Columns

Q: Archbishop J, what have you learnt from your fast from negativity  I have been happily surprised to learn that so many are fasting from negativity […]

By Daniel Francis One of the most heavily discussed topics in my different circles is the effect our upbringing has on us now. Especially within my […]

Q : Archbishop J, how do we chart a way forward for T&T? The solution to every challenge begins with recognising the challenge. In T&T, too […]

The average Catholic views Lent as a time of recollection, repentance, and stillness. While that is rightfully so, what tends to be overlooked is the hope […]

By Matthew Woolford It was one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen in sports, and it took place during Week 2 of the […]

Happy International Women’s Day 2023! For the first time, BOMA-TT held ‘The Mother & Daughter Seminar’ on Thursday, March 2 and Saturday 4. This seminar was […]

From CTCT In the presence of friends, family and well-wishers, the Conference on Theology in the Caribbean Today (CTCT) presented its Lifetime Achievement Award to Anglican […]

By Daniel Francis You ever sit down and notice that temptation is everywhere and ever-present? We are all in a constant battle to ignore the temptations […]

I am sure that most of you have noticed the bush fires in the past few days. We are in the peak of the Dry Season […]

Q : Archbishop J, is T&T a real place? One of our great characteristics as Trinbagonians is to make fun of everything. By jest and humour, […]

Q : Archbishop J, why a fast from negativity? This Lent, I am offering you an option to the traditional abstinence from food and other things. […]

SOCIAL JUSTICE – rcsocialjustice.org Party done! Covid-19 testing was available on Ash Wednesday with the Catholic Commission for Social Justice (CCSJ) and their partners, the Pan […]

By Dr Kenwyn Nicholls In Trinidad and Tobago, the major disease burden is chronic noncommunicable diseases (CNCDs): heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes and chronic lung disease, […]

By Finbar Garcia LUTCF, FSS, MFA Reduction by deductions. What does this mean? Here are the definitions. Reduction: “Action or fact of making something smaller or […]

Q : Archbishop J, explain Black Stalin’s party tune?   First, I must say when I wrote on Black Stalin’s ‘Feeling to Party’, in August 2022, […]

Q : Archbishop J: How could we redeem the Carnival? There are many elements to the Carnival. Some brilliant, some noble and praiseworthy and some just […]

Did you know that Carnival is part of our Catholic culture? In Trinidad and Tobago, there is a general welcoming of the pre-Lenten Carnival festivities, where […]

SOCIAL JUSTICEv– rcsocialjustice.org By Fr Stephan Alexander General Manager, CCSJ and AMMR   In early 2012, during my first year of Seminary formation in the Dominican […]

I have shared 88 of my 90 years with my sister Maria. She died recently, went home, as Sr Paul Dominic OP. I knew her well, […]

Q: Archbishop J, what’s with Carnival? Carnival has a long and complex history. Its beginnings, in Trinidad, reaches back to the country’s early contacts with Europe […]

By Dr Ryan Corbin “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words cannot hurt me.” An old saying yes, but in present times, one can […]

By Finbar Garcia, LUTCF, FSS, MFA So, Christmas over and Carnival round de corner. Did you balance your budget? I’m sure many persons spent a little […]

Q : Archbishop J, what about the panyard? Recently, I did a panyard crawl. It was a very rich cultural experience. In conversation with the leadership […]

Q :Archbishop J, does Carnival have a morality of its own? Carnival is not one event or one type of event, it is a multi-layered tapestry […]

SOCIAL JUSTICE – rcsocialjustice.org By Amílcar Sanatan CCSJ Board member Pope Francis has a planned visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan (January […]

By Daniel Francis Have you ever found yourself zoning out during the readings in Mass? I remember as a child I was not always enthusiastic about […]

For many weeks, pumpkins have maintained a high retail price at the markets. Pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata), belongs to the family ‘Cucurbitaceae’. Pumpkin is a good source […]

On Sunday, January 22, 2023, the Catholic Church celebrates Sunday of the Word of God. The goal is to celebrate, study, and disseminate the Word of […]

Q: Archbishop J, what is the anthropology of your recent pastoral letter? The word ‘anthropology’ is derived from two Greek words, anthropos and logos—meaning literally, a […]

SOCIAL JUSTICE – rcsocialjustice.org By Amílcar Sanatan, CCSJ Board member In Lima, Peru, a woman, holding a plastic rosary, like the ones my aunts and grandmother […]

Q: Archbishop J, could you explain the priesthood of all believers? When we hear the word ‘priest’, we think immediately of those ordained through the laying […]

SOCIAL JUSTICE – rcsocialjustice.org By Amílcar Sanatan CCSJ Board member For 2022, the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) noted an alarming increase in accident-related deaths […]

By Daniel Francis You would be surprised how powerful the mind is. That’s why it is especially important to safeguard the thoughts that you let live […]

Following is an edited version of the address given by Archbishop Jason Gordon at the Trinidad and Tobago Transparency Institute’s 22nd annual general meeting on Thursday, […]

What is relativism? Whilst assisting at a Confirmation class, the answer to this question seemed to have had quite a few of the young people questioning […]

By Dr Margaret Nakhid-Chatoor Psychologist/Educator mnchatoor@hotmail.com www.mncptcc.com New Year in, old year out, life will go on round and about. Many times, when life changes and […]

I would like to wish all readers a bright and prosperous 2023! As we enter the new year, we can use plants to bring calm and […]

By Finbar Garcia LUTCF, FSS, MFA Happy New Year! I pray God’s richest blessings, great health, strength, and happiness be upon you and your family in […]

Q: Archbishop J, what does the Christmas story teach us about dialogue? Happy Christmas, everyone! We have made a wonderful journey towards this day of the […]

Q: Archbishop J, is dialogue really a way to inner transformation? I believe our contemporary culture too often underestimates and misunderstands dialogue. By taking a secular […]

By Nth Degree And then there were four. Godspeed Brazil, Netherlands, Portugal, and England. Last weekend’s quarter final matches were really exciting! Croatia showed more mettle […]

