Sat | Nov 23, 2024

NY Consulate to host Independence church service on Sunday

Published:Saturday | August 24, 2024 | 12:06 AMLester Hinds/Gleaner Writer
Pause
Consul General to New York Alsion Wilson (center), with consulate staff and NYPD officers, at a flag-raising ceremony to mark Jamaica’s 62nd anniversary of Independence. The event was held in Manhattan recently.
Contributed
Consul General to New York Alsion Wilson (center), with consulate staff and NYPD officers, at a flag-raising ceremony to mark Jamaica’s 62nd anniversary of Independence. The event was held in Manhattan recently.
Consul General Alsion Wilson with NYC Mayor Eric Adams at a flag-raising ceremony to mark Jamaica’s 62nd anniversary of Independence. The event was held in Manhattan recently.
Contributed
Consul General Alsion Wilson with NYC Mayor Eric Adams at a flag-raising ceremony to mark Jamaica’s 62nd anniversary of Independence. The event was held in Manhattan recently.
1
2

NEW YORK:

The service hosted annually by the Jamaican Consulate in New York to mark the island’s anniversary of Independence will be held this Sunday, August 25, at 4:00 p.m. at the New Jerusalem Worship Centre in Jamaica, Queens.

The ceremony, a traditional highlight of Independence activities for Jamaicans living in the diaspora, will bring the curtains down on the nation’s 62nd anniversary celebrations.

In her Independence address, Jamaica’s Consul General to New York, Alsion Wilson, said the celebration is not only “.. a reflection of our proud history, but also a reaffirmation of the values that unite us as a people. It reminds us of our responsibility to share the spirit of love, peace, and unity with the world.”

The mass, largely regarded by the community as a time for thanksgiving, usually attracts a huge support from Jamaicans across the tri-state area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

Other highlighted activities across the diaspora included flag raising events, parties and Independence galas.

Jamaican diplomats in the United States also marked the occasion with messages of hope and encouragement to their fellow Jamaicans.

The Consul General said that the religious observance offers an opportunity for Jamaicans to pause and reflect on the country’s journey.

She remarked that in every sphere of life, whether academia, politics, business, and beyond first-, second-, and third-generation Jamaicans continue to make their mark, often citing their Jamaican heritage as the cornerstone of their success.

“Their achievements are a direct result of the sacrifices made by their foreparents, who left our beautiful island in search of better opportunities. Today, their success stories are a testament to the strength of our community and the enduring power of our cultural heritage. As a community, we must support their endeavours, encouraging them to view Jamaica not only as a place of respite and recreation, but as a land ripe for investment and even to return to live. Let us not allow our land to remain idle but to thrive with purpose and potential,” she said.