CHURCH and SOCIETY IN TRINIDAD Part I & II

IT was a result of my initial thrust into research activity of the Christian Churches among the East Indians in Trinidad during the period of indentureship that I was led to research the history of the Catholic Church in Trinidad. I am therefore indebted to Dr. Brinsley Samaroo for suggesting this topic. My deepest gratitude goes to Professor K.O. Laurence, who guided my research for my M.A. degree.

I am thankful to Ildefons Schroots, O.S.B., my confrere, who made available to me the transcripts of the documents of the Vatican Archives, when they were lodged at the Regional Seminary of St. John Vianney and The Ugandan Martyrs. This was made possible by the kind permission of the then Vicar Provincial of the Irish Dominican Order in Trinidad, Fr. Damian Byrne.

I am indeed grateful for help I received in the various foreign archives, namely The Public Record Office, London; The National Archives, Madrid; The Simancas Archives at Simanca in Spain; and The National Academy of History in Venezuela. At home, I received immense help from the late Enos Siewlal, Government Archivist and also from Archbishop Anthony Pantin in Archbishop's House Archives, which was extremely limited for the period under study.

I would also like to thank Miss Stephanie Thomas who typed the first draft, and June Prempeh who typed the final draft. I would like to thank the ex-Abbot Bernard Vlaar of Mt. St. Benedict, who gave me the green light for higher studies. Most of all I received the greatest help from Mr. Rupert Laydoo, for editing and putting an index to this book.

Any inaccuracies that may be found in this work I acknowledge them to be mine. However, I hope this book would be useful in Seminaries, Theological Colleges, Universities, Training Colleges and to all those who are interested in the Ecclesiastical History of Trinidad.

Fr. John Thomas Harricharan, M.A. Trinidad.