The Journey of A Soul - Part II
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Mother Prioress, Mother Marianna Pinto, OSB and community at
‘The Mount of Prayer’
2005 |
In the March 2005 issue of the Catholic Chronicle we began a journey exploring the 30 years history of the Benedictine Nuns in St. Lucia. We soon discovered that this history was intimately bound with the spiritual odyssey of Mother Marianna Pinto, Prioress of the Monastery, who was about to celebrate the golden Jubilee of her first profession in monastic life. It seemed fitting that this sojourn into the annals of the community should begin with a conversation with the Mother Prioress. This is what we initiated and designated “Journey of a Soul.”
Since our last issue, of May 2005, extensively covered the jubilee celebrations at the monastery, perhaps it is timely to return to our discourse. Part I of the “Journey of a Soul” ended with the monastery now located at the former Bishop’s House in Marchand. From there we take up the story… Years of longing
and waiting
The small monastic community remained at Bishop’s House, Marchand for seven and a half years. But as Mother Pinto relates, they were “years of longing and waiting”. They waited, but as if already seeing from afar, the ‘promised land.’ During that time the search was on for a permanent residence for the monastery. Several sites around the island were visited, but one was particularly attractive. It was Coubaril. Although Denis and Camille Devaux were keen to have the nuns in Coubaril and offered them several pieces of land, and even the family home at a paltry cost of US$100,000.00, it was not the right moment. The Apostolic Administrator at the time, Bishop Lester Guilly, suggested that they wait; not because he was against it, but because he felt it was not the right moment. And this they did, going to Coubaril more than ten times with visiting friends, monks and abbots to ascertain whether the place was suitable.
It was when Archbishop Kelvin Felix was appointed, and visited the monastery in 1981 that he told the nuns they could not remain in this situation. The house was cramped, dusty, infested with rats and generally unsuitable for a monastery. Mother Pinto took him to see the property in Coubaril. And there, standing under a hugh tree in the presence of Camille Devaux, the archbishop said “Mother, this is the place.” A bell rang in the heart, it was the confirmation the community had waited for, the shepherd had spoken. The rest is history. Arrangements were made for the purchase of the family house and six acres of land which were purchased in 1983. And so it was, that on the 15th January, 1983, feast of the monks Saints Maurus and Placide, the Benedictine Nuns left Bishop’s House , Marchand and entered ‘the Promised Land’ at Coubaril!
Entering the Promised Land
Upon their arrival at Coubaril, the nuns lived in the former residence of Camille and Denis Devaux for a period of two years. The former dwelling house was transformed into monastic cells, dining and sitting room, kitchen as well as chapel. “We lived like sardines” recalls Mother Pinto. Until one day Archbishop Felix said “Mother, you cannot continue like this. If you get postulants and novices, where will you put them?”
Thus it was that Betty Herrera, who had some drafting skill, and Mother Prioress began to draw sketches of a future monastery, based on the prioress’s experience and knowledge of monastic life. A committee was then formed to explore the possibility of building a monastery. Members of the building committee were Archbishop Kelvin Felix, the late Peter Bergasse, Clem Bobb, Brad Paul, the quantity surveyor, and Mother Prioress.
The mind of the committee was to try, first of all, to build a number of cells, and at a later stage to complete the construction of the monastery. The projected time for completion of the monastery was ten years.
“God will provide” : The Miracle of Faith
Although the original thinking of the building committee was to start construction of the bedrooms as soon as funds became available, and to build the next phase when more funds were had, after a while it became clear that this “start and re-start” approach would make the entire project too costly. And so it was decided to go with plans to build the entire monastery once construction began.
Enter ADVENIAT, the first contributor to the construction of the monastery. It was Dom Pio Pinto, who can be considered co-founder of the monastery in St. Lucia along with his sister, for the role he has played at every critical stage in the life of the monastery, who had contact with the German Bishops’ fund. He was a friend of Franz Cardinal Hengsbach, the founder of ADVENIAT. Upon the recommendation of Archbishop Felix, Dom Pio and his sister Mother Marianna headed for Germany in search of financial assistance for construction of the monastery. Shortly afterwards, Bernhard Steber form ADVENIAT’s Caribbean desk was in St. Lucia to visit the proposed site for the monastery. Funding was secured.
