By Vernon Khelawan

Now that the euphoria and excitement of the golden jubilee celebrations have died down, Roman Catholics in the Archdiocese must now move to readjust their focus on the Second Pastoral Priority – Revitalising Catholic Culture and Identity.

Although vicariates and parishes have been working feverishly on their various revitalising plans, there is still much work to be done in this area.

To this end the Suburban Vicariate is off and running with Cycle Four of the Know Your Faith series. It began last Wednesday at the St John the Baptist RC Church in San Juan. That first lecture dealt with the definition of a sacrament: a definition of sacramentals and their significance in a Catholic life.

The second session, scheduled for Wednesday, September 12 at the same venue, is expected to deal with the Sacraments of Initiation, Healing and Service. The one and a half hour session begins at 6.30 p.m.

Archbishop Joseph Harris struck a strong note for our Catholic culture when, in his midnight Mass homily on the eve of Independence, he complimented the large number of citizens who displayed such love and compassion for their brothers and sisters, seriously affected by the recent disastrous Diego Martin floods. He said such passionate love should be demonstrated more often.

The Archbishop said, “The outpouring of generosity shown by citizens of all walks of life during the recent floods tell us that we are capable of passionate love. We cannot wait for disasters to show this love; this must be done every day of our lives.”

He urged the large congregation which turned out at the Pro-Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in San Fernando to mark the historic occasion, “to be change agents in our families, in our schools and in our nation. For hand in hand, with common vigour and common purpose, we can make Trinidad and Tobago what God intended it to be”.