It was a very emotional send-off for veteran journalist and media personality Lissa Vanessa Joseph, as family, friends, colleagues and national leaders gathered to celebrate her life and legacy following her passing last month after a battle with cancer.
Tears, tributes and moments of reflection filled the church as Father Aaron Albert delivered a deeply moving and challenging gospel message that called on the nation, particularly media practitioners, to recommit to truth, integrity and accountability.
Father Albert told the congregation that the Gospel confronts systems that prefer silence and punish courage, while exposing the tendency to embrace truth only when it aligns with personal biases.
“When truth is inconvenient, do we still defend it?” he asked. “That question is not only for journalists or media workers, but for everyone who calls themselves Christians.”
He acknowledged the pain and confusion surrounding Joseph’s death, noting that even Christ experienced rejection and disappointment.
“It is not a failure of faith to say today, ‘This does not make sense. This feels unjust,’” Father Albert said, adding that God invites believers to bring their questions to Him rather than allowing them to harden their hearts.
Turning directly to journalists, broadcasters and communicators in attendance and those viewing online, the religious leader warned that media work is never neutral.
“Your work shapes minds, influences values, calms tensions or inflames them,” he said. “What you choose to report, how you report it, and what you choose to ignore carry moral weight.”
He described journalism as a public trust, cautioning that when truth is compromised for ratings, politics, popularity or personal security, society pays a price.
“When facts are replaced with rumours and sensationalism, trust erodes. When journalists become entertainers rather than truth-tellers, democracy weakens and communities fracture,” he said.
Father Albert said Lissa embodied the principles of integrity and courage, understanding that truth must never be edited for comfort, traded for access or softened for approval.
“She knew integrity cannot be seasonal, present when convenient and absent when pressure comes and she understood that silence in the face of wrongdoing is itself a form of complicity.”
He told mourners that while truth-tellers may be rejected, history and God never forget them.
The funeral service drew a wide cross-section of national leadership and the media fraternity, highlighting Joseph’s impact on public life.
Among those in attendance were Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre, who earlier this week revealed that he and Joseph shared a relationship of mutual respect; Opposition Leader Allen Chastanet; Minister for Education Kenson Casimir; former Gender Affairs Minister Virginia Albert-Poyotte; and former Senator Dominic Fedee.
Father Albert urged the congregation not to dismiss truth simply because it causes discomfort.
“May Christ, who was rejected yet remained faithful, welcome Lissa home. And may the Holy Spirit disturb us just enough to live with greater honesty, courage and responsibility.”
Lissa Vanessa Joseph was remembered not only for her years of service to journalism, but for a legacy that continues to challenge Saint Lucia to defend truth, even when it is inconvenient.
