In the 19th and 20th century, the Church of England was introduced on the small island of Rodrigues by British troops, ship-wrecked seaman and English police constables, among others. In 1903, a licensed Deacon was sent to take charge of the parish an to officially represent the Anglican Church there. The Parish of st Barnabas is now preparing to celebrate its centenary in October 2003.
The whole island of Rodrigues (with a population of about 35,000 inhabitants constitutes the Parish of St Barnabas which has only one church with about 150 parishioners. Unemployment and poverty have been the lot of the population over the century. In this context, the church played its full role in the spiritual and social development of the inhabitants. The Anglican Church in Rodrigues has, for decades, invested its resources in the formal education of young Rodriguans.
St Barnabas has also a humanitarian project since 1995 called 'ReACH' (Restore Another Child's Hope) in favour of deprived children of Rodrigues. More information is available on the project.
The parish is working on its centenary projects which was officially launched by the Right Reverend Rex Donat, Bishop of Mauritius, in October 1998. The project includes the complete renovation and extension of the church, the construction of a chapelin the east of the island and the refurbishment of the Rectory. The cost of the projects is estimated at MR 1.5 million (US$ 60,000). A Centenary Appeal has been launched by the Bishop. Activities will also take place at diocesan level to help raise funds for St Barnabas. Contributions must be addressed to the St Barnabas, Rodrigues Centenary Fund and send to the Parish Priest. For more information on the Parish of St Barnabas, drop us a line.
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