It was a miracle. As Mother Pinto exclaims “There were miracles. I can shout it out with loud voice from all the roofs of the world. Touch the walls of this monastery and you can literally touch the presence of God! You cannot build a monastery in two years less one month, which you were thinking would take ten years! We laid the first stone in September 1985, consecrated the church and blessed the monastery in August 1987!” The thought evokes deep emotion. “My motto was, ‘God will provide’”, she relates, “and I remember Peter Bergasse always repeating, ‘Mother, you are the one who always says God will provide!” Indeed, God provided. He still provides and will continue to provide. A Mount of Prayer
Even before the nuns moved into Coubaril, they had thought of a name for their new home. As early as Mayfield once, during prayer and discussion on the future of the community, they had come up with the name “Mount of Prayer.” Why? Because as soon as the nuns arrived in St.Lucia people began to call them “the nuns of prayer.” If people saw them as ‘nuns of prayer,’ then their home should be a ‘mount of prayer’. Thus, their new home at Coubaril was called ‘the mount of prayer.’
The name given to the monastery at Coubaril has in fact become a reality. The monastery has become a sacred space where persons from all works of life and from all parts of the island find an oasis of peace, a place to meet God. This is most vividly illustrated by the thousands of First Saturday pilgrims, who since 1988, have come to this haven each month for comfort and consolation.
Challenges of implanting monastic life in Saint Lucia
For Mother Pinto, implanting monastic life in Saint Lucia is a challenge. “It is only through prayer and wisdom, and listening to people that you come to understand which values are in the culture.” One thing is certain, you cannot transplant European
values in a country where little is known about monasticism. For Mother Pinto, it is her life, she says, that must serve as an example of implanting. She believes that one must have an open mind, and be prepared to be a channel or instrument in God’s hands.
“When I came to St. Lucia, I can’t say I was dreaming or thinking of implanting values” she continues. “I had to accept what I found”. “I remember my words to the nuns when I arrived in St. Lucia. I said I would like an open house, where anybody can come in. Charity, love, hospitality. For me, hospitality is like ‘an eighth sacrament’. Not only because St. Benedict tells us to see Christ in anyone who knocks at our door, but because I see Christ especially in the poor.” This is what she would like to implant in the community, a culture of loving hospitality and recognition of Christ in others, especially the poor and marginalized.
The Future
As for the future, like the past, it is in the hand of God. He has provided in the past and He will provide in the future. God has blessed the community with the miracle that is the Mount of Prayer, and even now he continues to work fresh wonders. At a time when Mother felt that the monastery was now well established, God has used her brother Pio again, to open new doors.
Through a chance meeting with the Archbishop Medardo Joseph Mazombwe of Lusaka, Zambia to discuss the performance of one of his priests who was a student of Msgr. Pio, a conversation has blossomed into a new missionary project for the Mount of Prayer. The Archbishop would like the St. Lucian community to help him establish a monastic community in Zambia. Towards this goal, a number of postulants and novices from Zambia are now in St. Lucia undergoing formation for the future establishment of a Benedictine monastery in their country. What else can be said but “To God be the glory!” As for Mother Pinto, after 30 years in St. Lucia, she feels herself more than Saint Lucian!
CARITAS Antilles Strategic Planning Meeting Report
May 2nd - 6th 2006
The Mount of Prayer, Coubaril in Castries, Saint Lucia was host to the third Strategic Planning Meeting of Caritas Antilles from May 2nd to 6th 2005. Participants from the Dioceses of Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines participated in this important event.
Mr. Jorge Salamanca of Caritas Spain facilitated the sessions. As a form of preparation, the Dioceses were asked to complete Internal and External Analyses of their countries and internal processes. In addition, the basis for the Strategic Plan was taken from the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDG’s), the situation in the islands, perspectives for their fulfilment for the year 2015. All of these were analysed from the Caritas perspective as the Catholic Church.
Participants were taken through interactive sessions on getting familiar with the Millennium Development Goals and how they could be achieved by Civil Society.
CONDITIONS NECESSARY TO ACHIEVE MDG’S
Participants identified some of the following as pertinent areas to work on the achievement of the MDG’s:
Political Will Collaboration among Governments, NGO’S and CaritasSensitisation through educational programmes
Lobbying at international levels
Enact and enforce legislation
Debt forgiveness
Preservation of the environment
Transparency
CIVIL SOCIETY’S ROLE
Advocacy
Promote the dignity of the human persons through Catholic Social Teaching Establish a network to encourage continuity of programmes
Identify root causes
Sensitisation of the congregation
Mr. Salamanca expounded on the MDG’s from a Caritas Internationalis/CISDE (International Campaign for Development and Solidarity) perspective, outlining each of the 8 goals with objectives, in order to make them achievable. He stressed on the particular situation in each of the islands and in the region, and what Caritas can do to support those initiatives from its perspective.
