Vincent Darius, O.P. | |
|---|---|
| Bishop of Saint George's in Grenada | |
 | |
| See | Saint George's in Grenada |
| Appointed | 10 July 2002 |
| Term ended | 26 April 2016 |
| Predecessor | Sydney Charles |
| Successor | Clyde Martin Harvey |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 28 June 1987 |
| Consecration | 2 October 2002 by Kelvin Felix & Malcolm McMahon |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Vincent Matthew Darius 6 September 1955 Crochu, Grenada,British Windward Islands |
| Died | 26 April 2016 Manhattan, New York |
| Nationality | Grenadian |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Coat of arms |  |
Vincent Matthew Darius,OP (6 September 1955 – 26 April 2016) was theBishop of theRoman Catholic Diocese of Saint George's in Grenada from 2002 until his death.
Darius was born inCrochu, a village of theGrenadianparish ofSaint Andrew's, and receivedprimary education at the local RC school beforeadvancing toGrenada Boys' Secondary School. For three years after this he taught at Pomme Rose RC Primary before aspiring to the Dominican Order, based at Mount Saint Ervans, in 1978.
Received into thenovitiate the next year, he made hisfirst profession on 15 September 1980. He settled inTrinidad at the Holy Cross Priory inArima and on the island studied for thepriesthood at the then-regional Seminary of St John Vianney and the Uganda Martyrs inSt Augustine, though the latter he also did at theUniversidad Central de Bayamón (Puerto Rico) and theAquinas Institute of Theology (St Louis,MO). Here he obtained a graduate certificate inspiritual direction.
He wasordained on 28 June 1987 by Bishop Lester Guilly,SJ, thenemeritus of theRoman Catholic Diocese of Georgetown (Guyana), in the church of his childhood (in Crochu), St Martin de Porres. The next year he was electedprior of his order's house of formation back in Puerto Rico.
Upon his return to Grenada he was appointedpastor of Saint Paul's and, a year later, of Grand Anse. Then, in 1989, he was appointed promoter of justice within his order for the Caribbean, in which role he served for six years. He was also elected to two terms as the first prior of the newly established house at Roxborough, Saint Paul's.
Among the many other positions in which he served his native diocese, Darius sat on thecollege of consultors and thecouncil of priests.
On 10 July 2002, while serving as the spiritual director of the seminary by appointment of theAntilles Episcopal Conference (AEC), it was announced that Darius was elected byPopeJohn Paul II to be the fourth Bishop of St George's in Grenada, after he had accepted the resignation of Sydney Charles (which was announced in the same release). With this the diocese was to be led for the first time by a native of the country and once again by a bishop of religious profession (as opposed to Charles, who was, by exception, a priest of theArchdiocese of Port of Spain).
He wasconsecrated by Charles on 2 October, with then-ArchbishopKelvin Felix ofCastries and then-BishopMalcolm McMahon, OP, ofNottingham as theprincipal co-consecrators.[1]
In 2003 his Puerto Ricanalma mater bestowed on him an honorary doctorate of humanities and their ex-alumni association's award for outstanding achievement.
The shield is divided into three sections, but at the top the bands of red, yellow and green represent hisnational flag.
The right section contains the black and white crest of his Dominican Order as well as a mountain and rising sun for his family background.
The middle section depicts theCaribbean Sea and theislands of his diocese (Grenada, Carriacou and Petit Martinique).
The left section contains the reverse of theMiraculous Medal, recognising theVirgin Mary as patroness of the diocese.
The motto: Proclaim the Good News.[2]
In the early hours of 26 April 2016, after "a battle with pneumonia" and while undergoing medical treatment atBellevue inNew York City, Darius died at the age of sixty. According to a release from his diocese, it appears his sisters and family members were in the city with him, and the release goes on to say that his death was not unexpected.[3][4] Darius could not be present at this year's APM (Annual Plenary Meeting) of the AEC, which took place just over two weeks prior, in the Archdiocese of Port of Spain.[5]
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