IT has been twenty-four years since a nun and priest were murdered in the Castries Cathedral, a day that is still etched in the minds of Saint Lucians, and one that brought much pain and sadness with it.
On December 31, 2000, what was supposed to be a joyful occasion turned into a total nightmare for worshippers at the Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception.
Thirteen worshippers were doused with fuel and set on fire during the church service (including the Roman Catholic priest) whilst the nun was bludgeoned to death.
It was something they could have never imagined.
Two men, Kim John and Francis Philip, were apprehended for the heinous acts and plead guilty to manslaughter while on trial. Though they were sentenced to be hanged for the crime “and showed no remorse when the sentence was pronounced, they subsequently appealed their sentence to the Privy Council and won,” an article on thevoiceslu.com stated.
John and Philip were ultimately sentenced to life imprisonment.
Twenty-four years later, Tourism Minister Dr. Ernest Hilaire informed reporters that a shrine is going to be built in remembrance of the New Year’s Eve tragedy.
“There’s going to be a shrine erected with a story about what happened and the importance of it to the Catholic faith. It’ll be an opportunity for persons to come and visit the church,” the minister explained.
Hilaire told reporters that “for those who may have travelled to other parts of the world and have seen some of those… it is quite a rewarding experience from the perspective of spirituality but also too in terms of its tourism component to be able to attract visitors.”
Additionally, Hilaire said, government plans to do some major upgrades in Castries “and this certainly will add to it.”
“There’s a lot that’s going to happen. Religious tourism is another component that we are adding so we’re working with the church on it,” he said.
For Saint Lucians, the shrine will be a reminder to never forget Sister Theresa Egan of Ireland and Fr. Charles Gaillard.
Sister Egan belonged to the Order of St. Joseph of Cluny, an Irish order that was involved in education programmes on the island for nearly 100 years, (as noted on thevoiceslu.com).
For visitors, it’s an opportunity to be informed about people who met their demise way too soon – to pay their respects in their own way to strangers who were devoted to their faith.
“The word ‘shrine’ has multiple meanings across religions and even within Catholic usage. For our purposes, it refers to active sites dedicated in honor of a saint, or, less frequently, an event in Jesus’ life,” Catholic and Cultures noted on its website.
“The most powerful shrines are always places where a saint lived, died or was buried; where his or her presence is somehow specially felt,” the website stated.