Barataria FLU grateful for ‘Children are Gift’ workshop

By Marisa-Therese Paul

On Saturday, March 22, our Family Life Unit (FLU) Team from St Theresa’s RC Church, Barataria, with the support and blessings of Fr Godfrey Stoute, invited parents from our parish, as well as other parishes in the Suburban Vicariate, to the Children Are Gift (CAG) workshop, facilitated by the Archdiocesan Family Life Commission (AFLC).

The workshop was held at the Seminary of St John Vianney and the Uganda Martyrs, Mt St Benedict. It was a beautiful and blessed day, and the presence of the Holy Spirit was felt moving mightily among all 21 of us participants and presenters from the very start. Words alone cannot describe the experience, but an attempt will be made to refer to the highlights of our awesome day.

We started our day with breakfast, an hour before our actual start time of 9 a.m. This allowed us to meet with and get to know each other, beforehand. AFLC Episcopal Delegate Tricia Syms then welcomed all of us and offered up a heartfelt prayer, for our day ahead. In her usual T Syms-style, we were invited to participate by responding to a few thought-provoking questions, which she encouraged us to answer aloud. Tricia also gave an overview of what the CAG Workshop was all about and the role of the AFLC in facilitating same.

Our main presenter, Alicia Hoyte, in her calm and engaging manner, then took over from Tricia and what an amazing job she did! From a deep breathing exercise to help keep us centred and focused on learning all about discipline vs punishment, Alicia did not disappoint in the delivery of much-needed and appreciated material. Even after eating a sumptuous and scrumptious lunch, we were excited to learn more as the workshop continued. We felt that we were in a safe space to express what was on our minds and in our heart. Our stories, especially regarding our relationship with our children, poured out freely.

We were also incredibly grateful for Darendra Boodram’s heartfelt sharing of his own journey and experiences, growing up from a little boy to now a young man. His sharing was insightful and inspirational. By 3.30 p.m., we had come to the end of our eventful day.

On March 26 and April 2, we had two follow-up online sessions, delving deeper into the stages of our children’s development and so much more. We are all now part of our newly formed CAG Family, supporting and praying for each other.

We thank God for allowing us this opportunity to be a part of each other’s lives and we do not hesitate in encouraging all other parents, to participate in and fully experience this workshop of healing, life, and love.

An upcoming CAG session is carded for May 17 at St Francis of Assisi, Sangre Grande. For more information and to register, email: familylife@catholictt.org; WhatsApp 299-1047; 372-0478 or visit AFLC’s website: aflcrc.org