…her contribution to Guyana’s culture and education is immeasurable
WHEN an individual combines religion and spirituality with love of country, outright active patriotism in promoting and preserving their country’s cultural heritage, such a person should be exalted.

When a woman is blessed with a sense of dedication to both a Divine Calling and Service, and a creativity she shared with generations, then her country must recognise her gifts of giving and cherish the legacy she has left the nation.

Such a human being was the late Sister Rose (Magdalene) D’Ornellas, Sister of the Community of  Carmelite Sisters, former Folk Research Officer in the  then Department of Culture, Founder and Director of Youth Choirs, Devout Roman Catholic Worker and  Social Activist in the cultural community in  Guyana’s hinterland and along its coastal belt.

The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport is saddened to mourn her passing in Trinidad and Tobago a few days ago, but is also privileged to pay tribute to her iconic contributions to Guyana’s cultural identity through her life’s work in folk-research, music, singing and cultural expression, generally.

Guyana and the Ministry must be the proud and grateful beneficiaries of her work and contributions during her sojourn at the Department, the Ministry, the Concert Halls and the villages. After the very-first-ever CARIFESTA in Guyana in 1972, Sister Rose was a virtual pioneer of official Folk Research.  She was described as “the remarkable Nun from New Amsterdam who consistently whipped the competition at the Biennial Music Festivals with her Children’s Choirs and Action Groups”, Composer and Director of the Annual Story of Christmas presentations, she has bequeathed a collection of audio tapes, writings, drawings, books and compositions which chronicle her own creativity and some of Guyana’s unique cultural traditions.

The Ministry of Culture expresses sympathy with her friends and colleagues in both the Catholic and CARICOM Community – and borrows some closing  observations from her dear friend and colleague, Mildred Lowe: “Her contribution to Guyana in the realm of culture and education is immeasurable and I think she would want to be remembered not only as a true daughter of Guyana, but also as one who has provided us with a written history of our country, which we can only use for the knitting together of our country into One people, One Nation One Destiny”.