Series of Events to Mark Heritage Week in St. Catherine

Several activities have been planned under the theme ‘Saluting Our Heritage, Building our Nation’, to celebrate Heroes Week in the parish of St. Catherine.
These events got underway today (Oct. 15), with a floral tribute at the Phillipo Baptist Church, in the parish capital of Spanish Town.
Mayor of Spanish Town, Dr. Andrew Wheatley, told JIS News, that the staging of the series of events, is a way for the St. Catherine Parish Council, on behalf of the people, to honour the courage, bravery and valour of the island’s heroes. “Despite the many challenges we face as a nation we are still grateful for the contribution of our ancestors to our development and our freedom,” he stated.
Cultural Organiser at the St. Catherine branch of the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC), David Reid, explained to JIS News, that the series of activities are geared toward rekindling a greater sense of civic awareness among Jamaicans. “We try to get into the mind-set of people that civic awareness and so all of these activities are planned with that in mind,” he said.
Tomorrow (Oct. 16), in collaboration with the Culture in Education Unit at the Ministry of Education, a National Heroes Summit for schools, will be held at the Open Bible Church National Headquarters in Twickenham Park beginning 9:00 a.m.
“There will be a colourful opening ceremony with parades of the heroes and uniform groups. Schools will be invited from around the island and we will select seven to take on the persona of the heroes and they will make presentations on the whole issue of food safety and security and how Nanny or Bustamante or Garvey would look at it,” he added.
Meanwhile, on Sunday, October 19, a Parish Church Service will be held at the Holy Trinity Church on Darlington Drive in Old Harbour. This will be led by Custos of St. Catherine, Reverend Sophia Azan and Mayor Wheatley.
The formal activities will come to an end on Monday, October 20, Heroes Day, with a civic ceremony and awards function at Emancipation Square in Spanish Town. “At the civic function tributes are paid to the National Heroes and of course there will be awards given out to citizens and residents of the parish who have distinguished themselves in various fields in contribution to the parish’s development,” the Cultural Organiser told JIS News.
Mayor Wheatley pointed out that the civic ceremony was a symbolic event, offering the opportunity to pay homage to the parish’s local heroes.
In encouraging public support for the events, Dr. Wheatley said they were not just for people who reside in Spanish Town and he therefore expects to see people from as far as Troja and other rural areas of the parish attending. “I believe we are losing that level of civic pride that is needed to drive the country forward and so I anticipate that persons will come out and participate and show appreciation for those who have contributed to the development of the parish,” he told JIS News.