In a statement published in the Catholic Standard yesterday, Bishop Singh added that her passing was a great loss to the country, her party, supporters, friends and most especially, her family.
He said that in his more than 30 years as Bishop of Georgetown he was never fortunate to meet Mrs Jagan but the brief telephone encounters he had with her left him with the impression of someone who did not hold grudges, and who was warm, friendly and respectful.
He said when he assumed office one of his first tasks was to become familiar with the work of his predecessor Bishop Lester Guilly.
“While doing this, I came upon a letter written to him by Mrs Jagan in which she was blunt and candid. At that time the Church and her party did not have the best of relations. As I discovered after, however, she never harboured personal animosities against the church or its officials”.
The Bishop recalled also that Mrs Jagan once facilitated the Church’s receipt of a charitable donation from a benefactor.
During the difficult days when the church faced persecution and when newsprint was difficult to come by, the Bishop said, she was of great assistance to the Catholic Standard by providing the ends of newsprint rolls which allowed for its publication. “Her act of kindness allowed us to survive that difficult period,” he noted.
“The many tributes that have been paid to her since her death are testimonies to the extent to which she touched lives and made a difference. I am confident that she will always be remembered, and that in time there will be a much greater appreciation for her enormous contributions to Guyana,” he said. He extended personal condolences to those who mourned her death.