By Amílcar Sanatan, CCSJ Board member Governments, institutions, and civil society groups around the world annually mobilise for the Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence campaign. […]

Q: Archbishop J, how are we going to move the Church towards building community? Building community is a significant spiritual initiative. It will require all of […]

Q: Archbishop J, what do you hope for this Advent? I hope every Catholic would use this wonderful Advent season to engage their faith more deeply […]

By Nth Degree Action. Controversy. Drama. Emotion. Passion. Excitement. Skill. Humour. Politics. Religion. The only thing missing is sex. Hmmm… What else but the FIFA World […]

By Daniel Francis I think most, if not all, men who want to get married understand the following sentiment. There is a list that we create. […]

For the past four years, the main goal of the Green Thumb column was to encourage our readers in the traditional and modern methods of producing […]

By Finbar Garcia, LUTCF, FSS, MFA Seasons Greetings to you and your family. It’s that time of the year again, where many of us love to […]

Q: Archbishop J, how did we arrive at the overarching theme for the Archdiocese? Synodality is about a people walking together, discerning the voice of God […]

By Fr Martin Sirju The Church is facing precipitous decline, with sharp drops in practising populations. Figures that we used to see within a generation are […]

Did you know that there is a cause for the canonisation of Drs John and Evelyn Billings? On the website www.billings-cause.blog the cause can be found. […]

PART ONE Increased flooding and rising food prices are two factors that we have been facing in the past few weeks. The MET office issued their […]

By Daniel Francis I recently heard a story that got me thinking. The gist of the story is a banker was on vacation in the Caribbean […]

By Matthew Woolford I am old enough to remember when Trinidad and Tobago was a positive place in which to live! Growing up we had three […]

SOCIAL JUSTICE – rcsocialjustice.org By Amílcar Sanatan, CCSJ Board member People who identify as Hindus in Trinidad and Tobago form the second largest religious grouping in […]

Q: Archbishop J, why a meeting of schools in World Mission Month? The purpose of the meeting of schoolchildren in October, World Mission Month, is to […]

Q: Archbishop J, what is Mission Month? Mission Month celebrates the missionary thrust of the Church and reminds us that we are all missionaries. This year […]

SOCIAL JUSTICE – rcsocialjustice.org By Amílcar Sanatan CCSJ Board member As a boy, I dreamt that I raised my hand during Mass to ask a question. […]

By Daniel Francis The difference in conversations between two all-male WhatsApp groups showed me that we as men are creating a problem. One group consisted of […]

In the September 16–22 issue, we investigated the concept of agro-processing. To recap, agro-processing refers to a subset of manufacturing that processes raw materials and intermediate […]

SOCIAL JUSTICE – rcsocialjustice.org By Amílcar Sanatan, CCSJ Board member What is the position of the Church in the world today? This question invites reflection on […]

By Daniel Francis A couple of months back a strange thing began happening. I was suddenly bombarded with content from an individual named Andrew Tate in […]

Q: Archbishop J, what is the mischief that Pope Francis hopes to correct with synodality? (Pt II) This is such an important idea that I want […]

Reminder to all women, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It is especially important to do your breast self-examinations every cycle to check for a painless […]

SOCIAL JUSTICE – rcsocialjustice.org By Amílcar Sanatan, CCSJ Board member My first experience of meaningful exchange with people from the Deaf community was in the Church […]

By Matthew Woolford A maxi taxi driver once told me that Diego Martin was a village and the East-West Corridor to Arima was ‘country’. This was […]

SOCIAL JUSTICE – rcsocialjustice.org By Marcia Tinto, Member, CCSJ Management Committee   Trinidad and Tobago is the only country in the English-speaking Caribbean that retains the […]

By Matthew Woolford Much has been said about Queen Elizabeth II and the British Crown since her passing on September 8. Professor Uja Anya of Carnegie […]

By Dr Marlene Attzs, Economist Email: marlene.attzs@gmail.com Ahead of the budget presentation by the Minister of Finance, Colm Imbert, on Monday, September 26, there was the […]

In previous articles, we would have discussed small ruminant farming. Small ruminant farming is the farming of goats and sheep for meat, milk, skin for leather […]

By Finbar Garcia, LUTCF, FSS, MFA Having assisted persons in both the public and private sector over the last 25 years in areas such as Family […]

Clinical psychologist, Alicia Hoyte described Caribbean parents as “super strict” with an “it’s-my-way-or-the-highway” attitude. Hoyte is appealing to parents to take a deep breath, calm down […]

A personal reflection by Fr Robert Christo, Vicar for Communications I remember the pomp and pageantry, and lining the streets as a young boy, when she […]

By Andrew Fernandes, Archdiocesan Catechetical Office The Catholic Church is on a mission – to teach the Good News throughout the world and bring all people […]

SOCIAL JUSTICE – rcsocialjustice.org By Amílcar Sanatan, CCSJ Board member Fr Gerard Pantin CSSp, the university trained, island scholar and widely respected priest was so transformed […]

By Daniel Francis I continue to find it personally baffling as it relates to my generation and the infinite number of traumatised individuals among us who […]

While many children have started a new phase as they began secondary school September 5, and some parents are breathing a sigh of relief their children […]

SOCIAL JUSTICE – rcsocialjustice.org By Amílcar Sanatan, CCSJ Board member In an interview with Maria João Avillez of CNN Portugal, Pope Francis reiterated his commitment to […]

We live in times where food prices have skyrocketed, and the cost of living is constantly on the rise. Foreign exchange is also on an all-time […]

While many children have started a new phase as they began secondary school September 5, and some parents are breathing a sigh of relief their children […]

By Amílcar Sanatan CCSJ Board member – rcsocialjustice.org Outside of formal duties, community workers provide social support for the least served needs of people. This can […]

A Deeper Dive into the Theology of the Body’ is an online and in-person journey that started in July. Persons interested in St Pope John Paul […]

Q: Archbishop J, what is the mischief that Pope Francis hopes to correct with synodality? In English Law, the Mischief Rule is one of three rules […]