Emphasis was placed on Shared Responsibility on the part of all and genuine political will. Further points included the provision of complete financing for developing countries, to include debt cancellation. More information on the MDG’s can be obtained from the following website: www.un.org/millenniumgoals/ .
CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND CARITAS ZONE WORK PLAN
Ms. Marcia Boxill, Coordinator of Caritas Antilles, presented information on Corporate Social Responsibility and the Caritas Zone Work Plan which should be implemented throughout the region.
Ms. Boxill spoke on the evolution of Corporate Social Responsibility, for which no definite explanation exists. However, it evolved out of pressure from NGO’s, society, human rights issues and the impending globalisation of communications. The term encompasses Business Ethics, Social Issue Management and Business and Society. This phenomenon is currently being utilized throughout the world, in an effort to heighten awareness of the populace.
To conclude the Church’s role in CSR is crucial to its successful implementation. Areas such as: Accompaniment, Pro-activity. Pastoral Ministry can be easily undertaken by the Church. In addition the following components work parallel to its implementation: Informed Citizenry and Civil Society; Articulation on global economy topics; Articulate on the economic model and joint economy topics; Deepen knowledge on the topic by CELAM, ITEPAL and Catholic Universities esp. in Latin America and the Caribbean; Public Presence (print and electronic media); Profile advocacy actions and a United action North and South.
CARITAS ZONE WORK PLAN
The Caritas Annual Zone Meeting took place in Cuba from March 7th – 13th. Five
member countries participated at the meeting, namely: Antilles, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
Ms. Boxill presented the five main areas of the plan to the participants. They are: Economic, Social, Cultural, Political and Ecclesial.
DIOCESAN PRESENTATIONS
Caritas Antilles member countries presented pertinent information on their respective Dioceses. Information included a definition of the most vulnerable and excluded geographical zones, demographics, economic, social and political analyses and the Diocesan analysis of the root causes of any existing problems.
Subsequent to these presentations, Mr. Salamanca developed a matrix of problems and causes in the respective dioceses in order to demonstrate any commonalities (SWOT Analyses).
Some of the common root causes of existent problems which were identified included: Extreme vulnerability to natural disasters, degradation of family life, redefined values, which result in Violence, Crime, and Drug Abuse.
DEFINITION OF STRATEGIC GOALS
As a result, Caritas Antilles has now identified the following four Goals as main areas for its work plan.
GOAL I – CAPACITY BUILDING
Empowerment and participation
Institutional strengthening
Communication and dialogue
Catholic Social Teaching and Caritas Identity.
Sustainability
GOAL II – ADVOCACY
HIV/AIDS, Health and social implications
Poverty
Domestic violence
Family life education
GOAL III – EMERGENCY COOPERATION
Mitigation, preparedness and response co-operate with governments to develop and/or update an emergency plan
GOAL IV – SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Food Security
Educational Programmes (Formal and Technical)
Health (Pharmaceuticals)
VISION: We look forward in hope to a region in which the values of equity, justice and peace will enable all individuals to realise their full potential. We wish to revitalise and create a functional organisation with a view to future expansion, to include all of the members of Antilles Episcopal Conference through a Provincial Structure.
MISION: Caritas Antilles is fully committed to the dignity of the human person and the promotion of active charity, social justice and solidarity. We believe in the integral development of every individual as a means of empowerment and greater self-reliance, especially for the poor, marginalised and excluded.
CONCLUSION
The Dioceses have now been charged with the responsibilities, in order to chart the way forward for the preparation of its work plan this year.
Freedom in Christ Conference
April 2005
by Clara Louis
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| Participants and Team Members in front row |
During the last week in April, the Bezata Prayer Community and the Catholic Charismatic Renewal began preparations to celebrate Pentecost the greatest feast of the Catholic Church. On the evening of Friday 29, hundreds of Catholics poured into the Gaiety on Rodney Bay where a weekend conference opened under the theme Freedom in Christ.
At the start of the conference, the Youth choir led us in songs of praise until our hearts were glad and joy filled our soul. In melodious chorus we emptied ourselves and declared in harmony “we're seeking a kingdom where Jesus is king, so come Holy Spirit and make us more like Him.”
Following this beautiful worship, Archbishop Kelvin Felix welcomed all and briefly spoke of the significance of the theme to the life of the Church. Coordinator Bertilia Jn Baptiste presented the participants and guests from the Caribbean and international who came to join us to wait and pray like the apostles in the Upper Room for the freedom from above. Neal Lozano, who is a senior pastoral leader of the House of God's Light in Pennsylvania , with his wife Janet and two-member team, led the teaching and ministry sessions during Friday and Saturday. All teachings were based on Jesus' ministry and His promise to bring freedom to captives. Luke. 18 19
1. The whole world is in the hands of the evil one 1 John 5:19
2. Freedom is knowing Jesus. John 8: 31 36
3. We have power over evil; in Jesus nothing will harm us. Luke 10: 19
The teachings covered practical strategies for breaking the strongholds of evil, which included:
How demons enter our lives
Principles for deliverance
How to forgive each other
Ministering and praying for deliverance.
