YOU can take a mistake and carry it around as a burden; or you can cast it off and use it as a stepping stone to greatness.” A Google quote from “who knows,” but I found it quite interesting and relevant to this article.
So, like most people from St. Lucia, I hear and see quite a few videos of our stories, our faux pas, our comedy and so many other sensational things that we, yes, the people of St. Lucia, have created. No one is exempt from this and so the good priest, also known as “Father Facts”, became an overnight sensation with his role as Juke Bois, albeit the version that gets saved and goes to heaven immediately. The real Juke Bois are certainly not so lucky.
After all, although I grew up as a secondary school student, most of my classmates were staunch Catholics, and I can tell you that every single one of those classmates found Catholic sermons soporific and grim, to say the least. I knew all the invocations and the responses through the taunts that were re-enacted every weekend after the long Masses. Regardless of the fact that the nature of worship delivery within Catholic churches has changed over the last decade or so, I believe the development of Father Facts has led to a return to church in greater numbers and a greater appreciation for relatable sermons and services. People love him, they say it everywhere, you hear their opinions echoing through Catholic parishioners. Many of them believe he has introduced a new way of winning souls to the religious table. He tells it like it is, he calls sin by its name, and those who are guilty have consciously refrained from receiving Holy Communion. Parishioners can leave Mass with a renewed sense of hope and with possibilities for how to live better with their families, friends and even neighbors.
Of course, as with everything else, the naysayers are always busy letting everyone know what they think. They say Father Facts is too liberal for the Catholic faith. That he’s weird and that he likes too much ro-ro. Some of them have protested to have him removed from their parishes because of his loud and brash demeanor. I’m sure he’s heard all the negative comments about his style and his supposed involvement in the ways and things of the world. Finally, I believe there is some kind of Bible passage that talks about being in the world but not of the world. (Please don’t quote me, I’m happy to be corrected as I’m just a simple sinner). Still, there are people who have issues with Father Facts and his path to fame.
But the Lord’s blessing was not enough for the good priest. The good priest has now tasted the fruits of fame. He has become a superstar of sorts and is currently heading towards the level of a Catholic influencer, if you will. But as the devil would have it, we are watching the good priest closely, hoping for the slip-up that fame most often brings. We all get in our heads sometimes and forget that we are human. We drink the juice of admiration and validation, get caught up in unknown waves and then lose our way. Well, it looks like the good priest, Father Facts, did just that at the Groovy Soca Finals on July 6, 2024.
The show started with a bang, the night went off with great promise and the crowd, after being provoked, belted out their favorite and awaited monarch. I was excited, people were smiling and having fun. After all, it is Bacchanal time and the carnival spirit is restless. Everything seems to be going well. Presentations were shown, the artists brought their agames and things were looking good for the organizers. Then the unbelievable happened!! “Father Facts”, the good priest, was the main character in the presentation of Ricky T’s “Just Your Turn”. The beads in my throat became heavy and tight and my anxiety took control. I was mortified. Was this Father Facts repeating and endorsing the chauvinistic, sexually derogatory and disrespectfully charged lyrics against women? I was amazed at the good priest and I am sure all the other listeners were traumatized by the incident. He asked everyone to repeat the slogan “de ting eh yours, it’s just your turn”. Finally, if Father Facts wanted an acting job. He could have been in “Throw me down seven times, ah getting up eight” or even a role in Damn Proud Lucian, but no. I know what some of you will say, that it was just a show for fun. No, it wasn’t!
You see, as a somewhat anti-tide priest, he is known for celebrating and supporting the culture, and that is all well and good, but when you overextend yourself, your actions become devoid of reason and fear of God. Father Facts lost his bearings that night, and the same energy he puts into bringing the flock back to the right path, I believe, is the same energy that people should use to hold him down and demand reparation. I hope that when the head of the Catholic Church sees Father Facts’ egregious act, they call him to repentance and then ban him from preaching for the next six Masses. Repentance has consequences, so he needs to understand that he is not just an ordinary man, but one called to serve through the teachings and life of Jesus. He should not be caught meddling in the matter and sitting in the seat of scoffers for lack of a better Biblical reference.
Finally, I believe in forgiveness and so do the people of St. Lucia who, I am sure, have forgiven him with all their hearts. So we will wait until the period of atonement is over before the good priest can continue with the Maipwee portion of the Mass. Until then, if the priest can make an error of judgement, who am I not to do so? For me, there is still hope, although some will tell you that hope is a motorboat.
The moral of this story is that we all make mistakes because we are all human. However, shepherds are held to a higher standard. That’s just the way it is. Father Facts: You are expected to lead the sheep, not lead them to the slaughter. With love and compassion, we pray for your reinstatement.
