New York, January 29, 2009: Grenada's Consul General in New York, Honourable Derrick James, says he is delighted that Bishop Vincent Darius is in the city to add a spiritual dimension to New York's 35th anniversary of Grenada's Independence. "The Bishop arrived in New York Wednesday night and we look forward to His Lordship's sharing of the word of God with us and asking God's blessings on the people of Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique,'' Mr. James said. The Roman Catholic Bishop will be the chief celebrant at an Ecumenical Service of Thanksgiving on Sunday, February 1, organized the Consulate General of Grenada in New York and the 2009 Grenada Independence Anniversary Committee of New York. The service, which will be broadcast live on the internet via www.spiceislander.com , starts 3.30 p.m. It will be held at St. Gregory the Great Parish Church in Brooklyn. Grenadians in New York, like their compatriots at home and in other parts of the Diaspora, have planned several activities to commemorate the anniversary of Grenada's Independence. Grenada formally attained its independence from Britain on February 7, 1974. Prime Minister Honourable Tillman Thomas has said that the way forward for the tri-island state is to build a "robust, diversified, sustainable and strong economy.'' The nation needs "specifically to focus on building our productive capacity in agriculture and tourism to consolidate our core competence and competitive edge,'' Mr. Thomas said in his Independence Message released earlier this week. It's his first Independence Message as Prime Minister since leading his National Democratic Congress to victory in general elections last July. The Prime Minister called Grenadians a resilient people, whom he admires for their courage, commitment and dedication to nation building. "This must be appreciated and built upon,'' Prime Minister Thomas said. "All stakeholders must collaborate and work together to achieve our goals. As we celebrate, I urge all to remain steadfast in the pursuance of our dreams and aspirations to make Grenada a better place.'' INSIDE GRENADA NEWS