The goal of the conference was not to teach people to deliver anyone from demons because Jesus alone delivers. The conference was truly a journey through prayer, praise, and ministry, the sacrament of reconciliation, the Holy Eucharist and adoration, thus bringing us to know deliverance from evil and live “freedom in Jesus Christ.”
When the conference ended on Saturday night EVERYONE WAS MOVED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT OF FREEDOM.
Freedom in Christ Workshop
Friday 29 - Saturday 30, April 2005
by Philomene Augustin
An Opinion
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| Participants at Rally |
Timely! At a time when Catholic Christians have been experiencing the challenge of defending their faith, this workshop on “Freedom in Christ” pointed directly to one of our fundamental beliefs The Sacrament of Reconciliation.
Through The Sacrament of Reconciliation sins, which have been identified, are Confessed; forgiveness through Jesus Christ is received which is often accompanied by absolution, penance and/or some scriptural passage for reflection.
As the workshop sessions unfolded, it became evident that there was an underlying similarity or a common thread in outcome or expectation by the participant expectancy of joy, freedom, relief, a feeling of forgiveness, cleansed etc.
If therefore, there is some similarity in outcome or purpose, then how do the two methods or approaches differ?
Confession/or the Sacrament of Reconciliation takes place between two persons, the confessor and the priest. Confession begins with the confessor asking for a blessing while the priest prays a blessing the name of the father, son and spirit. Having listened to the confessor, he grants absolution; while the confessor recites the Act of Contrition. The priest then pronounces the penance; and blesses the candidate.
With the workshop approach however, participants were placed in teams of three persons, each trainer/leader worked with those individuals, two observed while the other goes through the process the interview, which should lead to a form of purging, referred to as “freedom in the Lord.” What is significant with this approach/or process?
1. That there are five key principles or elements (Repentance, Forgiveness, Renunciation, Taking authority and Blessing.
With this approach, the leader makes the connection with the candidate through sensitive heart to heart questioning referred to as the interview. It is during this interview that the individual gets an opportunity to reflect and to say what it is that he/she wants Jesus’ to do for him/her and why he/ she needed prayer.
2. While in confession there is no writing, with this approach the leader writes key words, which are used for further questioning. This provides the opportunity to reflect, identify what they want to repent of , who they want to forgive; the reasons why they need prayers; the causes for present feelings of repression, resentment, hatred, bitterness, unforgiveness, jealously etc, etc.
With great sensitivity, the leader proceeds with the questioning, helping the individual to go deeper within, asking the Holy Spirit to reveal to him/her, the next question to ask the person.
3. The leader then summarizes, to ensure that he/she captured the essence of what the person revealed. (This is not done in confession.)
4. The leader then gets permission to pray the prayer of renunciation, the person is asked to repeat after the leader. (Not done in confession)
5. The leader then prays for the release of all that the person had renounced, forgiven, or taken back. (Not done in confession)
6. The person is asked, “how do you feel?” If the answer is “the same as when I came here” then return to the interview and check out the key words, check if anything was left out. (Not done in confession)
7. Leader and entire team pray and bless the person. (A final blessing is also part of confession.)
8. A most significant difference between the two is time, as can be seen this approach cannot be rushed, it may be necessary to continue the process with the individual, as deeper issues may be revealed, while identifying root causes to current feelings or situations. (A wonderful approach in terms of experiencing freedom)
9. This approach cannot replace confession, because in my experience as a confessor, there are sins that are clear cut, however there are numerous situations .reactions that cause one to react violently, or with anger, angry words that trigger more angry words, the root cause/s is/are often linked to some childhood disobedience and/or experience. This is where the workshop approach is extremely beneficial, and our Catholic community should further examine the literature on to determine the merit of establishing prayer teams of confidential persons who would service the parishes. (It may mean that teams would serve other parishes where they are not well known.)
10. A most significant occurrence is that, having experienced the process one cannot help, but to continue to reflect and to isolate or come to conclusions to root causes to current feelings, attitudes and or expectations.
11. This is just one opinion! A timely workshop in the life of the Renewal. A wonderful experience, which marked the beginning of a journey of understanding my attitude, why things affect me the way they do; my expectation of others and most importantly why I do things the way I do, and how I do them.
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