Social Security Week Begins with Church Service

(The Valley, Anguilla) - Social Security Week 2009 began on Sunday November 15 with Board Members and Staff of the Social Security Office attending and participating in a church service at the St. Gerard’s Roman Catholic Church.  

Social Security attendees included the Honourable Minister of Finance with Responsibility for Social Security Victor Banks, Chairman of the Anguilla Social Security Board Aidan Harrigan, Director of the Board Timothy Hodge, other members of the Board as well as personnel from the Social Security Office. 

Director Hodge, who was invited by Fr. Paul to address the congregation, complimented the church’s beautiful new sanctuary.  He stated that while he had seen many of the most beautiful churches in the world, including St. Peter's Basilica , the Vatican, St. Paul's Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, Notre Dame and the Church of the Nativity in Jerusalem, and while they differed in terms of size and opulence, St. Gerard's was “absolutely as beautiful a place as any in which to worship God.” 

Mr. Hodge thanked the congregation for welcoming the Minister, Chairman and Members of the Social Security Board, Staff and their family members to worship with them at the beginning of Social Security Week. He noted that the Week was celebrated each November in commemoration of the November 3, 1980 passage of the Social Security Act. 

He then observed that the message delivered by Fr. Paul had drawn on two scriptures that dealt with justice and being prepared, and that several of the songs had the theme of peace.   "In Social Security there is a saying: ‘There is no Peace without Justice; There is no Justice without Social Security.’ We believe that in social security we are leading many to peace of mind and to justice through the System's benefits, and that in so doing, we are doing God's work,” he stated. 

Hodge believed and accepted the promise of Daniel 12: 3, which assured that “those who lead many to justice will shine like the stars forever that we will have our heavenly reward.”  He said, “Just like social security rewards those who pay their contributions with pensions at the end of their working lives, spiritual security will reward those who do God's will.” 

Referring to Matthew 13's advice to be prepared, the Director drew another parallel, saying that one could not expect to receive Social Security's rewards (benefits) without paying the necessary contributions, and therefore persons should prepare for the time when they will be unable to work by paying their contributions today. 

The Director also addressed the Spanish-speaking members of the congregation in Spanish, and asked them to join with the Social Security Board in celebrating Social Security Week.           

Social Security’s Ashanda Brooks and Rosanna Harrigan delivered the Scripture readings at the service.