Sanctuary sorrow

Shock and deep grief have engulfed the Church of God of Prophecy and the wider Airy Castle Road, Stony Hill community following the sudden death of a prayer warrior and long-standing church sister, Valerie Dubidad, who collapsed and died inside the place of worship yesterday morning.

Dubidad, 74, described by members as the heartbeat of the congregation, had been in her usual active role just hours earlier, during the 7 a.m. service, leading scripture reading, singing, and offering praise.

One scripture in particular has since taken on a sharp focus.

During the service, Dubidad read Romans 8:18, “For I recon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”

She read the verse three times, a moment congregants say now lingers heavily in their hearts.

“When she read that scripture three times, it touched everybody. Now, looking back, it means so much more,” Sister Valerian ‘Yvonne’ Campbell told The Gleaner.

The church was not in service when tragedy struck later that morning.

About 9:45 a.m., Dubidad collapsed while seated inside the church and became unresponsive.

She was rushed to the Kingston Public Hospital by the Stony Hill police, where she was pronounced dead by a doctor on duty.

The cause of death remains unknown.

News of her passing rippled through the congregation moments before the second service, leaving many in visible distress.

Sister Patricia Williamson, one of Dubidad’s closest church sisters, told The Gleaner that she and the other members openly wept.

“She was involved in practically every area and she was an excellent prayer warrior, and she was in charge of the seniors at church, the prayer group. She was also a care group leader, and practically every morning she would WhatsApp quite a number of the brethren in church with some encouraging word,” Williamson said, adding that Dubidad was very reliable.

Never absent

She remembered that just recently, the police did a walk-through in the community and Dubidad, along with others, represented the church.

“People could hardly function when we heard what happened,” another church sister recalled.

For more than 20 years, members say, Dubidad was never absent from church and hardly ever complained of being sick.

Often referred to as the unofficial church secretary, she was the person members relied on to help organise, to assist, to encourage and to serve.

“She was who we called on; if Pastor wanted a number for a member, is Sister Dubidad. If something needed to be done, it was her,” Sister Yvonne Campbell said.

The Gleaner was told it was customary for Dubidad to remain at the church between services.

The first service begins at 7 a.m. and the second at 10:45 a.m.

“Every Sunday morning religiously,” Campbell said of Dubidad’s dedication.

Even compassion was part of her routine.

Members recalled that every Sunday, a mentally ill woman from the community would attend the church and wait specifically for Dubidad, who would always ensure she was cared for.

Yesterday morning, the woman arrived but became unusually boisterous and disruptive, a behaviour members say they had never witnessed inside the churchyard before.

“In hindsight, it’s painful … . That was something Sister Dubidad would normally handle with such calm and love,” a church sister told The Gleaner

‘She was never sick’

Just moments after the second service began, Dubidad had been offering prayers for the sick, asking the congregation to remember those who were ill and absent.

Members say there was no indication that she herself was unwell.

“She was never sick,” one church sister emphasised. “Never complained. Always strong.”

Following the tragic incident, the pastor and church leadership met with Dubidad’s family, as the congregation struggled to process the loss of a woman many described as peaceful, affectionate, and deeply committed to service.

Her death has left a void not only within the church, but across the Stony Hill community, where she was widely known and loved.

“She lived for God and for people,” one member said softly. “And she lived the Word she read.”

Dubidad did not have children of her own, but was part of a close-knit family.

andre.williams@gleanerjm.com