The trials and tribulations of Bermudians, particularly black Bermudians, endeavouring to take their rightful place in the Anglican Church not only as ordinary humble worshippers, but as administrators and leaders came forcibly to memory on Sunday.

It was while attending the "welcome home" service at St. James Church, Somerset for the Rev. Joanna P. Hollis, BA, MA, M.Div. She's the youngest daughter of Archdeacon Emeritus Arnold Hollis, who is Rector of the Church and his wife Janice.

The historical impact of the event could not be missed. Neither could we escape sharing the personal elation of the Archdeacon at seeing his daughter in so erudite and graceful a manner chart a new course for Anglicans in Bermuda by being their first woman priest.

For decades women have been predominating in the priesthood in other churches in Bermuda. But unlike the Anglican churches, denominations were not part of the colonial matrix that for centuries had fostered "cradle to the grave racism" maintaining that that blacks were to be seen and not heard.

On Sunday, Rev. Hollis was both the Celebrant and the Preacher at the morning service at St. James. She spoke humbly of the blessings she personally had received from the Almighty and the inspiration from the example her father set to her.

The Archdeacon said afterwards that Joanna was a two-year-old child when he asked her what she wanted to be, and she replied, a priest like him. She is now aged 34.

He was also pleased with the wide cross-section of persons in the congregation. He felt it was a group of people who exuded good wishes and put his daughter at ease. Among them were Mrs. Marva Phillips and her husband Lionel, who is Joanna's godfather. Mrs. Phillips was principal at Somerset Primary School where Joanna transferred from her pre-schooling at Boaz Island. Also present were Sisters Judith Rollo and Delores Sullivan, principals when Joanna attended Mount St.Agnes Academy in Hamilton, as well as several of her old schoolmates.

Archdeacon Hollis himself has been a trailblazer in the Anglican Church. He was the first Bermudian, black or white, to be sponsored by the Synod of the Diocese to train for Holy Orders. That was in 1956. Those were the days when racism was peaking in the Anglican Church.

Since then, other blacks making their impact in the hierarchy of the Synod were of course the Rev. Canon Thomas Nisbett, who became the first assistant priest and in 1996 when the Rt. Rev. Ewan Ratteray was the first Bermudian elevated Bishop of Bermuda.

In 2007 when he retired the current Bishop, Patrick White was installed.