Fr. George Agger, former parish priest, Montserrat
Fr. George Agger has been the parish priest of the St. Patrick’s Roman Church in Montserrat in the Diocese of St. John’s-Basseterre, for the past near nine years.
He has been re-assigned on pre-retirement as assistant parish priest in St. Kitts while Fr. Mark Schram takes over in Montserrat. Fr. Schram was installed on Sunday, August 16 by Diocese Bishop Kenneth Richards who at the same time officiated at the re-dedication of the St. Martin’s church in Salem, that was renovated with a new floor installed, constructed over the past several months. (The Parish is still seeking donations for the costly but needed replacement bill)
The parish council held an appreciation service at the St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church in Look Out Wednesday evening in recognition of Father George Agger.
Members of the catholic community here, friends and well-wishers turned out to pay tribute and to say farewell to Father George.
Pastor Kellar McFarlane, representatives from the Rotary Club of Montserrat, the Catholic Youth Council and the St. Augustine Primary School Board also paid tributes to Father George Agger among others, such as members of the tennis club and Emerald Community Singers. Meantime Father George was very humble in his response to the out pouring of love and touching tributes.
MCC president, Pastor McFarlane prays a final prayer for Fr. George
Pastor Kellar McFarlane is the president of the Montserrat Christian Council (MCC). In tribute to Fr. George, she said Fr. George has been very much involved in the Ministry of the Christian Council; he served as Vice Chairman then President; chaplain of Her Majesty’s Prison. He represented the council on various committees, while serving all these committees and in his leadership capacities Father George gave of his best. He would report to the council and point out critical areas in which the council can work with the community. Father George has left memorable marks on the historical records of the Montserrat Christian Council. Father George we realize that your ultimate reward will come from God, however;
Emerald Community Singers
“You have given encouragement, comfort and spiritual health to the inmates on our behalf, may God bless you richly,” presenting, “on behalf of the MCC. these gifts to you from our hearts as an expression of appreciation for your wonderful service.”
Meantime, Father George was very humble in his response to the outpouring of love and touching tributes. In his humility while confessing he didn’t think that being humble is not one of his attributes he had some words of recommendations to the Governor and Government with regards to the prison.
Fr. Mark and Fr. George in the front rows of the congregation
He said he had never been in chaplaincy in a prison before. “I really took to it, because I saw a need. I saw the need for those guys who are there… I never asked any person in prison why they were there, I treated them as individuals with their needs at the moment.”
Bishop Abraham Riley (far right)
For this reason he said: “I’d like to just suggest to the new government and the new governor coming in, to take the chaplain into their consultation now and then.”
He said, “its unpaid, but the chaplain has an insight into what goes on in the prison. [It’s], what prison visiting communities don’t have, governors don’t have and other people don’t have.”
The Prison Chaplain is a representative of a religious tradition who is attached to the Prison to provide faith and pastoral services to the inmates.
Finally, he said: I am thanking you for thanking me and I’m thanking God for the blessings that he has given to me over the many years, many, many years God’s blessing have helped and the gifts and talents that God have given to me I hope I have been faithful in passing them on and I think through the lovely words of many people which makes me very humble, not a normal attribute of mine I must confess but I do feel very humble with the response and the affirmation you’ve given me tonight. When I came to Montserrat I’m very conscious that I was still very much a work in progress as indeed we all are and there were many challenges, there were many prayers, there were many needs to respond to the needs of Montserrat but think long and hard about that, there are a lot of adjustments as you move into a new culture and try to bring the Lord into every situation. So yes I thank God and I thank God that I had the footsteps of Father Larry to follow in. I was very proud to follow in Father Larry’s footsteps…”
