(Barbados Nation) – A Roman Catholic priest on Wednesday lauded the late Norman Faria as a sincere man who sought justice for all.
Monsignor Vincent Blackett told the congregation at Wednesday’s funeral service for the late honorary consul for Guyana, that while Faria was resolute in his demands he was always polite.
The Catholic priest said that Faria, who died last week Tuesday at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital after a brief illness, should be remembered for his unstinting commitment to the welfare and upliftment of Guyanese in Barbados.
Faria was described as someone brought up in the Catholic faith and as a thinker, whom Blackett said had a quest for knowledge and was always asking questions about everything.
The funeral service, which was held at St Patrick’s Roman Catholic Cathedral on Jemmotts Lane, drew a wide cross-section of people.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Senator Maxine McClean, paid her respects before going off to the Senate which met on Wednesday; a number of senior officers from the ministry attended; Senator Harry Husbands, Ambasssdor to Caricom Denis Kellman was there, as were members of the diplomatic community, staff from the Barbados Immigration Department along with Guyana’s non-resident High Commissioner Elisabeth Harper.
However, it was the turn-out of Guyanese resident in Barbados which caught the attention. They were drawn from all races and religious backgrounds as they paid their last respects to the Barbados-born consul who represented them not only in consular matters but also in labour issues and in seeking better housing.
Faria served as Guyana’s honorary consul since 1994 and was instrumental in getting Guyanese workers here participating in the May Day activities; in BMEX and also in promoting Guyana hardwood houses.
Pan-Africanist and attorney-at-law Robert “Bobby” Clarke in his eulogy noted that Faria was unrelenting in his pursuit of justice for Guyanese here and in so doing made many personal sacrifices; both financially and with his family.
Faria, whose body was interred at the Christ Church churchyard, is survived by his widow Bibiana, son Clement and stepchildren Jeremiah, Janice and Felix.
