Where there is food and music, Msgr. Patrick Anthony is at home.

At an evening play at the Parish Centre in Castries, capital of the Caribbean island nation of St. Lucia, the salt-and-pepper-haired priest exchanges hugs and handshakes, speaking to people in a melody foreign to ears accustomed to English.

The language is Creole, the laid-back dialogue Chicago tourists are most likely to hear when island-hopping in the Caribbean, or perhaps in New Orleans.

Born in Castries, the Chicago-educated Anthony began his educational journey at a local Methodist school. He continued at St. Mary College, a prestigious all-male secondary school in the Caribbean, Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, and the University of the West Indies.

Although Catholics were—and continue to be—in the demographic majority, Anthony said Anglicans and Methodists were considered “the educated elite” during his formative years.

	Related story: St. Lucia: Bearing fruit, food and faith for the soul

But a common thread missing from their schools was the lack of the people’s native language: Creole.

Today, he said, some Catholic schools in St. Lucia are working on teaching children both Creole and English.



The Catholic New World: When did you first hear Creole?

Msgr. Patrick Anthony: I grew up listening to Creole. Creole is our “lingua franca.” It is the language spoken at home. As children we learned English at school.



TCNW: Creole wasn’t spoken in school?

MPA: No. In my day Creole was forbidden in school because it was felt by the teachers that it caused an interference with learning English. The perception was that children would do a transliteration from Creole to English. The syntax of Creole was very similar to that of English. At the time, the solution was to prohibit children from speaking Creole. But you could not do that because it was the language spoken at home.

All along the problem was about the methodology used to teach languages. Instead of teaching English as a second language, it was taught as a first language, using first-language methodology to children whose first language was not English.



TCNW: And that condition still exists?

MPA: Oh yes. Although things have changed now. People no longer reprimand you for speaking Creole [rather] than English. Since the time that we started the Creole Movement, the tables have turned. Now St. Lucians who can’t speak Creole feel a little out of place. So now, kids speak Creole freely in school. There have even been attempts to create pilot schools here where Creole can be taught from dictionaries written under the authority of the Ministry of Education.



TCNW: Within the Catholic Church, there is much talk about inculturation. How early did that start here with the Catholic Church in relation to Creole?

MPA: In fact, the Catholic Church’s usage of the local language and vernacular of Creole, along with English, because we are sort of a bilingual country, goes back to the early 19th century.

We have evidence of St. Lucian clergy doing their own rough translations into Creole of the catechism. But because of the political situation within St. Lucia with the ongoing conflicts between the British and the French … the British would limit people from doing anything that seemed to promote French culture. Speaking Creole or using Creole in church was considered an indication of that. It was only after the Second Vatican Council that the movement of inculturation really took off and a tremendous impetus began toward the use of Creole through language, Creole music, Creole songs and compositions.



TCNW: Correct me if I’m wrong, but Creole is not a written language. It is an oral language.

MPA: Yes, it is oral. That’s why we had to develop a written language system.



TCNW: Aren’t there Creole speakers in the United States?

MPA: Yes, in Louisiana. The Creole that you find in Louisiana is wrapped up in the culture of the people.

The Creole experience in the islands and Louisiana combines Francophone culture and people of African heritage. It’s just the way in which they come in is through a system of denial, of cultural denial of their language rights.

The people of African origin were deliberately separated linguistically. The reason was because if they could communicate, then they would be able to plot, then they would be able to plan a revolt. So the French made sure people from different language groups were put together. And therefore, the only way they could communicate was by developing a common language. That is the origin of the Creole. It is a common attempt to communicate. That is why the Creole has the structure of African languages, but the dominant language is French.



TCNW: Having created a written language, has that led to translations of the Scriptures?

MPA: There is an international Protestant group called Summer Institute of Linguistics that performs Bible translations in all languages all over the world. They came to St. Lucia at a time when we were developing our writing system. They learned our writing system and have since invested $1 million in the preparation and the publishing of the New Testament in Creole.



TCNW: Is this a resource you can use in catechesis?

MPA: I have. But because they are Protestant, I have to do some vetting. But in terms of the St. Lucian system, it is the best. Today, our catechesis in Creole continues with sermons in Creole. On certain occasions like Jounen Kwéyòl, international Creole day (Oct. 28), we celebrate the entire Mass in Creole.

We don’t have yet an approved Creole version of the eucharistic prayer. Haiti has for a long time. At the moment, the Antilles Episcopal Conference has appointed a special commission to prepare Creole versions of all four eucharistic prayers. Drafts have been prepared and presented to Rome for approval. Of course, Rome does not know Creole so …



TCNW: So how can they say “yes” or “no”?

MPA: Well … (laughing) We don’t know. I guess it is just a procedure.



TCNW: Can you see a day when Creole will be a standard within the Mass, just as Spanish and Polish, outside of their native-speaking countries?

MPA: Yes. That day is certainly coming soon.

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