From blind band player to Roman Catholic deacon
BEING blind is always a challenge, especially in a country like Jamaica in which those affected are, from time to time, faced with associated challenges.
There is one Catholic deacon who is not prepared to sit and wait for things to fall in his lap and has been making steady progress as he does his part in spreading the gospel.
Arthur Taylor, 51, known in the music world as Tony Taylor, became fully blind at 17.
He learned music at the Salvation Army School for the Blind and from there played in bands while teaching in schools. He is currently in charge of music at Lannaman’s Preparatory School and has prepared many youngsters for the schools’ drama festival.
In the past he taught at Half-Way-Tree Primary School, Smirffs Kindergarten and Calabar High School.
A friend introduced Taylor to the Atonement Roman Catholic Church in Waterford when Father Walter Dorsey was the pastor in charge. He eventually started taking classes to become a Roman Catholic and transferred to Good Shepherd Roman Catholic Church in Braeton as it was closer to his home. In any case, Father Walter Dorsey, his mentor, had been transferred there.
In 2001, Taylor was baptised in the Roman Catholic Church. He is also the band leader at the New Life Community of the Roman Catholic Charismatic renewal that meets on Wednesday evenings at the Holy Childhood Preparatory School.
In later years Taylor did his theology at St Michael’s Seminary in collaboration with the United Theological College and is now pursuing his master’s degree.
Taylor started studying for the diaconate in 2010 and in September 2013 he was ordained a deacon. Many of his visually challenged friends as well as several members of the musical fraternity turned out to see him ordained, along with eight other men.
Married to Marlene, who is also visually challenged, they have between them a
son in his 20s and teenaged daughter.