The Christmas Season is almost upon us! Whilst liturgically, Advent is not the preparation for Christmas, for many it is the real-time when we start preparing for home care, self-care, and gift-giving for celebration of the season. This year is the second year in which we have to celebrate a low-key Christmas because of the pandemic and people have grown conscious of the many thriving small businesses in our communities.

The Catholic Church in Trinidad and Tobago is overflowing with female artisans. The small business owner has become a huge but silently unrecognised part of our congregation. In this period of synodality, I thought we should recognise some of our female Catholic artisans. I hope that you will support them and that the experiences they receive from this may be a prayer answered or a hope renewed.

If you are a Catholic female artisan, add this hashtag to your posts #craftycatholicwomentt so that we can find you and share your work on our Catholic News- For Women blog during the season.

Name: Jewel Jannelle Hills

Parish: St Phillips & St James, Chaguanas.

Business: Jewel’s Exotic Drinks & Treats

Top seller: sea moss, ponche a crème (egg less) & sorrel spice drink

Why l like doing this: “I love seeing people’s happy smile when they take the first sip of my drinks.”

Location: IG- @jewelsexoticdrinks

FB- @jewelsdrinks

Jewel’s Exotic Drinks & Recipes

Whatsapp: 391-4502

Name: Sherrisse Camille Alexander

Parish: Tortuga Parish

Business Name: Amat Victoria Curam Designs

Products: Handcrafted greeting cards, positivity jars, artisan bath and body soaps, handmade jewellery and #Bare-Pain Relief Salve.

Top seller: Personalised greeting cards

Why I like doing this: “I love what I do because it is therapeutic for me. It is an outlet that allows me to express my creative side while enjoying what I am passionate about.”

Location: “My business is online under the name Amat Victoria Curam Designs on Facebook and Instagram, or I operate from home at #387 Tortuga Village.”

Name: Marianne Fraser

Parish: St Joseph

Business: Marianne’s

Products: chow chow, pepper sauce, pepper jelly

Top seller: Marianne’s chow chow and pepper jelly

Why l like doing this: “Originally, I started when I was in secondary school, and it was fun. I had food allergies, and I found out that there were a lot of people like me and so I got a sense of satisfaction knowing that I was also helping people.”

Location: Antoni’s Florals in Valpark and Gillgar Ltd, 6th Street, Mt Lambert, or call me at 772-2371.