Category: columns2019

columns2019

Welcome Holy Spirit

Post author By Web administrator
Post date June 9, 2019

**by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ and Director, CREDI**

Let us welcome the Holy Spirit on this Pentecost Sunday and open our hearts to be renewed by the Spirit.

My heart was filled with joy as I saw images in the media of citizens assisting Venezuelans who were queuing to register. As stated in the Trinidad Express, June 1: “Venezuelans were not the only ones who came out yesterday on the first day of the two-week registration exercise at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain. Amid the crowd were a few Trinidad and Tobago citizens who felt moved to help the migrants in whatever way they could. There were those providing snacks and water, translation services and even one offering free transport into Port of Spain…”

Tags Pentecost

columns2019

Religious sisters, our heroines

Post author By Web administrator
Post date June 2, 2019

Good news! Pope Francis has appointed the first female Consultors—four, including three religious—to the Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops.

In March this year, Ines San Martin of Crux reported that the latest numbers from the Church’s statistical yearbook says “there are over 650,000 religious sisters who dedicate their lives to prayer and service to those most in need”.

She was reporting on a new campaign launched by the pontifical foundation ‘Aid to the Church in Need’ (ACN) that ran during Lent and Easter, praising religious life as the “beating heart of the Church” having an impact on countless lives around the world.

Tags religious sisters, service

columns2019

A world craving for peace

Post author By Web administrator
Post date May 26, 2019

The world is craving for peace.

In today’s gospel (Jn 14:23–29), Jesus tells His disciples that the peace that He gives is not the peace that the world offers. The reason why so many of us are “troubled” and “afraid” is because too often we, the followers of Christ, are yet to understand the meaning of this gift of peace. As well as the peace that Jesus gave to us, He promised that God would send the Holy Spirit to be our teacher, counsellor, helper, comforter, consoler, advocate.

columns2019

School exclusion can affect life chances

Post author By Web administrator
Post date May 19, 2019

How is data in the education system in T&T used to ensure that behaviour and exclusion practices do not discriminate against students from certain ethnic communities, socio-economic backgrounds, or geographical areas?

I am in London at the moment and am involved in discussions relating to recommendations made in a review of school exclusion practice in England.

Tags education, exclusion

columns2019

Family life at risk due to climate change

Post author By Web administrator
Post date May 12, 2019

On Wednesday, May 15, the world will celebrate the International Day of Families. The 2019 theme is: Families and Climate Action: Focus on SDG13. The observance focuses on families, family policies and major Sustainable Development Goal 13 targets:

“SDG 13 target 13.3:

Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning

SDG 13 target 13.2:

Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning” (UN).

Tags environment, family life, Laudato Si