returned to Kingston for a farewell function Thursday evening.

“Live the life Jesus led,” Archbishop Sentamu told the school children assembled at the Church Teachers College in Mandeville. “He is like the ‘passport’, that enables you do things, it is important that you find the Lord in whatever you do,” he reminded.

“Jesus when he says he is the way is not talking about a mark that you read, but the road, I am a road walk me,” said Archbishop Sentamu to a packed audience. “The only way to know the road is to walk it.”

“When he says I am the way, he is saying you have to live the kind of life I am living,” he added.

“And when he says truth it is not some philosophical idea that one is trying to work out. I am the truth to those who are confused, confused about what it is to be human, how to live, confused about the future and worried about the present,” said the Archbishop of York.

“The Christian faith is not having ideas about ourselves the actual heart of the Christian faith is knowing the person,” he told.

“It is knowing Jesus, not knowing about Jesus,” said Archbishop Sentamu. “The holy spirit has been sent along to know Jesus, walk Jesus and live Jesus. He is the one who comes along when life is getting very very difficult.”

“Wherever you go wrong in your life, with Jesus you are on the victory side,” he said.

The chapel at the Church Teachers College in Mandeville was drenched in an enthralling performance by the school choir singing “Marching in the light of God” with Archbishop and Mrs. Sentamu joining the chorus.

The school choir also presented hymns and other rendition that brought the chapel alive with music.

Archbishop of York called on the school children to be free and fly like an eagle. He reminded them that they must be kind, loving and disciplined.

“In reserection, Christ proved that you are forgiven,” Archbishop said the the Youth Gathering at the Indoor Sports Centre on Tuesday.

The school children put up a spectacular and colourful performance of dances and songs, speeches and hymns.

An overview…

The plaque at the portico where abolition of slavery was proclaimed in Spanish Town

Archbishop Sentamu recalls what went in his mind when he stood at the spot where abolition of slavery was proclaimed 200 years ago.

I said to myself why humanity did such a thing to another person. Sell them like chattels, sell them like slaves.

What is it that went into their brains, you can say that they were liberated, but they were not slaves from birth. So the proclamation came and stopped the trade it left a sour bitterness.

In my thoughts, I recalled when I went to Zanzibar, I went to a place where the slaves were actually shackled, in a room where 5 of us couldn’t fit in 70 were put in there…three days no water, no food no toilet…if they wanted to go they mess themselves out.

After seven days their souls and hearts were broken so they were brought out. I went in there and thought to myself these were my brothers and sisters. The thing that went through me was almost like when I went into Zanzibar, the port where the slaves were being sold out.

It wasn’t hurray as I stood there…why, why did they ever sell people like things, my stomach turned actually just turned…I just thought humanity just stopped.
 

Archbishop and Mrs. Sentamu at the steps of the portico where proclamation of slavery was read out 200 years ago

Rev. Canon George Thomas, Rector of the Cathedral of St. Jago de la Vega awaits the arrival of Archbishop Sentamu

The Archbishop of York made a trip down history, when he visited Spanish Town. His first stop was the Cathedral of St. Jago de la Vega; here he sang hymns and interacted with those present.

A plaque was unveiled in the honour of Archbishop Sentamu’s visit to the Cathedral, which he graciously acknowledged. ‘May god bless you all’, he wrote in the vistor’s book.Arcbishop chose to walk to the Spanish Town Square from the cathedral, a ‘traffic stopper’ he had all the traffic trailing behind him as he made his way.

As he toured the town square, he shared a piognant moment as he stood at the steps of the building where the proclaimation to abolish slavery was read out 200 years ago.

Archbishop Sentamu returned to Kingston where he addressed the Anglican Youth Assembly at the National Indoor Sports Centre.

Archbishop Sentamu signing the guest book at the Cathedral of St. Jago de la Vega

The Archbishop of York spent an informal evening at a cocktail reception organised by the Anglican Diocese. The ball room of the King’s House provided a warm and relaxed atmosphere, from the cold, rain washed evening. The invited guests included the members of the Diocese, the diplomatic core and others.

The Archbishop had a bountiful helping of the warm Jamaican hospitality, cuisine and music. The evening was a perfect dessert for a gruelling day of engagements and an entree for Tuesday’s visit to Spanish Town.

Above: Sharing a lighthearted moment with The Governor General

On Monday morning Archbishop Sentamu met the governor general Kenneth Hall at his residence, The King’s House; the Archbishop deliberated on various regional and international issues with the governor general.

He then called upon the prime minister of Jamaica, Bruce Golding at his office Jamaica House. The Archbishop also met the leader of the opposition Portia Simpson Miller, who gifted him with the Blue Mountain coffee.

It was an overcast October morning, as Kingston had cooled down from the overnight showers…it seemed that the Archbishop has got apart from his goodwill, the English weather.

Archbishop Sentamu travels to Spanish Town on Tuesday, he will visit the cathedral of St. Jago de la Vega and the Spanish Town square, where the abolition of slavery was proclaimed 200 years ago….watch out for this space as we give you the latest account of the Archbishop of York’s visit to Jamaica.

Below: From Jamaica with Love… former prime minister Portia Simpson Miller and her assistant Deborah Hickling packing a present for Archbishop Sentamu Monday morning.

The Archbishop of York sent out a message to work with humility and work for the grassroots, he was speaking at a sermon of the Anglican Communion at the National Arena Sunday.

Archbishop Sentamu said the people should not try be somebody else. ” God rejoices in the fact that he created each one of you ,” he said. ” That is the greatest message of the sermon this morning, be yourself and don’t try and be somebody else.”

“Believe in god is not simply to believe in ideas it is to carry about the very reality that god talks about,” he told the packed arena, where people had converged in their Sunday best.

Archbishop Sentamu called upon to people to go out and do what never has been done before - attempting the impossible.” You should be reaching out to the people who are desperately searching for meaning and for belonging.”

He asked the people to reach out and work at the grassroots. Quoting a sermon from the Archbishop of Zanzibar, he said, “now go out to the highways and bi ways look for Jesus in the rugged and the naked, the people who have lost hope and those who are struggling to make good .”

Archbishop of York sent out a message to be humble, “When I became the bishop of Birmingham I reminded everybody else, when you see me as the bishop and looking so gorgeously dressed just do remember the day Jesus entered Jerusalem, he rode on a donkey,” he said.

” The people dressed up that donkey to take Jesus downtown Jerusalem, so when you see me dressed up like a bishop very very funny clothes, I am simply a donkey taking my Jesus downtown Birmingham.”

“That’s true,” Archbishop Sentamu added “my brother bishops all you are…mere donkeys taking Jesus in places where there is no love where there is no hope where there is no justice. ”

“Have Jesus on you lips and the world in your heart, ” Archbishop Sentamu said “you have been called to freedom to work with justice and to embrace responsibility.”

The Archbishop of York to be objective and look at things rationally, ” look at your past failures and achievements from the eyes of an accountant and whatever you have lost or gained let Christ be you prize let Christ always be your balance sheet.”

Pictures from The Archbishop of York’s sermon today at the National Arena. All roads led to the venue as hundreds of people young and old, in their Sunday best converged to hear Archbishop’s sermon. There were tents pitched outside the venue with television to accomodate those who could not find a place inside the National Arena.