By Daniel Francis In secondary school, I always had an interest in the sciences. At the time, if you loved sciences, your options seemed limited. Well, […]

By Crystal Johnson, Mental Health Clinician, Archdiocesan Family Life Commission Can we imagine for one second the thoughts and feelings of someone who does not have […]

Q: Archbishop J, with all the changes in the Church, what is the role of the catechists? From the earliest times, the catechist has been vital […]

In the past few weeks, most of my family and colleagues would have battled a version of the virus. As of two years now, the scare […]

By Finbar Garcia LUTCF,FSS, MFA Oh, how nice it would be if all our debt were simply wiped away clean upon our death. However, our financial […]

By Kaelanne Jordan Email: mediarelations.camsel@catholictt.org The Episcopal Delegate for the Archdiocesan Family Life Commission (AFLC), Tricia Syms has observed there are three emotions persons commonly refer […]

Q: Archbishop J, what is your dream for T&T at 60?   For Integral Human Development Beloved T&T, I dream that over the next 60 years […]

Newlyweds can leave their family home physically but not emotionally. When this happens, they can bring habits and traditions which can cause conflict in their marriage. […]

Q: Archbishop J, what is the greatest threat to our democracy?   I believe the greatest threat to our democracy is that we have become a […]

By Delia Chatoor On Thursday, July 28, the United Nations (UN) adopted a resolution declaring access to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment as a universal […]

You often see them populating garden shops in all shapes and colours. In botany, succulent plants, also known as succulents, are plants with parts that are […]

By Amílcar Sanatan, CCSJ Board member Peace is the fruit of justice. We are reminded that, “Peace is not merely an absence of war; nor can […]

Q: Archbishop J, who has responsibility for the education of a child? A global movement is spending a lot of money in Trinidad and Tobago around […]

The Billings Ovulation Method® is used to identify times of fertility and infertility in a woman’s menstrual cycle, so that the couple can plan their pregnancies […]

By Darrion Narine, Acting Chair, CCSJ and Programme Manager, AMMR The Archdiocese Ministry for Migrants and Refugees (AMMR) supported a migrant football team in the annual […]

By Daniel Francis In my time in New Orleans for my undergraduate degree, I was fortunate enough to get a global perspective. One of the classes […]

When parents hear the words ‘sexuality’ and ‘sexual health’ their minds may go to the procreative act, but it is much more complex. The Archdiocesan Family […]

By Delia Chatoor On the Solemnity of Sts Peter and Paul, June 29, Pope Francis published a letter entitled ‘Desiderio desideravi hoc Pascha manducare vobiscum, antequam […]

By Dr Ryan Corbin What is a human being? What is a human person? Are the two interchangeable? In the past few weeks, these ‘concepts’ have […]

Beautiful landscaping is one such feature that really adds visual appeal to any home. There are many companies that offer landscaping services, but if you would […]

While growing up, you may have heard the saying ‘money these days have no value’, and this was many years ago. Has it changed? In essence, […]

The domestic Church is first and foremost a theological concept. It is primarily seen by the Church as rooted in the marriage bond of a man […]

As Trinidad and Tobago celebrates Emancipation Day today (August 1), we use this excerpt of a paper Fr Stephan Alexander presented at a virtual forum hosted […]

Q: Archbishop J, what is freedom? For the young nations of the Caribbean, August 1 is historic. On that day, 188 years ago, the British parliament […]

By Daniel Francis I was privy to a conversation where someone expressed their frustration with how a selection was made. He was complaining about not being […]

The World Meeting of Families (WMOF) was held in Rome, Italy from June 22–26. The venue for the Pastoral Congress was the Paul VI Hall. For […]

SOCIAL JUSTICE – rcsocialjustice.org By Darrion Narine Acting Chair, CCSJ and Programme Manager, AMMR World Youth Skills Day was recognised on July 15, 2022. The globe […]

The World Meeting of Families (WMOF) was held in Rome, Italy from June 22–26, 2022. The venue for the Pastoral Congress was the Paul VI Hall. […]

By Dr Margaret Nakhid-Chatoor Psychologist/Assistant Professor Website: www.mncptcc.com “Go repair my house which is falling into ruins.” More than 800 years ago, these powerful words above […]

Q: Archbishop J, if the domestic Church has a real liturgy, where does the priesthood come from? Marriage is a very special sacrament. I remember learning […]

Q: Archbishop J, why family rites? I have written before that every family—on pilgrimage to be fully a domestic Church—has rites: (1) rite of relationships, (2) […]

SOCIAL JUSTICE – rcsocialjustice.org By Darrion Narine CCSJ/AMMR Programme Coordinator Rwanda experienced one of the worst atrocities in human history 28 years ago. A genocide against […]

By Ronald Francis Evil is nothing. Only good is. The Bible talks often of the fullness of God, the fullness of life. This is because in […]

The World Meeting of Families (WMOF) was held in Rome, Italy from June 22–26, 2022. The venue for the Pastoral Congress was the Paul VI Hall. […]

The July-August vacation period is here once again. When school is out, I do believe that this is an important time to teach children many skills […]

Q: Archbishop J, what is a domestic Church? At Pentecost 2020 we left the Upper Room to mission the domestic Church. The question lingers, however: What […]

What does Bruno, Birth control and Billings have in common? They all start with the letter B, plus we don’t talk about any of them enough. […]

SOCIAL JUSTICE – rcsocialjustice.org By Darrion Narine, CCSJ/AMMR Programme Coordinator Earlier in June, we celebrated World Oceans Day which brings awareness to the biodiversity and importance […]

By Tonia Leacock I looked at a survey for the Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) and the Concordat, and unfortunately it was not well constructed. I have […]

By Daniel Francis There’s an exercise that I always do with new clients. It is a very simple exercise that helps them better crystalise their idea […]

The World Meeting of Families (WMOF) was held in Rome, Italy from June 22–25, 2022. The venue for the Pastoral Congress was the Paul VI Hall. […]

