St John’s, October 2014. In his capacity of Secretary General of the Constantinian Order and following the announcement from the The Grand Magistry of the internationally recognised Roman Catholic and charitable Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St George, HE Mr Anthony Bailey and an 18 member Delegation will travel to Antigua & Barbuda between 1-4 November 2014 as part of a wider regional visit. The visit follows the acceptance of an invitation issued to the Grand Magistry of the Order by the Government of Antigua and Barbuda.
Reason for the Visit
Following the upgrading to Ambassadorial level of diplomatic relations between Antigua & Barbuda and the Holy See in 2012, greater focus on Antigua & Barbuda among Catholic charitable institutions have followed.
Antigua & Barbuda was also formally represented by the Head of the National Olympic Committee, the Honourable E P Chet Greene at the Constantinian Order’s Faith-in-Sport Banquet hosted by HE Mr Anthony Bailey and held to mark the 2012 London Olympic Games and in the presence of over 57 Heads of State, Government and Olympic Movements.
The purpose of this high level visit is to launch a series of major charitable projects in the areas of education, community welfare and national patrimony and to engage with key state, parliamentary and religious authorities to better understand their needs and to agree on a series of worthy charitable projects to be supported by the Order and for the direct benefit of the citizens of Antigua & Barbuda.
The visit is also expected to conclude with the formal announcement of the establishment of a Delegation Charitable Council for the Caribbean region which may be based in Antigua & Barbuda.
Whilst the Order has supported on an individual basis projects in St Lucia for over 30 years, the visit by the Constantinian Order to Antigua & Barbuda forms part of a wider region tour which will allow the Grand Magistry of the Order to become better acquainted with the needs of each island and their faith groups and wider local communities.
The visit to Antigua & Barbuda will be followed by high level official visits to Dominica, St Vincent and the Grenadines and Barbados and in 2015 to Grenada and St Lucia.
The Constantinian Order Delegation
The high level delegation will be led by His Royal Highness Prince Charles of Bourbon Two Sicilies, Duke of Castro and 59th Grand Master, and His Eminence Renato Raffaele Cardinal Martino, Cardinal Protodeacon of the Holy Roman Catholic Church, President Emeritus of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace and Grand Prior, and will include Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Castro and His Excellency Mr Anthony Bailey, OBE, Secretary General and Magistral Delegate for Inter-Religious Relations.
The delegation will also include members of the Order’s worldwide Magistral Charitable Council including The Rt Hon Baroness Scotland of Asthal, QC, whose father was an Antiguan Methodist and her mother a Dominican Roman Catholic, Mr Cyril Woods, Mr Nadhmi Auchi, Mr William Jeffcock, Mr Spas Roussev, Mr Francesco Baroni, Chief of Protocol and Dr Xhoana Papakostandini, Chief of Staff to the Secretary General.
His Excellency David Shoul, Ambassador of Antigua & Barbuda to the Holy See and His Excellency Archbishop Nicola Girasoli, Apostolic Nuncio to Antigua & Barbuda, His Grace The Most Rev Robert Rivas, Metropolitan Archbishop of Castries and The Most Rev Kenneth D Richards, Bishop of St John’s-Basseterre will also form part of the official delegation.
Visit Programme
During the visit, meetings will take place between the Constantinian Order delegation and senior officials of the Government of Antigua & Barbuda including His Excellency Dr Sir Rodney Williams, Governor-General; The Hon Gaston Browne, Prime Minister; the Hon Charles Fernandez, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade; and The Hon Londel Benjamin, Parliamentary Secretary with Responsibility for Ecclesiastical Affairs.
The Delegation will also meet with The Hon Baldwin Spencer, Leader of HM Loyal Opposition and former Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda under whose administration the first contacts between Antigua & Barbuda and the Constantinian Order were established in 2012.
The Cardinal Grand Prior of the Constantinian Order His Eminence Cardinal Renato Raffaele Martino will celebrate Holy Mass at the Holy Family Cathedral in St John’s on Sunday 2 November 2014. The delegation will also meet with senior representatives of the wider Antiguan and Barbudan faith communities.
The delegation will also attend the Independence Day Ceremonial Parade on 3 November at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.
Charitable Engagement and mission
A key element and the driving force behind the visit to Antigua & Barbuda and the wider region will be the launch of a number of million dollar charitable projects which have been morally and financially supported through donations collected during the past year from the Order’s individual members across the world.
Such charitable engagement will include the completion and opening of the Good Samaritan Church and Centre in Hatton which will offer much needed social and community welfare assistance in a challenging part of St. John’s.
The delegation will also make a tour of several schools in St John’s which will receive immediate moral and financial support by the Order including the redevelopment St Joseph’s Academy, Christ the King High School and the St John’s Catholic Primary School all of which have multi-faith student populations.
The delegation will also visit the former Catholic Cathedral of St Joseph’s situated adjacent Government House, which the Order’s members have agreed to fund its structural renovation with immediate effect as part of it contribution to national patrimony.
To read more about the Constantinian Order, click here
