Dear Editor,
I cannot find the right words at this time to say how beautiful and creative the floral music show at our awe-inspiring Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception was after my visit last Tuesday. Being in this house of worship itself is a privilege and a sight to behold but this cathedral was transformed literally into a religious garden — a heavenly paradise on earth — as the various varieties of fresh flowers from our beloved Guyana and across the planet filled her corners and crevices, even among the holy statues, enthralling visitors and spectators without a doubt.
I read about the planned event in the newspapers and the very day saw a picture of the western entrance in the Stabroek News but had no idea that this feat put on by the Diocese of Georgetown would have been anything near the standard of perfection I witnessed last Tuesday.
A colleague of mine who visited the cathedral with me said that she never saw anything like it in her life, with live steel-pan music and surrounded by some of the best art of heavenly images anywhere I daresay in our Caribbean region.
She loves flowers and she was ecstatic about the varieties they had on display and went wild when she saw the orchids. But you didn’t have to fancy flowers to have loved and appreciated the floral show.
Coordinator of the festival Mr Francis Canzius related to me that the display only looked good because a lot of hard work had been put in by himself and parishioners across the pastoral area of Georgetown and its environs. He said that only on extra special occasions within the diocese events like these were planned. Mr Canzius said that the first festival of its kind was held at the cathedral in 1989.
This is the fourth time that it is being held. He further stated that since its inception, persons wanted the festival to be an annual event.
However, the diocese has only reserved very important events to coincide with such a flower display, namely Carifesta X. He also said that it was a very costly event and required numerous hours of preparation and work. On Monday last, according to Canzius, there were over five hundred persons who attended the floral and music show at some time or the other during the day.
The National Steel Orchestra and organists from the cathedral choir were playing inside the church all day. He boasted by saying something extra special takes place in the Brickdam Cathedral — a beautiful structure to say the least — when you add flowers of every kind and music to the atmosphere and surroundings.
See the beauty that I speak about through dozens of pictures from the show at my website www.freewebs.com/ leonjsuseran.
Also, TV viewers in Berbice can see some footage from this floral and music show at the Brickdam Cathedral on Friday, September 5, 2008 at 6 pm on the Catholic programme Ascension presents on Dave’s Television Channel Eight in New Amsterdam.
Catholics take to heart the fact that God loves beauty and art as you will find flowers and other art forms in any Catholic church in the world whether it’s on the walls or the altars, etc.
He has given man the wisdom to coordinate and execute events such as these —events we wish we had more of.
Yours faithfully,
Leon Jameson Suseran
