A Mother’s Prayers are answered

My son was experiencing tremendous difficulty in obtaining an internship at an international hotel which was a requisite for the fulfilment of his International Tourism Management degree programme. His many applications to hotels in the Caribbean were not acknowledged. We became quite anxious as the deadline to obtain such an internship was fast approaching and failure to fulfil this requirement in the specified time period meant that my son would have to spend an additional year at university. However one offer came from Crane Hotel in Barbados but he did not get through with them. Also, it would have been very costly for us as we would have had to cover his accommodation in Barbados which was approximately $1000.00 (US) per month. I turned to Our Lady of Montserrat (OLM) to intercede to her son on our behalf. At the OLM’s Shrine Committee’s Tea Party in 2013, I visited the Shrine of OLM and sought the intercession of Our Lady for my son to get the required internship but I also prayed for the best option for him. My prayers were answered because very soon after the Tea Party, Turtle Beach Hotel in Tobago offered him an internship. This hotel proved to be the better choice as accommodation was more affordable for us in Tobago. The offer also came in the nick of time which meant that he would not have to spend an additional year at university. My son so thoroughly enjoyed the experience at Turtle Beach and Tobago in general, that he told me he could live in Tobago! I thank Our Lady and her son for this miracle.

Elizabeth Mohammed

The sinful, the suffering, the sorrowful have laid their woes at the feet of Our Lady of Montserrat and none have ever gone away unheard or unaided

Mr Glen Ghany is an active member of the Our Lady of Montserrat Roman Catholic Church's Shrine Committee in Tortuga. He has been a parishioner at this church for over ten years. On September 8th 2013, he volunteered to be one of four male parishioners to carry the statue of Our Lady after procession along the streets of Tortuga. This street procession is an annual custom for the Birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the celebration of Our Lady of Montserrat R.C. Church, Tortuga's annual harvest. At the end of the procession, the Statue of Our Lady was returned to the church for delivery to her sacred place in the side chapel. Mr Ghany testifies that as he and the three other parishioners proceeded with Our Lady, her image became heavier and heavier. His first thought was that one person had abandoned his duty, but soon realised that all four men were still bearing Our Lady and were indeed straining under her weight. When the task was completed, Mr Ghany discussed his experience with the others and realised that all men experienced the same phenomenon. They were in awe of Our Lady's real presence and her will to remain in her sacred place

G. Ghany

Afternoon Tea With Our Lady 2011.

On 2nd April 2011, Our Lady of Montserrat Shrine Committee hosted its first annual fundraising venture. The Tea Party was an outdoor event which was well organised and very well attended. The weather cooperated beautifully with the day's event, and encouraged guests to consume a lot more of Shrine Committee's member Michelle Baptiste's delicious fruit punch. As the afternoon progressed, patrons became more comfortable as they lapped up Tortuga's breath-taking scenery, fresh air and Michelle's award winning fruit punch. The Shrine Committee members grew nervous as they realised that the punch would be finished before the event ended. Silent prayers were offered by the members and Our Lady's intercession was sought. As prayers were offered, punch flowed and at the end of the function, unopened bottles of fruit punch were discovered. Where did these bottles come from? Only through Our Lady's intercession...... Thanks be to God!!!

Shrine Committee

God takes care of His children

Nine-year old Roberta Beaumont was preparing for her First Holy Communion on 19th June, 2014 (230th Anniversary of Corpus Christi celebration in Trinidad and Tobago). One of the steps in this process was the First Confession which was done on Tuesday 17th June, 2014. Roberta, the last of the seventeen candidates, entered the Chapel of Our Lady of Montserrat for confession with Fr. Alan Hall, Parish Priest of Tortuga. While administering the Sacrament of Reconciliation to her, a ray of light engulfed both Fr. Hall and Roberta. The Chapel was alit, thereby acknowledging God's presence and His affirmation of readiness of the candidates. As Fr Hall admits," it was truly a pore-raising experience, a treasured moment to be shared

Fr. Alan Hall, Parish Priest OLM

Awe-inspiring on both inside and outside

This Church is worth a visit. It is awe inspiring on both the inside and outside. In general Tortuga is a very peaceful place filled with an air of spirituality. I hope that it never loses that feeling.This Church also reminds us of the need to preserve our traditional buildings and appreciate the architecture of the past. It also tells the story of determination to make our places of worship true homes for God’s presence

Dr Suruj Rambachan