HIS LIFE AND WORK

 Archbishop Samuel E. Carter, S.J.

Entered the Society of Jesus - August 12, 1944 Ordained Priest - June 19, 1954
Ordained Bishop - April 25, 1966
Appointed Archbishop -September 25, 1970
Retired - January, 1995

Archbishop Samuel Emmanuel Carter, S. J., the sixth of seven children of the late Wilfred and Marie Carter of 61 Hagley Park Road, St. Andrew was born on July 3 1, 1919, the Feast of St. Ignatius, Founder of the Jesuits.

Education and early career

After attending a private infant school and St. Aloysius Boys' School under the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany, he was among the first students (as was Hon. Louise Bennett) in 1933 to attend the newly established St. Simon's College under Headmaster E. B. Hazelwood of Guyana.

After completing secondary education with success in Cambridge University Examination at Advanced level, he began a teaching career at St. Simon's as Instructor in Latin, 1939-1941. In 1941 he entered the Civil Service working as a Clerk in the Treasury and Finance Department until 1944.

Career as a Jesuit

In August 1944 he entered the Jesuit Novitiate at Shadowbrook, Lenox, Massachusetts and pronounced his First Vows as a Jesuit in 1946.

Continuing his studies in Humanities, he gained a Bachelor's Degree in 1947 and a Master's Degree in Philosophy at Weston College, in 1950. Then followed a year of teaching Sociology at Holy Cross College, Worcester, Massachusetts. Returning to Weston College in 1951 for the study of Theology, he achieved the Degree of Licentiate in Sacred Theology (STL). Following upon his ordination to the Sacred Preisthood in 1954 he completed his Jesuit formation and the study of Ascetical Theology at St.Bueno's College, Wales.

For further preparation for his work in Jamaica he attended the Boston College Graduate School of Social Work and obtained the Master's Degree in Social Work (MSW) in 1958.

Career in Jamaica

On returning to Jamaica in 1958 after an absence of 14 years, Father Carter was appointed Assistant Priest at Holy Trinity Cathedral and Manager of Holy Family School. Chaplain, Catholic Women's League and representative of the Church on Social Work programmes such as Save the Children Fund, Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children later changed to Jamaica Children's Services, Social Casework Lecturer for Probation Officers.

In the Summer of 1959 he was invited to be the Founder and First Headmaster of Campion College, a new Jesuit High School for boys. He remained in this post until 1964 when he became the first Jamaican Rector of St. George's College.

In 1965 Father Carter accompanied Bishop McEleney to the Final Session of the Second Vatican Council.

In February 1966 he became the first Jamaican Roman Catholic Bishop with his appointment as Auxiliary to Bishop McEleney. After serving as Vicar General and Pastor of Holy Cross Church for four years, in 1970 he succeeded Archbishop McEleney as the first Jamaican Archbishop of Kingston.

Career as Archbishop

In the Caribbean, Archbishop Carter served the Antilles Episcopal Conference which comprises the English and French Speaking Caribbean as its President from 1968-1980 (six consecutive terms) and again from 1983 until 1991.

He also served on many Commissions of the Conference either as Chairman or as member - Ecumenical, Liturgical, Missionary Activities, Education, Communications, Mixed Religious. He was elected by the Conference to be its representative at five Roman Synods and was also appointed by the Holy Father in 1994 to attend the African Synod in Rome.

For five years he served as a member of the Roman Sacred Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.

Archbishop Carter also served as the Representative on Latin American Episcopal Conference (CELAM) and attended the meetings at Medellin, Puebla and Santo Domingo. In this capacity he chaired CELAM's Section on Ecumenism.

In 1973 at the Inaugural Meeting of the Caribbean Conference of Churches he was elected as the first Chairman of the Conference and also served as a Director of Christian Action for Development (CADEC).

He also served as Moderator of the European International Agency for Socio-Economic Development (QDSE).

In the Caribbean, Archbishop Carter was appointed member of the Commission of Enquiry into administration of justice, alleged Police brutality, etc., in the State of Grenada (Duffus Commission); Leader of Caribbean Conference of Churches Fact Finding Mission to Haiti, appointed to be an Observer at the Elections in Guyana.

