Devonshire Colts’ annual visit to Christ Anglican Church Devonshire is always a special occasion and last Sunday proved no exception.

Players, coaches, executives and family members attended the 3rd Sunday After Epiphany service conducted by the church’s Sunday School students just hours before a resounding 6-0 win over Young Gunz in the FA Cup first round at nearby Police Field.

“It was a nice service, Youth Empowerment Sunday, with some great performances from some of the youth participants,” Zuri Darrell, the club president, told The Royal Gazette.

“Pastor Jamaine Tucker talked about being fishers of people and we just want to make sure we are doing everything we can to uplift the club and the community to get a positive experience as we move forward in the season and in life.

“Devonshire Church have taken us on as their home church and we coincided with Sheila Easton’s [mother of coach Ray Jones] birthday. She is a great supporter of the club, so it was a great experience.

“It’s an annual thing and we usually have it in the month of January to start the year off right and get the players, staff and family of Colts tuned up and blessed as we go forward. It’s good and we’re really thankful for the Devonshire Church community who welcome us in and do it in great fashion.”

The service was extra special for Jones’s mother, who celebrated a birthday milestone as part of an ongoing tradition that began under the church’s late Priest-in-Charge Canon James Francis.

“We try to do something annually and most of the time it’s in January to coincide as a birthday gift to my mother, who is a diehard fan,” Jones said. “This year is a milestone year for her as she went 75.

“Every year we rally for that at the beginning of the year. We go to Devonshire Church as back under Canon Francis we informally made it our church.

“Canon Francis used to bless us and sometimes used to actually come and watch our games, so it’s definitely a tradition.

“We want to show the boys a well-rounded life and not just a football life. Show them another aspect to life, and they appreciate it, the community appreciates it and the church appreciates, so we look forward to doing it every year.”

Priest-in Charge Tucker, himself a former footballer for Colts and Dandy Town, said the club’s annual visit is always a delightful occasion.

“It was a real delight to have the Devonshire Colts football team, executive and family with us as we have been accustomed to seeing them attend for the birthday celebration of sister Sheila Easton, Ray’s mother,” he said.

“The dynamic of worship is always interesting when we have groups of that size because when they come they are in uniform and this time Devonshire Colts was certainly on the backs of the tops they were wearing. What it does for me is it builds a bridge to the community with Devonshire Colts and with other groups.

“Certainly the Wolves family is a strong presence within Christ Anglican Church and on occasion we have had Devonshire Cougars, but this is a visit annually that we know is happening and it’s always a delight.”