The CARIFESTA XV Holy Train, an Expression of Regional Unity and Love

At first light, villages settle into small devotions. Church bells toll in the distance, a line of a hymn catches the breeze, and somewhere a murmured recitation rises and falls. It feels unmistakably Caribbean: Muslim prayer, Christian chorus, Spiritual Baptist ringing and Nyabinghi heartbeat sharing the same morning air. The image is simple and precise. A train with many carriages, each with its own colour and cadence, all coupled to one engine and travelling on one track. The destination is the same for everyone who boards: love.

CARIFESTA XV will host The Holy Train, a multi-faith gathering on Sunday 24 August, 6.00–9.00 a.m., bringing Muslim, Christian, Spiritual Baptist and Rastafari communities into a single, carefully curated morning of readings, music, dance and short testimonials. Organiser Lowrey Worrell describes the aim plainly: to make space for the region’s spiritual centre inside the region’s biggest cultural square. “This is a multi-faith event with presentations from the Muslims, the Spiritual Baptists, the Rastafari and the Christian community,” he said. “We are also including video contributions from across the region so that voices from every background can be heard.”

Worrell is unambiguous about the theme and the timing. “We are showcasing unity across different religions, and the focus is love because love exists in every tradition,” he said. “We chose Sunday morning from six to nine because many people in the Caribbean begin the day with spiritual reflection—whether it is prayer, meditation or a moment of quiet. That hour is meaningful, and it sets the right tone for what we want to achieve.”

The programme is structured to feel welcoming rather than performative. It opens at First Light with a moment for personal reflection and a brief reading that names love as the thread running through every path. The second phase, Word & Witness, offers short passages presented without contest: Qur’anic verses alongside Psalms, a Spiritual Baptist prayer and a Rastafari reasoning. The posture is hospitality, not argument. Each tradition stepping into the same space with its own language intact.

From there, Dance as Devotion takes the floor with three interpretations of faith in movement: L’Acadco presenting a Rastafari-centred work, Dancin’ Africa honouring the Spiritual Baptist tradition and Covenant interpreting Christian liturgical motifs. Worrell frames it as translation rather than spectacle. “You will see dance, you will hear readings, you will experience video tributes and music,” he said. “The morning will close with a major act that we will reveal on the day.”

On the music side, the Christian segment will be led by Israel Allen, Sharian Maughan, John Yard, Neesha Woodz and Paula Hinds. The selection is intentional. “These are voices with range, depth and sincerity,” Worrell said. “They are here to share something meaningful with the community.”

Another short segment will weave in video reflections gathered from across the Caribbean. Worrell explains “People from different faiths and different experiences will speak about what love looks like in their lives. The purpose is not to push doctrine; it is to hear each other’s truths.”

The venue is the CARIFESTA Village and the team is also introducing a simple mood board—a physical wall for brief notes of love, thanks or intention. “We want people to leave a piece of themselves on the day,” Worrell said. “That wall will show how love is lived in the Caribbean—ordinary words written in real time by the people who came.”

The invitation is deliberately broad. Children and elders, the devout and the curious, those with firm labels and those with none at all—everyone is welcome. “It is for everyone, from Christians to Rastafari and beyond,” Worrell said. “If you believe in love, come out.”

For Worrell, the motivation is as cultural as it is spiritual. The morning acknowledges how creativity actually starts its day in this region: from gratitude, ritual and song in kitchens, verandas and community spaces. He is keen that unity is not mistaken for sameness. The curation keeps each tradition intact while placing them side by side. “The most powerful part will be seeing how the reflection of love is translated by each group in its own way,” he said.

The train image remains a useful shorthand, but the story here is practical: Distinct carriages, one engine; distinct traditions, one destination. In Worrell’s words, “CARIFESTA is about unity—people from different nations, different traditions and different practices coming together. The Holy Train is an expression of that unity. It is about love. That is what this event is truly about.”