WE BURY AN ARCHBISHOP

He reached the top, the highest heights of his profession and vocation as a priest in the order of Melchizedek. His name was Drexel Gomez.  He was born to a humble public servant in the remote town of Bullock’s Harbour in the Berry Islands, in the northern Bahamas.  He stood over Anglican theology and practice like a colossus and his voice was feared and respected by Prime Ministers across the region.  Errol Barrow, Barbados’ Prime Minister who spoke to Lynden Pindling after Bishop Gomez was invited back to Nassau from his stint as Bishop of Barbados told Sir Lynden while he is in Nassau “you must keep him busy”.  The late Bishop became bishop of The Bahamas and then became the first Bahamian to serve as Archbishop of the Province of the West Indies.  He was the author of the minority report of the Commission of Inquiry of 1984 that indicated a suspicion about the sources of money in the bank accounts of Lynden Pindling.  That shook the political firmament. In the end he was a humble priest again as assistant Bishop in his home parish of St Agnes.  He is buried in the church yard according to his wishes and following a state recognized funeral.  Rest in peace.