SOCIAL JUSTICE – rcsocialjustice.org By Leela Ramdeen Consultant, CCSJ/AMMR & Director, CREDI My many years of service as Episcopal Delegate for Social Justice/Chair of CCSJ & […]

With the recent increase in wheat flour prices, the alternative of utilising root crop flour has been peaked. Cassava and sweet potato flour have become viable […]

By Finbar Garcia, LUTCF, FSS, MFA During the last few weeks, we heard about employees at TSTT and other companies being given retrenchment notices with possible […]

SOCIAL JUSTICE – rcsocialjustice.org Matthew Pierre, Community Liaison Officer, AMMR The underlying challenge causing all other challenges faced by migrants and refugees is the lack of […]

By Daniel Francis I am asked frequently how I became a personal development coach. That is a multitiered origin story. One of the major factors was […]

– What we can learn from Abortion and Covid-19 By Dr Ryan Corbin While we continue to battle Covid-19 as a human race, the western news […]

By Vernon Khelawan =, vkmoose@gmail.com As I start this column, I want to ask my few readers a single question. Where do they think our society […]

The anticipation of a beautiful long weekend filled with festivities is amongst us! For some, it’s the perfect opportunity to start that do-it-yourself gardening project. It […]

By Ottrisha Carter The Archdiocesan Family Life Commission (AFLC) hosted a virtual training workshop on Wednesday, May 25 from 7–9 p.m., in which the formation of […]

Q: Archbishop J, explain the work of the Holy Spirit in the prayer of the Church? When we think about the Holy Spirit we think of […]

On Saturday, May 14, the Billings Ovulation Method Association of Trinidad and Tobago (BOMA-TT), in association with the Archdiocesan Family Life Commission (AFLC), invited those affected […]

The Archdiocesan Family Life Commission (AFLC) and the Billings Ovulation Method Association of Trinidad & Tobago (BOMA-TT) will be hosting a training programme, ‘A Deeper Delve […]

By Ottrisha Carter The virtual training of members of Family Life Units (FLU) continued April 23 with discussions on school violence and the role of parents […]

By Matthew Woolford Cecil Williams was born on the island of St Vincent in 1918 and died on the island of Trinidad in 1996. He came […]

By Daniel Francis Tell me if this sounds familiar. You tell yourself by X age you will have attained all these specific things. The plan is […]

Q: Archbishop J, why is the Church so harsh on women and abortion? Many people believe that abortion is a gender issue. It may also be […]

Have you been moved by the sights and sounds of the Earth? The poor? Your inspiration can be a project for the Franciscan Institute for Personal […]

Q: Archbishop J, how have we been so accommodating to abortion? The foetus in the womb of the mother is a human life. It has an […]

By Marcia Tinto Member of CCSJ’s Management Committee This Sunday is World Environment Day. The United Nations has been commemorating this day on June 5 annually, […]

By Dr Margaret Nakhid-Chatoor Psychologist/Assistant Professor Website: www.mncptcc.com “Tell the young people in Trinidad and Tobago that we’re looking for vocations. Come and join us!” These […]

As a recent pet mom, it is always a challenge to keep my puppy away from all things green and chewable. If you own a dog, […]

By Finbar Garcia, LUTCF, FSS, MFA Two years ago, I wrote about retirement planning (June 7, 2020 CN) and had many conversations over the last eight […]

Feast of the Visitation “My soul proclaims the greatness of God.” Luke 1:39-56 Blessed and highly favored indeed she was, yet she did not bask in […]

Everyone is in the circle By Lara Pickford-Gordon snrwriter.camsel@catholictt.org Annalisa Ramsahai is the Regional Programme Coordinator for the Franciscan Institute for Personal and Family Development, a […]

By Dominique Heffes-Doon Integrated Communications Lead, Camsel It takes a village to care for a child. The Catholic Commission for Social Justice (CCSJ) and the Archdiocese’s […]

By Finbar Garcia, LUTCF, FSS, MFA ‘Dollars and Sense’ monthly columnist   For many couples, during courtship, financial discussions are not the main part of relationship […]

Q: Archbishop J, is abortion wrong? You won’t find a more contentious issue in the western world today than abortion. This has been made more so […]

By Darrion Narine, CCSJ/AMMR Programme Coordinator Life has taken many twists and turns over the last two years and for many it has been difficult. Children, […]

By Daniel Francis I have spoken to many individuals from my generation. There is a growing number that cannot see themselves integrating into church life for […]

By Neil Parsanlal A few weeks ago, I participated in the liturgy for the recommissioning of lay ministers. It was a beautiful liturgy and the wisdom […]

Pope Francis begins his landmark encyclical and open letter to humanity, Laudato Si’, with a direct instruction as to how we should love and treat with […]

By Ottrisha Carter As part of the ongoing initiatives of the Year of the Amoris Laetitia family, on March 5, the Episcopal Delegate of the Archdiocesan […]

By Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ & Director, CREDI This year marks the seventh anniversary of Pope Francis’ landmark encyclical: Laudato Si’, on care for our common […]

This year, we join the Catholic communities across the globe in celebrating Laudato Si’ Week from May 22– 29, 2022. The theme, Listening and Journeying Together, […]

By Dr Margaret Nakhid-Chatoor Psychologist/Assistant Professor Website: www.mncptcc.com   I had not been to St Lucia in a long time, and looked forward to visiting the […]

Q: Archbishop J, why is May so special? (Part 2) As I wrote last week, this month embraces three major celebrations: the Resurrection of Jesus—always in […]

It takes a village to care for a child. The Catholic Commission for Social Justice (CCSJ) and the Archdiocese’s Ministry for Migrants and Refugees (AMMR) with […]

By Daniel Francis I’ve always treated God as a benevolent and almighty being that must always have our full respect. This was the thinking that I […]

Q: Archbishop J, why is May so special? May has three major celebrations. Each is vital to the lifeblood of the Church. The most obvious is […]

By Leela Ramdeen Chair, CCSJ & Director, CREDI In November 2017, in a letter at the conclusion of an international conference at the Vatican on work […]

By Matthew Woolford Harper Lee once wrote, “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy… That’s why it’s a sin to kill […]

