Harvey appointed Bishop-elect of St George’s, Grenada

At a press conference at Archbishop’s House, Port-of-Spain, Harvey said he was not running away from Trinidad and Tobago and was not surprised by the appointment.

“If I were to begin, as is usual, by telling you that I am surprised by the appointment, that would not be true,” Harvey said.

“This appointment that is formally announced today (yesterday) has been in the making for some time and I have been aware that I was being considered. I’m going to Grenada, not because I don’t like Trinidad, not because someone tried to kill me and I am running, that is not what it is all about. It is about being called to serve and hopefully the work that I do there will also benefit Trinidad and Tobago.

“What we sometimes forget is Grenada has given a lot to T&T beginning with (calypsonian) Sparrow.” Asked if he felt he accomplished his purpose working with at risk communities here, Harvey said, “Absolutely not. This is one of the reasons I kind of faltered (in deciding on this appointment) towards the end because the events of two weeks ago really shook me up in that regard.

Walking the streets of Port-of-Spain over the past days, having young men approach me...and lets face it, a lot of them are mentally unstable now.

We are not doing very much about it.” He said the work is not finished and encourages others to continue what he has been doing.

Harvey said another set of heroes are grandmothers who continue to care for the children of those who died.

“We pay no attention to that. Sometimes they go for help and they don’t get it.

They need to prove the child is their grandchild...rubbish! “Grandparents are struggling. What are we doing for them? And now I am called out to leave this place, I want to encourage others. It is not enough to say ‘I am giving to this organisation and that organisation’.

It takes a lot of time...get involved with at least one young person, relate to that young person, don’t just give them money. They need you.” Being no stranger to Grenada, he said his life has been guided by what God wants him to do and would be going to Grenada guided by four words __ look, listen, learn and love.

He said in December, 2011, Archbishop Joseph Harris took him into the centre of the Church’s leadership as a vicar for clergy in which he served until last September.

“If it were not for that invitation, I would probably not be here today. Without the experience of working with and for Archbishop Harris, I would not be well-prepared for these responsibilities.

Of course, only time will answer the enigma of my own preparedness.” Harvey said although this country is divided in many ways, people must learn to work with others no matter what their political affiliations may be.

He said with Monday’s passage of Tropical Storm Bret, citizens need to think about the occasions God gives the country to do things to help unify the country.

“North Trinidad you can help south and central Trinidad.

Lets help the people of Debe and Penal.

Those are the divine opportunities which we missed because we are only seeing God in some supernatural sense.”