TWO YOUNG trainee Roman Catholic priests have died from gunshot wounds in mysterious circumstances that do not lessen the trauma of their passing.
They died from the same bullet in a kitchen at the residence of the Missionaries of the Poor on North Street in Kingston. They were washing dishes in a place where their commitment to serving the poor and needy was one aspect of the charitable work of Christian brotherhood to which they were selflessly dedicated.
The bullet which pierced the head of Brother Suresh Barwa passed through and struck Brother Marco Laspura standing beside him. The police are investigating the circumstances and founder-leader of the brotherhood, Father Richard HoLung, has spoken of the possibility that the bullet came through an open window from across the road in a Hanover Street neighbourhood he cites as now extremely dangerous.
In such a context, adding the violent deaths of the young priests to the appalling toll of murder victims in this country would not be hard to believe. Indeed, in the last decade, at least three Roman Catholic priests have died here in violent circumstances. So if these latest victims are either deliberate targets or victims of a stray bullet, the shock would have been momentary, but in the long run not really surprising.
For while the recent firebombing massacre of a family of four off Maxfield Avenue in Kingston evoked a muted outrage, it may well have hardened the senses of a society also beleaguered by spasms of mob killing from time to time.
The deaths of two young priests will, therefore, evoke sadness and sympathy. Especially so, as they were foreign guests living in our country, having dedicated their lives to caring for the poor and destitute in the inner-city enclaves of our society.
In that sense, their passing is an unfortunate sacrifice in service to the poor. And it draws attention to the worthy dedication of the brotherhood working among the poorest in the society. We offer condolences to the brothers in mourning even as we salute their Christian charity as a worthy contribution to the nation.
THE OPINIONS ON THIS PAGE, EXCEPT FOR THE ABOVE, DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE VIEWS OF THE GLEANER.
