Archbishop’s Prayer Breakfast focuses on restoring hope, healing minds

“When young people are supported through opportunity, care, and relationship, they demonstrate resilience and capacity for positive change,” reflected Archbishop Charles Jason Gordon, underscoring the urgent need to nurture and guide youth through compassionate, trauma-informed approaches.

As part of its launch initiatives, the Samaritan Movement hosted the Archbishop’s Prayer Breakfast on Tuesday, January 20, at Archbishop’s House in Port of Spain. The gathering brought together members of the diplomatic corps, Church leadership, and representatives of the Samaritan Movement for a reflective dialogue on the mental health and social challenges facing children and young people in Trinidad and Tobago.

Guided by the theme Restoring Hope, Healing Minds, Securing Peace, the breakfast created a space for prayerful reflection and conversation on the importance of trauma-informed approaches in schools and communities. Participants explored the links between emotional distress, social instability, and violence, and discussed how prevention, care, and meaningful relationships can play a transformative role in supporting at-risk youth.

The discussions highlighted the need to recognise trauma as a key factor shaping behaviour and learning, while emphasising the need to equip educators and communities with practical tools to respond with empathy and structured support. Collaboration was a central theme, with diplomatic missions encouraged to engage through advocacy, cultural initiatives, and partnership to bolster national efforts. The morning concluded with a collective commitment to ongoing cooperation in addressing the emotional and social needs of young people. The Prayer Breakfast closed with a prayer invoking compassion, wisdom, and shared responsibility in restoring hope, healing minds, and securing peace for children, families, and communities across the nation.

—Darendra Boodram, Programme Coordinator, Samaritan Movement

For more information on the Samaritan Movement: visit samaritanmovement.org, or email samaritanmovement@catholictt.org