It is with profound sadness that we received the news this morning of the passing of our former Bishop and former Archbishop and Primate of the Church in the Province of the West Indies (CPWI), The Most Rev Drexel W Gomez.  He was ordained a deacon on The Feast of St Thomas, December 21, 1959, in the St John Parish Church in Barbados.  On February 1, 1961, he was ordained priest in the Diocese of Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands; and that very year he took to himself a Barbadian wife, Mrs Carol Gomez.  He then returned to our shores to be a tutor at Codrington College for about five years, 1964-1968; and then returned once again to the Bahamas.  In the year 1972, he was selected by the House of Bishops, and consecrated, to be the 11th Bishop of the Diocese of Barbados on the Feast of the Nativity of St. John The Baptist, June 24; and then the next day, June 25, 1972, he was enthroned in the Cathedral Church of St. Michael and All Angels.  He served our Church and nation admirably and faithfully for 20 years before he returned to his homeland, the Bahamas, in 1992.  By the year 1996, he became the 12th Bishop of the Diocese of Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands and in the year 1998 he was elected the Archbishop of the CPWI.  Archbishop Gomez then retired as Diocesan Bishop and Archbishop of the West Indies in the year 2009.

Due to three major fires that affected three prominent Churches, namely St Leonard’s, and the Parish Churches of St Peter and St Philip, Bishop Gomez restored them with some noticeable changes especially the St Leonard Church that moved from a cruciform layout to one that can be described as almost octagonal. The two Parishes Churches were restored with some internal reorganization particularly in the Sanctuary with the prominence of the Altar to bring the church into the modern liturgical culture and to become more Eucharistic to enable and encourage Anglicans to receive Holy Communion each Sunday and at Festivals.  He also took the decision to detach two Churches, namely All Souls and St Cyprian, from the Cathedral, so that they became independent churches with their own ministers.  He also planted the first church edifice in Rock Dundo, St Michael and named it Christ the King; and before leaving our Diocese, he initiated the process of rebuilding the St Saviour Church that was later completed during the early years of Bishop Rufus Brome’s tenure.   . 

It is certain that Bishop Gomez was very intentional about the mission of the Church as he instituted a number of initiatives.  He was the one who saw to the formation of the Men’s Fellowship, instituted a Lay Training Program to enlighten all those Anglicans who desired to more fully participate in the life and ministry of the Church and he led our Diocese in the debate on the acceptance of women in Holy Orders and a vote in favour, even though the Provincial decision came some years after his departure from our Diocese.  He appointed Rev. Rufus Brome to be the first Canon Missioner of the Diocese and appointed Rev. Noel Titus to be the first Canon Residentiary in the Cathedral.  He made the bold step in abolishing the two-tier Clergy system of Rector and Vicar by scrapping the title Vicar and enabling all clergy to be considered equal in ministry.  He also was the one to appoint the first black Barbadian Dean and Archdeacon in The Very Rev Harold Crichlow and The Venerable Malcolm Maxwell, respectively. 

The last time we had the privilege of having the presence of Archbishop here in our Diocese was last year during the celebration of our Diocese’s Bicentenary when he was our guest preacher for our Diocesan 200th Anniversary Service held on Sunday, July 21, 2024 at the Garfield Sobers Gymnasium. 

We thank God for Archbishop Gomez’s life, witness and ministry as Bishop of our Diocese and that of the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands, and as Archbishop of our Province and for his contribution within the wider Anglican Communion.  Our Diocese extends condolences to his wife Carol, his children and other relatives, and also to the Bishop and Diocese of the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands.  

May his soul rest in peace.  

Faithfully yours in Christ,

• The Right Reverend Michael B. St. J. Maxwell

Bishop of Barbados