Anglican Priest brutally murdered in Jamaica
Kingston, (SVM News), November 14, 2006: One of the well known Anglican priests of Jamaica Rev. Richard Johnson of 45 years old was brutally murdered on 12 of November, 2006 in Stony Hill section of Kingston in Jamaica. He was the rector of the St Jude's Anglican Church and chief cleric of the St Phiilips, St Michael's and Tom's River Anglican churches in West Rural St Andrew.
He was found dead at his residence located a short distance from the 119-year-old St Jude's Church on Rectory Road in Stony Hill minutes before 10:00 o'clock Sunday night.
The Constant Spring Homicide Unit reported that a caretaker at the house heard Rev. Johnson screaming for help. When the caretaker ran into the house, he found body on the staircase, with over 25 stab wounds.
The main suspect in the killing, a man known only as 'Bomber', turned himself in to the police late Monday and was being questioned by senior detectives. We know 'Bomber' was known to pay frequent visits to the priest's dwelling," head of the Criminal Investigation Department, Asst Supt Denver Frater told.
"It has been a huge loss. He was like a Mother Teresa to us. I don't understand why someone would take a life like this and they can't give life," moaned senior server and member of the church committee, Dave Dennie. His eyes reddened from crying, Dennie described his priest as a jovial, caring person.
Parishioners recalled that in his last sermon that same Sunday morning, Rev. Johnson had preached about the Good Samaritan, the biblical figure who assisted a wounded man left for dead at a roadside by bandits, when others had only passed him by. The underlying message was about loving one's neighbour.
Another church member present at Sunday's service said it was like Dr. Martin Luther King preaching about being to the mountain top just before his assassination. "It was like Rev. Johnson knew what was going to happen and was telling his congregation," the man said, staring at the ground.
One female church member pointed sadly to a newly built wooden chair inside the church in which Rev Johnson sat for the first time on Sunday. "The chair was just put in last week. It was commissioned by the women's guild in memory of another departed member," she sighed.
He was serving at St. Jude's since 2003. Prior to that, he ministered at St. Michael's in Kingston, and Gilnock in Santa Cruz, St. Elizabeth. A graduate of the United Theological College of the West Indies, he was ordained a priest in 1992. He was married to Heather Johnson, the principal of a prominent high school in St. Ann. She was not at the home when the murder took place.
Pastor Paul Ciniraj,
Salem Voice Ministries
http://salemvoice.org/
He was found dead at his residence located a short distance from the 119-year-old St Jude's Church on Rectory Road in Stony Hill minutes before 10:00 o'clock Sunday night.
The Constant Spring Homicide Unit reported that a caretaker at the house heard Rev. Johnson screaming for help. When the caretaker ran into the house, he found body on the staircase, with over 25 stab wounds.
The main suspect in the killing, a man known only as 'Bomber', turned himself in to the police late Monday and was being questioned by senior detectives. We know 'Bomber' was known to pay frequent visits to the priest's dwelling," head of the Criminal Investigation Department, Asst Supt Denver Frater told.
"It has been a huge loss. He was like a Mother Teresa to us. I don't understand why someone would take a life like this and they can't give life," moaned senior server and member of the church committee, Dave Dennie. His eyes reddened from crying, Dennie described his priest as a jovial, caring person.
Parishioners recalled that in his last sermon that same Sunday morning, Rev. Johnson had preached about the Good Samaritan, the biblical figure who assisted a wounded man left for dead at a roadside by bandits, when others had only passed him by. The underlying message was about loving one's neighbour.
Another church member present at Sunday's service said it was like Dr. Martin Luther King preaching about being to the mountain top just before his assassination. "It was like Rev. Johnson knew what was going to happen and was telling his congregation," the man said, staring at the ground.
One female church member pointed sadly to a newly built wooden chair inside the church in which Rev Johnson sat for the first time on Sunday. "The chair was just put in last week. It was commissioned by the women's guild in memory of another departed member," she sighed.
He was serving at St. Jude's since 2003. Prior to that, he ministered at St. Michael's in Kingston, and Gilnock in Santa Cruz, St. Elizabeth. A graduate of the United Theological College of the West Indies, he was ordained a priest in 1992. He was married to Heather Johnson, the principal of a prominent high school in St. Ann. She was not at the home when the murder took place.
Pastor Paul Ciniraj,
Salem Voice Ministries
http://salemvoice.org/
posted by Salem Voice @ 11:00 AM
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