As he prepares to celebrate his 50th anniversary of ordination to the sacred priesthood, Anglican Archdeacon James Edwin Palacious, said it has been an incredible journey.
“I’ve never wanted to be anything other than a priest. I remember as a little boy playing church… swinging the incense. I lived like three buildings away from the church — it was that close, so I grew up almost literally in the church. I remember at the age of eight, I think it was, I told mommy [Margaret Palacious] that I wanted to be a priest and they encouraged me, and here I am now, 50 years later. That is not so much an accomplishment, that’s an abundance of God’s grace.”
Palacious will mark his half-century milestone with two services — St. Philip’s Church, Inagua, the church that gave him his spiritual base, on Wednesday, June 24, his actual anniversary date; and at Christ the King, Ridgeland Park, New Providence, on Monday, June 29.
Anglican Archdeacon of the Turks and Caicos Islands and the Southern Bahamas, Keith Cartwright, will preach the Inagua service. Dean Harry Bain will preach the New Providence service.
Palacious was born on Inagua and spent the first 11 years of his life on the island before relocating to New Providence, on September 1, 1963, and was enrolled at St. John’s College.
Palacious was ordained in Inagua on June 24, 1976.
Christ The King Anglican Church, Ridgeland Park, he said, is his New Providence home church.
In celebration of his 50th anniversary, Palacious encourages people, instead of gifts, to make a donation to three beneficiaries he has identified — St. Philip’s Church, Inagua, where he was ordained on June 24, 1976; Inagua All Age School, which he attended between 1957-1963; St. John’s College (1963-1968) or Codrington College, Barbados (1971-1975).
“I want to give back,” he said. “It’s a debt of gratitude that I’m trying to pay.”
Palacious has been encouraging people to make donations to the institutions for more than a decade. In the past he has sold CDs and sorrel drinks, the proceeds of which he donated. And it all began with the celebration of his 60th birthday in 2012.
As he marks his 50th anniversary of ordination to the sacred priesthood, Palacious’ advice to young men and young women testing their vocation, he said, would be very similar to what he would say if he had been able to talk to himself going into it. He said they have to be “steadfast.”
“Be in the world but not of the world. Mingle with God’s people [and] carry them in your heart at all times,” said the priest.
“Make sure it’s a call from God and not a call from the people who see you serving around the altar. Serving around the altar does not necessarily mean that you would be a good priest, although that’s usually a training ground for many priests.”
He said to ensure they’re hearing the right voice.
“You have to make sure you’re responding to the voice of God so that when difficult times come, you will say Lord if you call me to this, you can take me through it.”
After brief employment, he pursued theological studies to test his vocation to the sacred ministry. In 1970, he entered Kelham Theological College in England, and in 1971 matriculated at Codrington College/The University of the West Indies in Barbados. In 1975, in continuation of his tradition of academic excellence, he was awarded a Bachelor of Arts in Theology with first class honors.
On June 24, 1975, Palacious was ordained deacon at Christ Church Cathedral. One year later, in 1976, he returned to St. Philip’s, where he was ordained to the sacred priesthood.
He had come full circle, and his lifelong dream had become reality.
Palacious went on to further his education at Princeton Theological Seminary, New Jersey, (M.A. Christian Education, 1982) and later Drew University, New Jersey, (M.Phil. Religion and Society, 1984).
For those young people who have answered their call to ministry and just starting out, his advice is to be as faithful as they can be and to love people.
“People don’t care how much you know, they want to know how much you care. They don’t want to know how many degrees you have — people want to know what’s in your heart rather than what’s on a piece of paper or what is written behind your name. So be faithful and be sensitive to the needs of others.”
As a priest, he said they should remember that they wield authority and respect and should use it not so much for themselves, but for others who might not have anybody to advocate on their behalf. And when they speak, he said he encourages them to make sure they speak the word of God and then encourage people to respond.
“Ultimately, you’re not going to get all [people] — there will be some people who will not get the message so to speak; others, again, might get the message afterwards. So just remember the ministry you are in was here long before your time and will be here long after you are gone.”
Over his half century in the priesthood, he said God has been good to him.
“It has been a tremendously enjoyable journey — challenging, even difficult in spots — but through it all, God has been faithful, and I try to be faithful; but the frailty of flesh means that I made my share of mistakes, but through it all, God has still brought me to 50 years.”
A favorite saying of Palacious says, “We sit in the shade of a tree we did not plant.” For him, he said he sits in the shade of a tree planted by his parents, godparents, the older people Inagua, the people of faith as well as professional colleagues. He said it is now his duty to plant a tree to provide shade for generations to come who will be able to sit and thank God for the example that he left.
He said celebrating his half-century speaks to the faithfulness of God and getting him to this point.
The priest said his mother was a powerful influence in his life.
“I just thank God for her. My dad [Irvin Palacious] always supported the church. And I thank God for my dear wife, [Reverend Angela Palacious] who has been with me in good times and not so good times, in our vocation. God has been good to me through her and I thank God for her. And one particular teacher who really influenced me, Eugenia Kingston, and I thank God for her as an entry teacher. She prepared me for St. John’s, and she always insisted that I should do and be my very best. I thank God for the many people who have helped me along the way, and who have been influential for me over these 50 years as a priest.”
Looking past his 50th year celebration, his wish is for God to continue to bless him, as he continues to try his best.
As an elder statesman in the Anglican diocese, Palacious is often consulted for advice, owing to his institutional knowledge which he offers whenever it is requested of him. He also assists as a Sunday assistant at St. Ambrose Anglican Church whenever the priest is away.
Palacious and his wife, Angela, are parents of one son, Carlos, and daughter-in-law, Anastarsia, and his grandchildren he referred toa s “papa’s little ones.”
