Arima Borough Week starts with prayers

THE start of Arima’s 115th anniversary Borough celebrations, kicked off  yesterday with prayers and a military street parade. The week of activities will climax on Saturday — Borough Day, with Carnival-like celebrations including Jouvert and steelband. At yesterday’s inter-faith thanksgiving service at the Santa Rosa RC church, Monsignor Christian Perreira in his homily urged Arimians and the nation as a whole, to release themselves from the “art” of complaining, warning that holding on to complaints would never allow us to achieve dignity. Monsignor Perreira described complaining as an “old art” which was a “real condition of humans.” He told the congregation to look around them and they would see things “which we feel we have to complain about,” but he warned that complaining was a bondage which was “preventing us from claiming our dignity.” He observed that complaints arose out of the many bad things which surrounded us in a world “with much ugliness,” but insisted that if we continued to dwell on it, “we will remain powerless to do better.”

He said the word of God challenged us to understand the dangers and evil of complaining, which weakened us, and urged all to have the courage to put aside complaining and move forward to a new life. Arima’s Mayor, Eustace Nancis, in his first public address since assuming the post, called on Arimians to recognise the battles won by our multi-ethnic, multi-cultural society. Describing Trinidad and Tobago as a “colourful tablecloth” of which Arima was the “callaloo,” Nancis said he was confident that the people of his Borough had all the ingredients to face the challenges which were sure to end in victory. He asked that all look deep within themselves to face every personal battle. The Mayor also vowed to do his best to make Arima a better place, but reminded those in attendance that the success of a great leader depended on the cooperation and unity of all. Representatives of a number of religions also offered their prayers to the Borough.

Steve Riley of the Seventh Day Adventist church in his prayers touched on the crime issue, noting that all of us were potential criminals if we didn’t believe in God. He said the church needed to be visible beyond the walls of churches for crime to stop. Following the church service, was a military parade through the streets of the Borough. The parade comprising detachments of the Regiment, Coast Guard, Fire Services, Police and Cadets, with accompanying marching bands, began at the Arima Velodrome at 12 noon. It was inspected by Mayor Nancis, who later took the salute at the Arima Town Hall, Sorzano Street. Joining in the celebrations with the staff and Councillors of the Arima Borough Corporation, were MP for Arima, Pennelope Beckles, MP for Arouca South, Camille Robinson-Regis, Ag Commissioner of Police, Everald Snaggs, Prisons Commissioner, Leo Abraham, Commander Garnet Best of the Coast Guard and Ambassador Jerry Narace.