Christians in their large numbers, on Sunday, converged at the St. Therese’s Lower Basic School , to celebrate the Parish Feast of St Therese’s Church.

The celebration which took a grand style, took off the ground with a procession of Priests, Altar-boys and church group representatives, led by young lads dressed in indigenous costumes.   Soon after this part of the mass, all the seven Priests, on the altar three, all of whom came from the neighbouring Senegal, were introduced to the congregation and then continued with the first and second readings from the Holy Book.

Soon after the readings, a group of teenagers, dressed in traditional attires with beads adoring their waists and ankles, cheerfully escortred the Holy Book to the altar for gospel reading.

While delivering his sermon, Fr David Jarju, the chief celebrant and newly appointed Vicar-General, told the congregation that, according to the Holy Bible, St Paul wrote to the people of Roma and told them that each and everyone of them was endowed with a special gift of the Almighty God that they should use in the best interest of   society.

 “It is the same with us, we must know that we have our different gifts from God and these are meant for us to make the world a better place to live in. Those of us, who are gifted as teachers should teach our youth wholeheartedly and those of us endowed with the gift of prophesy should endeavor to preach and do it well, while those with other abilities play their parts effectively,” said Fr Jarju.

According to him, believers at the time, asked Jesus Christ about whom the greatest person will be in the eyes of God, and he replied by putting a child before them and said “if you want to be the greatest, you should be like this child before you”.   He went on to corroborate the statement by asserting that children are very innocent and that they have a very high tendency to obey, love and care for one another.

Meanwhile, Fr Jarju revealed that Saint Therese, the Patroness Saint of the biggest Parish in The Gambia, was born in France and lived a very short, but virtuous life of 24.

The Vicar-General then implored all to hold fast on to prayers and emulate the good deeds of Saint Therese.