My earliest and perhaps fondest memory of planting a crop was the first time I planted corn seeds. I recall being only six years old, sprinkling […]

Q: Archbishop J, why Divine Mercy in the height of Easter? Some liturgists have seen the Feast of Divine Mercy, which we celebrated on April 24, […]

On this wonderful occasion of Mother’s Day, we would like to thank God for all mothers. The sacrificial love of a mother is something that can […]

By Darrion Narine Programme Coordinator, CCSJ/AMMR “A Mother’s love, you never forget” – Sundar Popo There are pop culture phenomena like ‘Thank you, Mama’ by Jamaican […]

Saturday, April 30, 2022, was #EndCorporalPunishment Day. Anna Maria Mora shares her view on the issue of corporal punishment. Mora is a counselling psychologist in T&T. […]

By Dr Marlene Attzs, Economist Email: marlene.attzs@gmail.com The fall of the fabled Humpty Dumpty required great effort on the part of all the king’s horses and […]

This year, in keeping with the recognition of International Women’s Day theme #BreaktheBias, JobsTT and Progressive (Recruitment Specialist Limited) celebrated women and the strides mothers have […]

By Darrion Narine Programme Coordinator, CCSJ/AMMR Once upon a time, not too long ago, I was a ‘meat mouth’. In every house lime or all-inclusive party, […]

By Dr Margaret Nakhid-Chatoor Psychologist/Assistant Professor Website: www.mncptcc.com   The word family, instead of domestic, is more commonly used to highlight the gruesome fact that many […]

By Jamila Cross, athletesdiscovered@gmail.com I am attributing my months of sabbatical from this column to a combination of inertia, Covid fatigue and the illusion of work-life […]

It’s the month of May once again where we celebrate all mothers. Mother Mary is our first mother as she was exemplified for her humility to […]

By Daniel Francis As a personal development coach, I help foster a heightened level of self-awareness in my clients and myself. It’s a good idea to […]

As children, we were all taught some of the basic principles of saving. We surely had a piggy bank or an old milk pan to save […]

Fatima boys Jamario Russell, Troy Llanos, Dylan Woodruffe and Jaden James represented Trinidad and Tobago at the Carifta Games in Jamaica over the Easter weekend. The […]

By Shannon Woodroffe In John 1, St John mimics the Creation story of Genesis 1, giving us the re-creation story. Genesis begins “in the beginning”, describing […]

Q: Archbishop J, how do we know if the Resurrection really happened? The whole claim of Christianity hangs on a single question: Was Jesus really raised […]

By Daniel Francis I am a bit of a cafe junkie. I love sitting at a cafe, getting some work done, and running into friends randomly. […]

By Ottrisha Carter The Archdiocesan Family Life Commission (AFLC) in collaboration with the Catholic Youth Commission (CYC) and the Catholic Commission for Social Justice (CCSJ) hosted […]

Q: Archbishop J, what’s so special about Easter? Christmas may be the beginning of the mystery of Christ, but Easter is its climax. Without it, Jesus […]

Domestic Violence continues to plague our country. The Domestic Violence Panel Discussion held online in 2020 by the Archdiocesan Family Life Commission (AFLC) revealed recent statistics […]

By Darrion Narine, Programme Coordinator, CCSJ/AMMR On Friday, March 25, the United Nations recognised the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the […]

In my recent conversations, the debate of growing crops traditionally was compared to the modern techniques that exist for crop production. In this article, we will […]

“…in your toil at which you toil under the sun. Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might…” (Ecc 9:9–10) When presented with […]

Q: Archbishop J, why does the Church bless oil in Holy Week At the Chrism Mass every year, the bishop blesses two oils and consecrates one. […]

“What I enjoyed in the programme was being connected with those with a similar perspective” – Maria Samad Are you seeking community and an opportunity to […]

Q: Archbishop J, why almsgiving? The tradition teaches us that almsgiving covers a multitude of sins. Does this mean we can sin all we want, then […]

By Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ & Director, CREDI The Institute of International Relations (IIR) at UWI, St Augustine and the Catholic Commission for Social Justice (CCSJ) […]

In today’s society, we are fuelled by the drive to achieve whatever our heart desires. This philosophy has extended to the burden of infertility: if I […]

By Daniel Francis I’m ashamed to admit this, but sometimes I’m not a good Catholic. I went long periods where I did not go to church, […]

By Finbar Garcia, LUTCF, FSS, MFA As we continue our discussion on the biggest investment asset we own or want to acquire, a house, I want […]

Q: Archbishop J, why a special day of prayer and fasting during Lent? Consider our world, our nation, your family, and your life. Are we living […]

By Darrion M Narine Programme Coordinator, CCSJ/AMMR   On Saturday, March 5, the Archdiocese’s Ministry for Migrants and Refugees (AMMR) conducted its first Roving Child-Friendly Space […]

By Andre and Gizelle-Ann Hinkson We completed our Catholic Engaged Encounter weekend in October 2008 and were married in April 2009. The experience not only helped […]

By Allyson and Michael Dwarka What does it mean to reignite our call to serve as Catholics? Traditionally, we have seen persons serving as catechists, lay […]

From Kendall and Latoya Celestine, Coordinator couple, CEETT Happy 40th anniversary to our beloved ministry, Catholic Engaged Encounter of Trinidad and Tobago (CEETT)! CEETT is a […]

From Anthony and Angela Mitchell, Coordinators, CEE Caribbean Catholic Engaged Encounter (CEE) came out of an initiative of Marriage Encounter in 1968, which saw the need […]

The family is the most basic unit of the human society, and as such, it requires particular attention by the Christian community so it can carry […]

Conserving our forests By Delia Chatoor “I think that I shall never see, a poem lovely as a tree….Poems are made by fools like me. But […]

By Daniel Francis Tell me if this sounds familiar. You wake up one morning with as much excitement to get out of bed as someone heading […]

Q: Archbishop J, why must we spend 12 weeks in Marriage Preparation? Marriage is the most significant decision you will take in your adult life. It […]

