In six days at Our Lady's Roman Catholic Church, Reverend Peter Alexander Rahming Sr. the country's first permanent Bahamian deacon will proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to St. Mark 3:1-6 for the final time, before retiring from the permanent diaconate of the Archdiocese of Nassau.
Rev. Rahming was introduced to Christ on December 20, 1930 as Fr. Arnold Mondlock, OSB administered the sacrament of baptism at the altar of Our Lady's Church. It wasn't long before Rev. Rahming took on his responsibility to Christ and in receiveing the sacraments of the Eucharist and confirmation while making his humble presence felt in the community as a bell ringer, altar server and organist at the early mass.
His potential was identified by Fr. Preston Moss who facilitated Rev. Rahming's application that would lead to his ordination as a permanent deacon on June 29, 1973 by Bishop Leonard Hagarty, OSB.
That marked the first time that the Catholic church in The Bahamas had conducted such an ordination. Rev. Lawrence Bethel was the second candidate for the permanent diaconate.
After his ordination, Deacon Rahming was transferred from Our Lady's to serve as administrator of the diocese's newest parish, Church of the Resurrection in 1974. The ensuing 11 years saw that parish's population grow from approximately 30 to over 200 parishioners.
While there, Rev. Rahming also ensured that the Gospel was taken beyond the walls of the parish church by establishing ministries including the women's auxiliary, men's group and a highly motivated, spirit-filled youth group.
In 1985, he was reassigned to Our Lady's Parish to continue his supportive ministry.
Over the years, Deacon Rahming demonstrated his willingness to take Christ's light to the smallest communities throughout the Family Islands. As a result, he is, by far, the most easily identified deacon of the archdiocese. And most people are amazed at his ability to juggle tasks within the super-busy parish of Our Lady's, work with the poor and the sick, assist people through death, manage the Catholic cemeteries, perform duties as chaplain of the Knights of Columbus, and diligently execute special assignments on behalf of Archbishop Patrick C. Pinder.
The untold number of people to whom Rev. Rahming lent assistance speaks volumes of the man. His life's work sufficiently speaks to his worth.
Over the years, he has worked closely with Bishop Leonard Hagarty, Archbishop Lawrence Burke, Father Marcian Peters, Monsignor Preston Moss, Monsignor John Johnson, Father Michael Kelly and most recently, Father Alain Laverne.
In 1989, Rev. Rahming was honored with the award of the British Empire Medal (B.E.M.) in the Queen's Birthday Honours.
Deacon Rahming's final Gospel will be proclaimed on Wednesday, January 18 at 7:30 p.m.
Rahming was born in the wake of the destructive hurricane of 1926 in the quaint and quiet city of Nassau. It is said he gave life and light to Peter Street and to his parents, John Rahming and Albertha Kerr. And that he had light and lived a life that could not be stifled even through challenges from the effects of the Great Depression, World War II, the Cold War, segregation and poverty.
Through his life he worked as a teacher, mason, tailor apprentice, and qualified himself as an aircraft engineer. Rev. Rahming's life and light gave credence to Martin Luther King, Jr.'s assessment that "the ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."  It is said that Rev. Rahming met the measure.
Even today, though tempered by age, it is said that his strength, courage, persistence, sincerity, and non-tolerance of frivolous trifling things are distinguishing traits which have withstood time's test.
Having been raised in a close-knit family, he learned early that a good family life is essential for balance. He has been married to the former Pearl Douglas for 54 years. The union was blessed with four children - Patreece, Antoinette, Peter and Preston -  12 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Leading his family has been a vocation of love that has blessed him daily. He loves his Pearl and oftentimes jokes, "She still right there giving orders!"  The two have raised children of sterling character, a testimony to their commitment to fulfill their covenant with God.
His love was not confined to family. He touched the lives of many, including the "Big Six" (his brother Clifford Rahming, Charlie Wright, Joseph Malcolm, Dudley Gilbert and Frederick North) ties that were severed only by death. Today, he is the lone survivor of that group.

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