HUNDREDS OF persons turned out to bid farewell to the Most Reverend, the Honourable Archbishop Emeritus of Kingston Samuel E. Carter at the official funeral and Mass of Christian Burial held at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Kingston yesterday.
Tributes were paid in the three-hour service by individuals and representatives of organisations who had been touched by Archbishop Carter's life. These included several schools, diocesan priests, Missionaries of the Poor, representatives of Food for the Poor, the Jesuit community and officials including the Governor-General and the Prime Minister.
Archbishop Carter, described as the "forceful but humble bishop", who was "deeply dedicated" to the church was lauded in song and prayer in a rich Roman Catholic liturgical mass of Christian burial.
'Grandpa', as he was known to the Brothers of the Missionaries of the Poor, was remembered as "one who fulfilled the dreams of his youth and was happy in his accomplishments having lived his life to the fullest".
"The one thing he wanted was for all of us to be joyful," Father Richard Ho Lung, founder of the Missionaries of the Poor, said. "As he lay dying he simply said, 'I'm leaving, I'm going to heaven'."
As the Brothers proclaimed Archbishop Carter's favourite sermon starter the hymn, 'This is the Day that the Lord has made...", more voices were lifted in song in the jampacked Cathedral and even more in the churchyard into which many more had spilled.
STERLING SERVICE
The Hon. Hector Wynter, who read a tribute on behalf of Opposition Leader Edward Seaga, remembered Archbishop Carter as a man who gave sterling service and immeasurable benefit to churches and people.
"His contribution to education was exemplary, thousands of lives were made better and he will be best remembered for his ecumenical leadership that went beyond the Roman Catholic Church as he sought to bring different religious groups together," Mr. Wynter said.
Prime Minister P.J. Patterson and Governor-General Sir Howard Cooke both had high praises also. Mr. Patterson reminisced about the Archbishop's love for humankind and genuine love for the poor and disadvantaged, while Sir Howard described him as one of those "great, chosen leaders".
"Even as we mourn his passing let us celebrate his life and give thanks to God for his life of dedicated service and love and compassion for people," Mr. Patterson said.
Also sharing in the service were representatives of the Pope, and clergy from Port of Spain, Castries, Nassau, Antigua and Belize in the Caribbean, Archbishops and Bishops of the Antilles Episcopal Conference, and representatives of the Society of Jesus in Jamaica and Overseas.
Archbishop Carter died after a battle with cancer at the University Hospital of the West Indies last Tuesday at age 83.
He was the first Jamaican to be appointed a bishop in the Roman Catholic Church, was the founding president of the Caribbean Conference of Churches and, on the local scene, served as president and treasurer of the Jamaica Council of Churches, holding the latter position for many years. He founded and served as the first headmaster of Campion College, St. Andrew. He became auxiliary bishop of Kingston in 1966 and then archbishop in 1970.