Locally, Archbishop Carter, living up to his motto - "That All May Be One" facilitated membership of the Roman Catholic Church as a member of the Jamaica Council of Churches and served as its President for a number of years.

Other Activities

Member, Council of the University of the West Indies; Chairman, Visiting
Committee, Fort Augusta Prison; Chairman, Boards of Holy Trinity Secondary
School; St. Anne's Secondary and Dupont Primary Schools; Chairman,
Archdiocesan Pastoral Council, Education Board; Building Commission; Synod
Commission; Liturgical Commission; Human Development; Finance Board; Member,
Jamaica Foundation of Children; Member, Inner City Development Board;
Chairman, Board of Directors of LOVE FM ; Treasurer, Jamaica Council of
Churches; Chaplain, Catholic Women's League; Member of the Association for
Settlements and Commercial Enterprise for National Development (ASCEND). He
has been for over eight years Co-Chairman, Disciples of Christ/Roman
Catholic International Dialogue.

One of the priorities of Archbishop Carter's Episcopate was the promotion and building up of the local Clergy. It was his joy and privilege to ordain the following Priests:

Fr. Kenneth Kong
Fr. Richard HoLung, S.J.
Fr. Jules Wong
Fr. Gregory Ramkissoon
Fr. Alfred Lee
Fr. Walter Dorsey
Fr. Howard Rochester
Fr. Randolph Ferguson
Fr. Romanus Otuonye
Fr. Brian Kerr
Fr. Devon Nash
Fr. Donald Chambers
Fr. Orville Shields, S.J.
Bishop Charles Dufour
Msgr. Kenneth Mock Yen
Fr. Xavier Vitacolonna, C.P.
Fr. Paul Collier, C.P.
Fr. Kenneth Richards
Fr. Bruce Knox
Fr. George Phillips
Fr. Charles Brown
Fr. Kingsley Asphall
Fr. Burchell McPherson
Fr. Dudley Adams, S.J.
Fr. Michael Lewis
Fr. Thomas Dynetius
Bishop Donald J. Reece

Archbishop also ordained several Priests for the Jesuits, Atonement Friars and Franciscans of Holy Name Province in the United States of America.

Archbishop Carter also ordained 20 Deacons to the Permanent Diaconate in Jamaica.

Activities since retirement

Elected Director and Treasurer of Ecumenical Radio and Television Station LOVE FM, elected Chairman ASCEND Government Housing Project; elected by the Antilles Episcopal Conference to attend Synod of the Americas in Rome; Director, Vice Chairman Citizens Action for Free and Fair Elections (CAFFE); Leader of CAFFE Team observing Referendum in St. Kitts Nevis. As President of the Commission on Ecumenism he represented the Antilles Episcopal Conference at Mexico Conference of Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. He represented the Antilles Episcopal Conference at the Eighth Assembly of World Council of Churches in Harare, Zimbabwe, Africa. Appointed by Ministry of Housing to be part of a Committee to investigate a Housing Project at Hope Botanical Gardens. Represented the Roman Catholic Church in the Caribbean at a Roman Catholic/Anglican Consultation in Toronto, Canada. Attended a Meeting of Leaders of Observer Teams for Latin America and the Caribbean in Managua, Nicaragua. Member of Carter Observer Team General Elections, Guyana.

Honors/Awards
L.L.D.
L.L.D.
L.L.D.
S.T.D.
Rale Medallion
L.L.D.
L.L.D. D.D.
Commander of the Order of Distinction 1972
Order of Jamaica 1992.
College of the Holy Cross
Le Moyne College
Loyola University of Chicago
Boston College
Bicentennial Award USA Boston College
School of Social Work
University of the West Indies
Fairfield University
Bethany
Prelates appointed during Archbishop's Term of Office
Msgr. Stanley Shearer
Msgr. Alphonso Bygrave
Msgr. Charles Dufour
Msgr. Robert Haughton James
Msgr. Colin Bryan
Msgr. John Meany
Msgr. Kenneth Mock Yen
Msgr. Richard Albert.

Bishops ordained by Archbishop
Most Rev. Donald J. Reece (Antigua) - (Priesthood 1971, Episcopate 1981)
Most Rev. Paul M. Boyle, C.P. (Mandeville) (Episcopate 1991)
Most Rev. Charles H. Dufour, (Montego Bay) Principal Co-Consecrator