The world celebrated International Women’s Day on March 8, where the call for equality amongst women and men is still being resounded amid all the tragedy […]

The Feast of St Joseph is March 19, which is closely followed by the United Nation’s International Day of Happiness on March 20. This year’s happiness […]

By Dr Margaret Nakhid-Chatoor Psychologist/Educator International Women’s Day (IWD) was celebrated on Tuesday, March 8. The theme was Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow, with […]

The Archdiocesan Family Life Commission (AFLC) aired the second episode of the ‘Conversations on Love’ series on February 14. This episode was titled ‘Love is not […]

The social doctrine of the Catholic Church has been described as one of the best kept secrets of our modern times. It is believed that the […]

By Marc Mollenthiel Post modernism is characterised by scepticism, relativism, or subjectivism regarding all claims to truth. Subjectivism is the belief that truth, or what we […]

Q: How do we live with Covid as we move to an endemic phase? In recent weeks, I have received letters on a variety of topics […]

Q: Archbishop J, how should I approach this Lent? Approach Lent with great joy, anticipation, excitement, and consciousness! Our culture highlights comfort, security, pleasure, and power. […]

By Daniel Francis A few weeks back, I went on a date with a lovely woman. It was our third or fourth date in some weeks. […]

The Catholic Commission for Social Justice (CCSJ) is calling for an end to the war in Ukraine and for peaceful solutions to be found to address […]

Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is an integrated approach to managing landscapes, cropland, livestock, forests, and fisheries, that address the interlinked challenges of food security and accelerating climate […]

Q: Archbishop J, is justice sufficient? As children, we have a concept of fairness, which somehow is built into our brain. Sharing of a cake in […]

By Leela Ramdeen Chair, CCSJ & Director, CREDI “Do you live what you believe?” —Pope Paul VI, Evangelii Nuntiandi, 1975) The diocesan phase of the global […]

Q: Archbishop J, how do we keep hope in a time of such deep despair? In the first half of 2020 the question was: ‘Do you […]

On Wednesday, February 9 the Archdiocesan Family Life Commission (AFLC) hosted an hour-long session for parents titled ‘How to encourage my unmotivated child in online school?’ […]

By Ottrisha Carter For some of us, when we think about the month of February, we immediately think of Valentine’s Day. Although this special day falls […]

Racquel Moses UNFCC Global Ambassador and CEO, Caribbean Climate-Smart Accelerator shares her reflections on COP26 If you follow regional and global news, last November you may […]

By Daniel Francis Any believers of divine intervention? Divine intervention can be defined as God sending you a message in the form of a sign. This […]

Q: Archbishop J, why do you believe that God exists (part 12)? Consider the ultimate question! What happens when you die? Is there just an exhale […]

Whilst we do not have a ‘two-child’ policy here in Trinidad and Tobago, universally, this number of offspring (or less) has been realised by many couples […]

social justice – rcsocialjustice.org As we journey through the Synod together, the CCSJ recommends that each member of our Church adopts an approach of listening, not […]

Herbs are broadly defined as any type of plant material used for scent or flavour or medicinal or spiritual purposes. Thousands of herbs are used all […]

By Matthew Woolford On March 25, Rosanna Poon-Kumar shall be solving quadratic equations on the black or whiteboard for the last time at St Mary’s College. […]

The Catholic Commission for Social Justice (CCSJ) and the Archdiocese’s Ministry for Migrants and Refugees (AMMR) extend deepest condolences to the family and all those affected […]

A letter to your younger self was the turning point for the reflection of the virtual session conducted by the recruitment firm, JobsTT & Progressive Recruitment […]

By Finbar Garcia, LUTCF, FSS, MFA Financial planning for young married couples and those planning to get married, is of paramount importance. Money can be a […]

Q: Archbishop J, why do you believe that God exists (part 11)? The Magi read from the book of creation, and it got them to Jerusalem. […]

By Ottrisha Carter During the pandemic, the Archdiocesan Family Life Commission (AFLC) has made use of technology to continue providing services and opportunities for families. Tricia […]

Social Justice: rcsocialjustice.org “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace” (Is 52:7). On February 4, the United Nations (UN) […]

Q: Archbishop J, why do you believe that God exists (part 10)? You may say I am writing all this because I am a priest and […]

By Trudy Nicome “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not […]

By Richard Thompson Years ago, there was a young emotional man, full of change, full of passion—a teenager just starting his life. He was gentle but […]

The Trinidad and Tobago Meteorological Service declared the start of this year’s Dry Season on January 6, 2022. According to the Met Office, compared to 2021 […]

Q: Archbishop J, why do you believe that God exists (part 9)? We have looked at the challenge of belief and unbelief from many different perspectives. […]

By Dominique Heffes-Doon CCSJ/AMMR   To commemorate World Day of the Poor, November 14, 2021, CCSJ hosted, with His Grace, an interfaith conversation, comprised of key […]

By Matthew Woolford Travelling to St Ann’s RC Church one weekday for my pre-Covid habit of afternoon Mass, I heard a passenger lament, as the taxi […]

Dr Asia O’Neill Surgical procedures can range from elective surgeries to emergency procedures. Neutering is an elective procedure that is widely used as a means of […]

By Fr Steve Duncan I first met Arima-born Deon Lendore at the Santa Rosa Parish office, on Wednesday, July 25, 2018. He was visiting his family […]

Q: Archbishop J, why do you believe that God exists (part 8)? Have you ever wondered why we humans have a concept of God? Why there […]

A fruit of the Holy Spirit is peace. The path to the Spirit is “integral human development”, which is a key component of Catholic Social doctrine. […]

By Dr Ryan Corbin In today’s society, especially in the political arena, human rights are at the forefront of most discussions, and rightly so. There is […]

By Alicia Hoyte, MSc Clinical Psychologist Parenting in a pandemic has left us feeling vulnerable, uncertain, and anxious about the long-term impact on our children and […]

After decades of steady decline, the number of people who suffer from hunger, as measured by the prevalence of undernourishment, began to slowly increase again in […]

