Kudos to Santa Rosa – Nov 23 |
REGENERATING THE MORAL AND SPIRITUAL VALUES OF OUR SOCIETY By Vernon Khelawan If all that’s happening in our Church at this time were to bear fruit, it would certainly lead to a powerful and positive impact on the Third Pastoral Priority – Regenerating the Moral and Spiritual Values of Our Society. That is why the Santa Rosa parish in Arima must be commended for its focus on the Priority. The parish has published a booklet called “Pastoral Approach 2014 and Beyond”, which lays out its goals and strategies for the restoration of moral and spiritual values. First among the parish’s resolutions, as stated in the booklet, is that “each Catholic, as a committed disciple of Christ, knows, lives and witnesses to the rich, moral teaching of the Church and actively partners with people of goodwill towards the moral and spiritual renewal of Trinidad and Tobago.” In the list of guidelines for putting the Pastoral Plan to work, the document urges parishioners – with great emphasis on families – to undertake any small, manageable action step within the Pastoral Plan. It states that all action steps undertaken in the name of the community must benefit the moral and spiritual growth of those undertaking them, as well as those on whom they impact – the entire community. It also encourages every parishioner to make “a serious effort to become knowledgeable of the Pastoral Plan, by carefully reading through it and assisting in its implementation”. One strategy that is particularly interesting is missionary work, if for no other reason than recent references to this area by Archbishop Joseph Harris and Sr Rosario Hackshaw CHF while addressing students from two Roman Catholic schools in Port of Spain. In response to what he saw as the resistance of parents to their children’s involvement in missionary work, Archbishop Harris reminded parents that they have been and continue to be very influential in their children’s career decisions. He said young people have come to see the future as purely material. Their desire is to get a job, earn money, buy their first car and acquire a plethora of other things they believe will define them as successful. In her turn, Sr Rosario told the children that while they would need to earn money and fulfil responsibilities to their families, that was not all to life. She said, “I am convinced that all of us, if we took up our responsibility, could change this country.” This is the main objective of the Third Pastoral Priority. |