Catholic Priest, Fr. Peter Hill calls on the DSS and others in society to stand with the poor & vulnerable

Catholic Priest, Fr. Peter Hill called on the Dominica Social Security (DSS) and others in society to stand in solidarity with the poor and vulnerable. He made that call on Monday during a Thanksgiving Service at Our Lady of Fatima Church in Newtown, to observe the 40th Anniversary of the DSS. “People need people, and we have to remember as a society, no man is an island. We are all interconnected, we need each other.” He stated that all must work together for the good of everyone, and there should be preferential options for the poor in society.
 
According to Hill, the dignity of each person is a gift from God, “and in all that we do, we must always preserve human dignity, especially the elderly and disabled. So often in life, when people have a disability we hide them, we say they have nothing to contribute to the life of society.” Hill is the Parish Priest for Our Lady of Fatima.
 
He said, “There is a challenge for all of us to remember that each and every one of us was made in the image and likeness of God.” He advised the DSS that “how they see you is how they are going to react to you. I have had certain conversations and there are some people who think Social Security is the best thing that ever happened and has done tremendous good in the lives of people.”
 
On the other side of the coin, he said he has “spoken to some people who say Social Security writes us letters as soon as you miss one payment, but when it is time for them to pay out, they take a very long time. I have heard people saying it seems the age for benefits just keeps going up. I am paying this money, but will there be any money by the time I am ready to receive it?” Hill pointed out.
 
The DSS 40th Anniversary is being celebrated under the theme: “40 Years of Dedicated Service and Stability Committed to Securing Future Generations”.