Archbishop Robert Rivas dies at age 80

Archbishop Emeritus Robert Rivas, a prominent figure in the Caribbean Catholic Church, has died at the age of 80. The Antilles Episcopal Conference (AEC) announced that Rivas passed away peacefully in his sleep at approximately 2:30 am on September 27.

Born in Trinidad and Tobago, Rivas was ordained a priest of the Dominican Order in 1971. His extensive ecclesiastical career included serving as the first Bishop of Kingstown, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, in 1990, and as the Apostolic Administrator of Bridgetown, Barbados. In 2008, he was appointed Metropolitan Archbishop of Castries, a position he held until his retirement in 2022.

The AEC expressed profound sadness at his passing, noting his decades of service to the region through pastoral ministry, evangelization, and youth development. Colleagues and clergy have remembered him for his accommodating spirit and dedication to the people of the Caribbean.