Sheer pleasure, festivity, and revelry enveloped the Third Bi-annual Worldwide/Homecoming Day 2025, on Saturday, Sept. 20, at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Rosedale, Queens.
Occasion coordinator Trinidadian Monica Carrington, who holds a licensed grasp’s diploma in social work (LMSW), informed Caribbean Life that St. Peter’s invited buddies, household, and dignitaries to savor the tastes, sounds, and colours of the parishioners’ 17 nations.
“Stands have been decked out within the colours of the nationwide flags with delight, highlighting native meals, drink, and artifacts from the respective nation,” she mentioned.
“Invigorating soca and afrobeats dance music performed by DJ Josa and a Trinidadian metal band enveloped the air, including to the celebratory environment.”
The parish, situated in Southeast Queens, contains members from a number of communities in Queens and surrounding areas, together with nationals from Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, the Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Nigeria, Panama, the Philippines, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago and the USA.
“Members ensured that their respective cultures have been on show and have been overjoyed with the participation of the group, with over 500 attendees of all age teams,” Carrington mentioned.
Lamarcia Parkin-Bascombe, a warden at St. Peter’s, mentioned, “The Grenada meals tent was a giant success with folks commenting on the ‘greatest oil down’ cou-cou and flying fish, lambie stew (conch) and candy potato pudding”.
Carrington mentioned every nation displayed their nationwide delicacies, together with breadfruit cou-cou, pudding and souse from Barbados; roti and methem pepperpot from Guyana; kedjenou sauce, gbofloto and sauce feuille from the Ivory Coast; jerk pork, ackee and saltfish, ginger beer and sorrel from Jamaica; jellof rice and moi-moi from Nigeria; arroz con pollo from Panama; Filipino lechon and the hit ube ice-cream made with candy potato from the Philippines; breadfruit casserole from St. Kitts & Nevis; blackfish, pelau, coconut dumplings and mauby from St. Vincent & the Grenadines; buss-up shut and curry hen from Trinidad & Tobago; and fried hen, mac & cheese and collard greens from the USA.
“A visitor commented that the quantity of meals and leisure served was value greater than the quantity she paid for her ticket,” Carrington mentioned.
She mentioned the St. Peter’s Reward Dancers danced to a number of American songs, together with “Boots on the Floor,” in addition to to Archie “Killer” Miller from Barbados.
Carrington mentioned Brooklyn-based Quake USA Cultural Org. Inc. “belted out soca songs from Barbados and Grenada.”
As well as, she mentioned natives rendered folks songs from Guyana, Jamaica, St. Vincent, and the Grenadines.
Carrington mentioned there have been dances from Haiti and Nigeria, and a Zaouli masked dance of the Ivory Coast carried out by Judi Alloko.
She mentioned Panama and the Philippines offered their nationwide costume.
Carrington mentioned the leisure program culminated with a “metal band carnival from Trinidad & Tobago with masqueraders in colourful costumes and a stilt Moko Jumbie dancer.”
“One other wonderful occasion,” mentioned Andrew Trotman. “I’m proud to witness the extravagant occasion my fellow church members and organizers have been in a position to pull off for the group. Bravo!”
Carrington mentioned St. Peter’s Worldwide/Homecoming Day “has come to be a time the place members return from their summer season break renewed, refreshed, and energized to proceed to take up the mantle of the work and ministry and to try to construct up the Kingdom of God locally of Rosedale and surrounding communities. ”
“Worldwide/Homecoming Day is a time the place parishioners can share their tradition, culinary delights, and humanities with the group and buddies,” she added. “Households with smiling faces commented that the occasion introduced again fond recollections from their nations, as they loved the scrumptious meals and performances.
“The occasion has grown greater and higher over time, with an growing variety of attendees,” Carrington continued. “St. Peter’s Rosedale seems ahead to welcoming and seeing everybody once more in 2027.”