Q: Archbishop J, why do you believe that God exists (part 7)? While walking the Camino de Santiago in 2016, I met a young man from […]

Today is the Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord and liturgically-speaking, the last day of the Christmas Season. But it is not the last day […]

SOCIAL JUSTICE – rcsocialjustice.org “God must be a Trini.” He is fully present and experiencing life with each person in our nation. Our diversity in race, […]

By Christopher Mohammed   What is the first thing we think about when going to church? Is it how long Mass will be? Or what season […]

By Finbar Garcia, LUTCF, FSS, MFA Happy New Year! After another challenging year 2021, what have we learnt or plan to do differently in 2022? Covid-19 […]

By Darrion M Narine Programme Coordinator, CCSJ/AMMR On the darkest day, the star of wonder must continue to burn bright. The world is going through a […]

By Tony Magliano, tmag6@comcast.net As the first Christmas of World War I approached, Pope Benedict XV on December 7, 1914, asked the leaders of all warring […]

By Dr Asia O’Neill The holiday season is upon us and there are many celebratory activities in store for the upcoming time. For us, this may […]

Q: Archbishop J, why do you believe that God exists (part 6)? The Christmas mystery For God to become a baby, born of a woman is […]

By Marcia Tinto, Member, CCSJ & AMMR Christmas is a stressful time for families who are on strict budgets and especially for those surviving below the […]

By Marc Mollenthiel In the modern era, scepticism of the religious impulse appears to be the voice of reason, often viewed as synonymous with rationality. This […]

Q: Archbishop J, why do you believe God exists (part 5)? Many modern thinkers have proposed that faith and reason are diametrically opposed. If you have […]

As the world-altering Covid-19 pandemic evolves, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced it has designated the new strain a “variant of concern” and named it Omicron. […]

by Vernon Khelawan, vkmoose@gmail.com We are now within days of celebrating Christmas 2021. Like the holiday season of 2020, we remain in the throes of the […]

Q: Archbishop J, why do you believe that God exists (part 4)? Blaise Pascal was a 17th century philosopher, theologian, and mathematician. Trying to build a […]

The annual Spoken Word Competition organised by the Catholic Commission for Social Justice was held Saturday, November 20 under the theme The Ever Wider We.  Here […]

By Hedy Tenia The Billings Ovulation Method® (BOM) advocates a natural fertility method of regulating or managing the couple’s ability to conceive a child. The BOM […]

By Jamila Cross athletesdiscovered@gmail.com Deep passion and commitment to see a son with special needs thrive has driven Simone Soo Ting-Bethel to develop a strong voice […]

By Dr Margaret Nakhid-Chatoor, Psychologist/Educator Almost every week, I hear of reports of parental abuse by adult children, especially against mothers and grandmothers. Is this an […]

Q: Archbishop J, why do you believe that God exists (part 3)? Modern atheism and the conflict between faith and science reached a crescendo with the […]

The annual Spoken Word Competition organised by the Catholic Commission for Social Justice was held Saturday, November 20 under the theme The Ever Wider We. Here […]

By Matthew Woolford When church was reopened a few weeks ago to physical attendance at worship, I made my way to the Cathedral, Independence Square, Port […]

By Vernon Khelawan, vkmoose@gmail.com Several months ago, almost at the onset of the vicious Covid-19 pandemic last year, I told my wife that shopping, for whatever, […]

By Finbar Garcia, LUTCF, FSS, MFA It’s that time again—trying to stretch your dollar, gifts to buy, delicious meals for the family, ham, pastelle, sorrel and […]

Q: Archbishop J, why do you believe that God exists (part 2)? Everything that exists has a beginning. This is a simple statement with many profound […]

The annual Spoken Word Competition organised by the Catholic Commission for Social Justice was held Saturday, November 20 under the theme The Ever Wider We. Here […]

By Marc Mollenthiel Why worship? Should worship have a place in ordering our society? I am not only going to offer an answer to these questions, […]

The Season of Advent is once again upon us. There are four Sundays before Christmas, and the season is a particularly important time in the Church […]

By Fr Curtis G Poyer, CCSJ/AMMR During the 1980s, human rights movements emerged in many parts of Latin America and the Caribbean. This was because from […]

There are some people who do not have even a minimal foundation. They simply do not believe. And they do not want to believe. God gave […]

By Klysha Best The Catholic Commission for Social Justice (CCSJ)/ Archdiocesan Ministry for Migrants and Refugees (AMMR) hosted a virtual session to discuss the fifth World […]

Meet Danyelle and T’shelle Barnes, T&T national badminton athletes and sisters from St Francis of Assisi RC Church in Sangre Grande where they are presently confirmation […]

The use of Natural Family Planning (NFP) is supported and encouraged by the Church. At BOMA-TT we strive to offer “competent, compassionate, patient” teaching of the […]

By Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ & AMMR “The measure of the greatness of a society is found in the way it treats those most in need, […]

My wife and I attended a marriage retreat in the comfort of our home. It was a retreat hosted by Couples for Christ and featured ‘The […]

By Sasha Woodroffe “All religions are equal paths to the same God.” “God just chooses to reveal Himself to different people in different ways.” “Your religion […]

Suggested format for service in parishes and schools, homes, prayer groups…wherever the family of God may be gathered. Submitted by Archdiocesan Catechetical Office: Andrew Fernandes, Antonett […]

It has always been a mindset to think about promising careers as being jobs in the fields of Law, Medicine and Engineering. This has been so […]

Q: Archbishop J, how should we respond to the growing poverty in T&T? The pandemic has been a wrecking ball to the financial stability of many […]

Q: Archbishop J, why would anyone want to become a priest or consecrated person? Priests are an integral connection between Christ and God’s mission. There have […]

By Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ & AMMR “Generosity is the predisposition to love open-handedly. Our hands matter, both literally and symbolically. In the open hand, our […]

By Finbar Garcia, LUTCF, FSS, MFA Many of us would have taken a Covid-19 vaccine by now, be it willingly, after some hesitation or discussions with […]

