Saint Lucia To Erect Shrine In Memory Of Cathedral Attack

Saint Lucia is to erect a shrine in memory of the deadly New Year’s Eve attack on worshippers in the Cathedral in Castries in the year 2000. The initiative is part of the Island’s venture into religious tourism. In what one eyewitness described as ‘like a scene from hell,’ machete-wielding men stormed the Roman Catholic Cathedral, hacking worshippers, dousing others with fuel, and setting them on fire. A nun and a priest perished as a result of the attack, and several other worshippers sustained injuries. Two men, Kim John and Francis Phillip, accused of the heinous crime, claimed to be  prophets sent by God to fight corruption in the Catholic Church. They originally received the death sentence. But they won an appeal at the Privy Council and subsequently received life sentences. Tourism Minister Dr. Ernest Hilaire explained that religious tourism was a new area for Saint Lucia. He disclosed that the recent agreement Saint Lucia signed with the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Development Fund provides for financing a project with the Catholic Church to introduce a visitor experience. In this regard, Hilaire disclosed plans for the shrine. “A shrine erected with a narrative, a story about what happened and the importance...