dominica2day: Dominicans welcome new year with joyful expectation

Dominicans welcome new year with joyful expectation
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admin on 31 December, 2005 05:00:00
 
Hundreds of worshippers packed churches and cathedrals across the nation as
Dominicans bid farewell to 2005 and welcome the New Year with prayers and joyful
celebration.
The Streets of Roseau fell deafly quiet on Saturday night as hundreds of
Dominicans packed churches and cathedrals across the nation for the traditional
‘Old years Night’ services to welcome the New Year. Led by their pastors and
priests, worshippers spent the final two hours of 2005 in sober reflection and
thanksgiving for a year many are describing as ‘difficult and challenging.’ Chad
Prince, Pastor of the Goodwill Gospel Mission Church, reminded his congregation,
“Despite the economic difficulties and personal tragedies, God has been good to
us as a nation and a people.” Similar sentiments were echoed across scores of
the nation’s pulpits.
At the stroke of midnight, unlike the fanfare and revelry heralding the New
Year in many of the world’s best-known cities, 2006 was ushered in with much
prayer and joyful celebration. By early Sunday morning telephone lines were
jammed as Dominicans sought to extend New Year greetings to family and friends
at home and abroad.
However, amidst the novelty of the New Year and plethora of resolutions, many
are hoping and praying that 2006 will bring with it improved economic fortunes
for themselves and the nation.