Kenyan-born Catholic priest Fr. Joseph Lucas, serving in Jamaica, has appealed for prayers as the Caribbean island braces for the impact of Hurricane Melissa, a powerful Category 5 storm expected to make landfall this week.
In a heartfelt message to his family in Kenya and his parish community in Jamaica, Fr. Lucas urged calm and faith amid growing anxiety over the storm’s intensity.
“My dear friends and family, if you have not been informed, we have a Category 5 Hurricane Melissa that seems quite determined to visit this beautiful land of Jamaica,” he wrote.
He called on his congregants to take safety precautions while remaining spiritually grounded. “I extend an invite to you all to keep us in your prayers as we brace for impact.
Many of us are quite on edge due to the irregularities of this storm, and I encourage them all to move fully secured into God’s arm. Do not be afraid, for the Lord is with us.”
Fr. Lucas assured his relatives back home that he is safe and prepared. “Do not worry about me, please. I’ll keep you posted in case of anything,” he said, describing the hurricane as “very dangerous.”
Ordained on February 19, 2023, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Spanish Town, Jamaica, Fr. Lucas is originally from the Catholic Diocese of Kitui, Kenya.
Meteorological officials in Jamaica have issued nationwide alerts, warning residents to prepare for extreme winds and flooding.
