His Eminence

Kelvin Edward Felix
Cardinal
Archbishop emeritus of Castries
Cardinal Felix in 2014.
ChurchCatholic Church
ArchdioceseCastries
Appointed17 July 1981
Term ended15 February 2008
PredecessorPatrick Webster
SuccessorRobert Rivas
Other post(s)Cardinal Priest of Santa Maria della Salute a Primavalle (2014–present)
Orders
Ordination8 April 1956
Consecration5 October 1981
by Paul Fouad Tabet
Created cardinal22 February 2014
by Pope Francis
RankCardinal-Priest
Personal details
Born (1933-02-15) 15 February 1933
Roseau, Dominica
MottoUt omnes unum sint
('That they all may be one')
Ordination history of
Kelvin Felix
History
Priestly ordination
Date8 April 1956
Episcopal consecration
Principal consecratorPaul Fouad Naïm Tabet
Co-consecratorsGordon Anthony Pantin, CSSp
Samuel Emmanuel Carter, SJ
Date5 October 1981
Cardinalate
Elevated byPope Francis
Date22 February 2014
Episcopal succession
Bishops consecrated by Kelvin Felix as principal consecrator
Edward Joseph Gilbert, C.SS.R7 September 1994
Gabriel Malzaire4 October 2002
Styles of
Kelvin Edward Felix
Reference styleHis Eminence
Spoken styleYour Eminence
Informal styleCardinal

Kelvin Edward Felix, OBE, SLMH, DAH (born 15 February 1933) is the Roman Catholic Archbishop emeritus of Castries, St Lucia. He was born in Roseau, Dominica, on 15 February 1933.[1] He became a cardinal at the papal consistory held on 22 February 2014.

Youth and early clerical career

Felix was born in Dominica and ordained a priest on 8 April 1956. In 1962 he left the West Indies for St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia, where he attained a Diploma in Adult Education in 1963, gained a master's degree from the University of Notre Dame in Indiana in Sociology and Anthropology in 1967 and completed post graduate studies in Sociology at the University of Bradford in England in 1970. He was the Principal of the Roman Catholic High School in Dominica from 1972 to 1975 and Associate General Secretary of the Caribbean Conference of Churches from 1975 to 1981.[2]

Archbishop of Castries

Felix was consecrated archbishop on 5 October 1981 and served as President of the Antilles Episcopal Conference from 1991 to 1997 and President of the Caribbean Conference of Churches from 1981 to 1986. He is now a member of the Roman Curia. The Province of Castries, of which Archbishop Felix was the Metropolitan, includes St. George's-in-Grenada, Roseau, Dominica, and St. John's-Basseterre, Antigua/St. Kitts. The Diocese of Kingstown was suffragan of the Archdiocese of Castries until 2011 when it was transferred to the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Port of Spain. In addition to the administration of the Catholic Church in St. Lucia, Archbishop Felix was responsible for 33 primary schools, two secondary schools, one girls' vocational school, two homes for the elderly, one shelter for the homeless and an orphanage for young children.[2]

On 12 April 2006, Felix was attacked and grabbed on the neck by a man with a knife, as soon as he finished an evening sermon at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Castries. The man ran after Felix was aware of a sawing motion on his throat, and then pushed him backwards. News of the event made Saint Lucian natives reminiscent of a similar attack at the same Cathedral on New Year's Eve, 2000, in which a nun was killed and another injured.[3][4]

As he approached his retirement age, Felix requested of the Vatican that a co-adjutor archbishop be appointed to ensure a smooth transition in the Archdiocese. On 19 July 2007, Bishop Robert Rivas of the Diocese of Kingstown as Co-adjutor Archbishop of the Diocese of Castries. His installation was held on 14 October 2007.[5] Since his retirement, he has returned to his native Dominica, where he assists in smaller parishes.

Cardinal

Pope Francis made Felix a cardinal on 22 February 2014 for his service to the church.[6] He is the Cardinal-Priest of Santa Maria della Salute a Primavalle.[7]

Distinctions

The Archbishop was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Laws in 1986 from St. Francis Xavier University, Nova Scotia and was appointed an Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II in 1992. In 1999, he was awarded Dominica's highest honour, the Dominica Award of Honour for Meritorious Service by the Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica.[8] In 2002 he received the Medal of Honour (Gold) (SLMH) of the Order of St. Lucia for services to Religion from the Government of St. Lucia on occasion of the 23rd anniversary of the country's independence for having rendered eminent service of national importance to Saint Lucia.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Joseph Jr., Rudy (2006, 28 April). 50th Anniversary: Archbishop Felix celebrates. The New Chronicle (back page).
  2. 1 2 Archdiocese of Castries Website; accessed 16 February 2015.
  3. ↑ Christine Larbey "Archbishop attacked, security tightened for holy weekend" Archived 9 May 2006 at the Wayback Machine, StLuciaStar.com, 14 April 2006; retrieved 5 May 2006.
  4. ↑ Profile, newsday.co.tt; accessed 16 February 2015.
  5. ↑ "New archbishop comes to St. Lucia" Archived 12 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine, htsstlucia.com, 20 July 2007; retrieved 4 October 2007.
  6. ↑ McElwee, Joshua L. (12 January 2014). "Pope chooses new cardinals from Africa, Asia, Latin America". National Catholic Reporter. Retrieved 12 January 2014.
  7. ↑ "Santa Maria della Salute a Primavalle". catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  8. ↑ "National Service Awards Register". Government of Dominica. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
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