President Daniel Gibbs, Senator Guillaune Arnell, Députée Claire Guion Firmin, Vice-President Yawo Nyuiadzi, Dutch St. Maarten Minister of Justice Cornelius de Weever and Territorial Councillor Jules Charville were among elected officials attending the funeral of Father Charles on Monday. (Robert Luckock photo)
MARIGOT--St. Martiners came out in large numbers for the funeral of the late Father Cornelius Charles in the Catholic Church in Marigot on Monday morning before he was laid to rest in the cemetery in Grand Case. Several prominent persons from the Dutch side were also in the congregation paying their respects.
President Daniel Gibbs paid tribute to a man he said had brought kindness and advice to many families, whatever their religion. “He was a man of compassion, like few others in a lifetime.”
Gibbs recalled Father Charles’ first trip to St. Martin in 1986 with the Bishop of Guadeloupe and his own father Dr. Victor Gibbs, noting that his father and Father Charles had forged a friendship that lasted 33 years.
Father Charles left St. Lucia where he was born for St. Martin where he found new friends and a new family.
“He was a friend of all St. Martiners, a man of peace, a man of great faith. He lived his faith fully, in constant connection with the Gospel, and believed in fraternity, love and sharing,” Gibbs said. “The reason why Father Charles was immediately adopted by the people of St. Martin came from his ability to unite as many people as possible around the fundamental values of living together. He was also a man of great authority, it must be said, but a man who was fundamentally good and just.
“He had found his vocation, he fully exercised it, here, on the island he loved above all. He had expressed the wish to be buried here and I am happy to know that he is here with us on his island to look after all those he loved and accompanied.
“I am reminded of the great Mass he organised on the Marigot waterfront in March 1999 during Lent in collaboration with the great Catholic family of St. Martin and St. Barthélemy. He brought together three churches of St. Martin with this Mass; the Catholic, Methodist and Anglican churches.
“Father Charles also left his mark on St. Martin when he created the Association ‘Le Manteau de Saint-Martin’ just after Hurricane Luis in 1995 when the problem of the homeless became more urgent. Many had lost everything and found refuge in the island’s churches and parish halls. He took up this new challenge with a fighting spirit. Le Manteau de Saint-Martin has since become an essential association, recognised and supported by the church, the public authorities and the entire community.
“Father Charles had always been guided by compassion, solidarity and Christian charity. Let us be proud of him, proud of the values he brought to the service of St. Martin and its people.
“With his departure a page in our collective history is closing. It is up to all of us to live up to what he has given us and to continue his action for the benefit of our community. Cornelius Charles went in peace. He will remain forever in our hearts. He now watches over his beloved island. We will not forget him.”