“Try your hand at something, make yourself available, and once you are available many great things can happen,” said Episcopal Delegate Archdiocesan Family Life Commission Tricia […]

Q: Archbishop J, what are the challenges while on the synodal journey? Every journey to mission begins with temptations. Right after Jesus was baptised the Scripture […]

From the Office of Youth Ministry As we begin to meet in our various groups at parish and archdiocesan levels to plan for an uncertain future, […]

By Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ & AMMR The CCSJ is currently coordinating activities for our Archdiocese’s upcoming observance of Justice, Peace, and Community Week (JPCW), Saturday, […]

By Dr Ryan Corbin The goal in this pandemic is universal; “return to normal” and currently, the main tools in this Covid-19 fight have been vaccines. […]

By Dr Marlene Attzs Economist. Email: marlene.attzs@gmail.com Budget 2022 read on October 4, 2021, was both one of the shortest and simultaneously the longest in our […]

By Kaelanne Jordan Email: mediarelations.camsel@catholictt.org The sanctity of life and the dignity of each human being, made in the image and likeness of God, is the […]

Q: Archbishop J, what does Pope Francis intend with Synod 2023? The Pontiff’s intention is to invite the Church to synodal conversion and thus to turn […]

By Zahirah Mohammed Child Friendly Spaces Support Officer, CCSJ/AMMR   “None of us can think we are exempt from concern for the poor and for social […]

Q: Archbishop J, how do we transform a ‘deliberative assembly’ into a ‘discerning assembly’? Pt 2 A discerning assembly has its own rules. The first rule […]

By Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ & AMMR Today is the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. The theme is: Building Forward Together: Ending Persistent Poverty, […]

By Shelly-Ann T Simon Case Management Officer – Alternative Care, CCSJ & AMMR, rcsocialjustice.org Very often, we hear conversations about poverty where there is always some […]

By Dr Ryan Corbin Today, abortion is praised as the pinnacle of the modern woman’s health/rights. Many of women’s difficulties are linked to unwanted pregnancies, a […]

In case you missed it, the Finance Minister Colm Imbert has announced a $52.4 billion budget for the next fiscal year. The theme for the budget […]

By Alvin Peters Mrs Singh was just finishing the last subject before lunch when there was an announcement from the principal, Mr Gomes. He wanted to […]

We continue the list of products and at-home remedies for pets that should be avoided. Read Part 1 9insert hyperlink) Black disinfectant/ Car Oil Application of […]

By Dr Asia O’Neill The animals of God’s creation inhabit the skies, the earth and the sea. and have a part in human life. We, therefore, […]

Q: Archbishop J, how do we transform a ‘deliberative assembly’ into a ‘discerning assembly’? A ‘deliberative assembly’ and a ‘discerning assembly’ share several things in common. […]

Living the virtue of chastity as a single or married person helps with the use of the Billings Ovulation Method. Chastity is a virtue (like courage […]

By Dr Margaret Nakhid-Chatoor On Republic Day at 3 p.m., 30 university students both male and female, took time out from their families to attend a […]

Q: Archbishop J, what is the role of synodality in the mission of the Church? October is mission month. We are invited again to reflect upon […]

By Dominique Heffes-Doon Social Media & Research Officer, CCSJ/AMMR, rcsocialjustice.org This year the United Nations (UN) World Habitat Day falls on October 4, which is also […]

By Ronald Francis There are two dangerous misconceptions about the nature of ‘goodness’ in the world today. The first is that good and evil are equals, […]

By Vernon Khelawan, vkmoose@gmail.com It is not only in Trinidad and Tobago that devices (cellphones etc.) rule the world. They are global. In many instances they […]

The Season of Creation will end on  October 4, the Feast Day of St Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of ecology beloved by many Christian […]

The month of October is dedicated to the Holy Rosary. The Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary is celebrated on October 7. October falls during […]

By Finbar Garcia LUTCF, FSS, MFA As promised, today we will look at your Critical Illness Insurance policy contract. Some persons believe once they are ill […]

Archbishop Jason Gordon said Catholics need to be “far more conscious” of what is happening with the planet, and they must take decisive action now. “The […]

By Dante Padmore On September 10, Akil Campbell won gold in the Men’s Elimination Race at the International Cycling Union (UCI) Track Cycling Nations Cup. This […]

Q: Archbishop J, why synodality? Synodality speaks about a way of being Church, where its members walk together, where its leaders listen to all the faithful, […]

By Darrion M Narine Programme Coordinator, CCSJ/AMMR, rcsocialjustice.org This Sunday we celebrate the 107th World Day for Migrants and Refugees (WDMR) which “is always an occasion […]

By Sasha Woodroffe In the midst of yet another wave of Covid-19 restrictions, churches were closed for public worship. For some, this has been the greatest […]

By Jamila Cross athletesdiscovered@gmail.com I continue to be amazed by the depth and substantive work accomplished at a grassroot level in sport; there is an entire […]

Q: Archbishop J, what is the task of the catechist? The catechist’s task is first and foremost to hand on a living faith to this generation […]

Fertigation is the direct application of fertilisers for soil adjustments, water adjustments and other water-soluble products into an irrigation system. In this system, fertiliser solution is […]

by Tony Magliano, tmag6@comcast.net Was it good that the United States and its allies fought a 20-year war against the Taliban in Afghanistan? Was all the […]

By Dr Margaret Nakhid-Chatoor September is Suicide Awareness and Prevention month. Suicide affects every family which has lost a loved one, in myriad ways that last […]

By Leela Ramdeen, Chair CCSJ & AMMR & Head Animator of Animators, Laudato Si’ Movement – TT Chapter “We must open our hearts, believers and non-believers […]

On September 10 every year, World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) provides the opportunity for people across the globe to raise awareness of suicide and suicide prevention. […]

As we honour Season of Creation Month this year, we remember these masterpieces from last year’s The season of Creation Challenge [2020] Love is why children […]

September 1 – October 4 is the Season of Creation! An ecumenical, or unified Christian Church celebration, in which according to SeasonofCreation.org, “the world’s 2.3 billion […]