A Jubilee Tithe of Mercy

By Fr Stephan Alexander

General Manager, CCSJ and AMMR

In my last column, I stated that “hope must become flesh in the way that we live together”. This week, I offer a concrete way of enfleshing that hope, one that is personal, communal, and deeply aligned with the spirit of the Jubilee and Catholic Social Teaching (CST).

The invitation that follows is specific to the second half of the Jubilee Year from August 2025 to January 2026. It is an invitation to live more deeply the corporal works of mercy, which compel us to attend to our neighbour in his or her material need. This is the shape that Christian hope takes in the world; it moves outward, seeks the margins, and gives freely.

The initiative is beautiful and simple. It invites parishes throughout the Archdiocese to designate one month within this Jubilee window as a ‘Mercy Month’. During the designated Mercy Month, families, households or individuals should be invited to calculate 10 per cent of their average monthly grocery bill and donate that amount to an established outreach ministry in the parish or the Archdiocese.

This is not a parish fundraiser. It is a Jubilee Tithe of Mercy, offered as a gesture of solidarity and hope.

Alternatively, a parish may decide to organise a dedicated charity drive during its Mercy Month, encouraging parishioners to give either financially or through goods, such as grocery items, household necessities, or food vouchers.

In either case, donations should be marked clearly as part of the Jubilee offering, with a request that the entirety be used to support the poor, the vulnerable, and the excluded.

Parishes may partner with established institutions, such as the Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP), the Eternal Light Community, the Living Water Community, or other ministries of service.

The donations can be channelled through these bodies, with a clear understanding that the funds are to be used directly for the benefit of those most in need, and that the offering is a gift of the Jubilee.

Importantly, this initiative also invites us to turn our attention to a group that is often neglected: the migrant and refugee community. The impending closure of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) office in Trinidad and Tobago, scheduled for August 31, 2025, is likely to cause significant disruption for the thousands of migrants who depend on their services and support.

Many face uncertain futures and will become increasingly reliant on the goodwill of local communities and parishes.

Considering this, I encourage that part of the Jubilee Tithe of Mercy be specifically directed to assist migrants and refugees, either through your parish’s ministry to migrants and refugees (PMMR) or the Catholic Commission for Social Justice (CCSJ).

Despite the impending closure of the UNHCR offices and the significantly reduced funding from international organisations, the CCSJ will continue to accompany, support, and serve our migrant brothers and sisters.

To make this effort spiritually fruitful, it must be more than transactional. The chosen Mercy Month can be a time for the parish to reflect communally on the meaning of hope and mercy.

A priest or lay leader might offer a talk on CST. The parish could highlight the stories of those who have benefited from similar efforts in the past. Homilies could root the initiative in Scripture and the example of the early Christian communities.

The second collection during the Mercy Month, often designated for SVP, can be specially promoted as part of this initiative. Likewise, a Jubilee blessing may be offered at Mass for those who give, for the volunteers who serve, and most importantly, for those who will receive.

For families with children and youth, this is also a teachable moment. Schools and parish youth ministries may invite students to participate by donating a non-perishable item, preparing a care package, or praying for a family in need. These are the seeds of a just and merciful society.

Let this Jubilee not remain an abstract theme or a missed opportunity. Let it be marked in our homes, in our parishes, and in the lives of those who struggle. One month. One tithe. One offering of hope that becomes flesh.

May our mercy be more than a gesture. May it be a true sign of communion, a Eucharist extended beyond the altar and into the world.

The CCSJ asks for your support. Please donate:

Catholic Commission forSocial Justice

Account #: 290 458 025 501

Bank: Republic Bank Ltd.

or you can contact us at: admin.ccsj@catholictt.org