June 2005
48th Year No. 6
Internet Edition
Page 5

Spirit Responds to Crisis:
The Role of Spirituality in Education
Address by Dr. Didacus Jules
In honor of the 150 Anniversary of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Cluny
Castries St. Lucia July 5th 2004

What is helpful about this report is that it disaggregates risk and protective factors to three levels: the individual, the micro-environment (comprising family, social networks, peers and role models, community, and neighborhood), and the macro-environment (comprising mass media, the economy, public institutions, cultural and historical background, and social norms on gender).

Allow me to quote at some length from this report on the negative youth outcomes that the study found were peculiar to the Caribbean:
“Sexual and physical abuse is high in the Caribbean and socially accepted in many Caribbean countries. Corporal punishment continues to be widespread in Caribbean schools and homes, particularly among boys. And according to the nine-country CARICOM study, 1 in 10 school-going adolescents have been sexually abused. The high incidence of sexual abuse among Caribbean boys stands out in comparison to other countries. Even more noteworthy is the “disturbing pattern of cultural ‘normalcy’ in child and physical and sexual abuse” in the Caribbean (Barrow 2001).

The onset of sexual initiation in the Caribbean is the earliest in the world (with the exception of Africa, where early sexual experiences take place within marriage). Early sexual debut is known to predispose young people to early pregnancy, HIV/AIDS, and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

The region has the highest incidence of HIV/AIDS outside of Africa—and youth are an at-risk group. Among other things, HIV/AIDS is linked to cultural values about sexuality that are particular to the Caribbean.

The incidence of rage among young people is extremely high: 40 percent of school-going CARICOM students reported feelings of rage. High rates of sexual abuse and physical abuse among children likely play out in rage among young people, which can affect their school performance and lead to violence.

Youth unemployment is especially elevated in some Caribbean countries. According to World Development Indicators from 1996 to 1998, St. Lucia had the highest youth unemployment rate in the Americas, followed by Jamaica. In the Caribbean, St. Lucia, followed by Dominica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Jamaica, have the highest youth unemployment rates.

In contrast to the United States, which has high levels of youth violence, the proportion of Caribbean adolescent males who carry firearms is extremely high. Fully one-fifth of students had carried a weapon to school in the 30 days previous to the survey, and nearly as many had been in a fight using weapons. Gang violence is also high in the Caribbean, with 20 percent of male students and 12 percent of female students at one point having belonged to a gang.

Although data on drug use are scanty, anecdotal evidence suggests a widespread social acceptance of alcohol and marijuana in some Caribbean countries, among both in-school and out-of-school youth. Out-of-school youth aged 13 to 19 years are most at risk of substance abuse as well as drug dealing (Barker 1995). Further complicating the situation, the Caribbean is a major trans-shipment point for drugs entering the United States and Europe.”

The study also identified the factors which have the greatest impact on determining the outcomes of youth, and while doing so, it emphasized the inter-connectedness of these factors in determining the kind of outcomes:
“Family: The family is both the strongest protective factor and the strongest risk factor for youth behavior and outcomes. It is protective in that family connectedness, appropriate levels of parental discipline, moral guidance, protection from dangers in the adult world, and economic support allow young people to acquire personal and social skills while young. Conversely, parental displays of negative behaviors (substance abuse, violence); physical, sexual, and emotional abuse by family members; and the absence of parental guidance and support are risk factors.

Schools: Connectedness to schools is highly protective against all risky behaviors, including using drugs and alcohol and engaging in violent or sexual activity. For example, among school-going adolescents, the probability of sexual behavior falls by 30 percentage points for boys and 60 percentage points for girls if they are connected to schools. Conversely, the school system can have devastating effects on those youth with low academic achievement by not granting them a place in school and, as a corollary, making them feel socially excluded and “worthless.”

Poverty: Young people in disadvantaged situations are often forced to find work and have few options except informal sector work, drug trade, or prostitution. Parents - particularly single parents - are more likely to be absent from the household and frequently leave youth and children unattended and unsupervised. Young girls in some countries—sometimes at the encouragement of their mothers—will engage in opportunistic sex to relieve poverty and contribute to household income. And childbearing is still used a strategy for gaining economic support in countries like Jamaica. Last, income inequality—which is demonstrated by the presence of drug dons, foreign tourists, and the media—encourages the engagement of youth in “easy money” activities, including drugs and commercial sex work.

Gender: Gender is a central risk factor in Caribbean societies. Almost all children in Jamaica and St. Lucia, for example, are born out of wedlock, which means that many fathers are absent from the lives of their children. The exclusionary nature of fathering dates back to slavery, when men were not permitted to play the role of spouse and father. At the same time, social norms promote sexual prowess and multifathering among men. These norms have important intergenerational effects. Children of absent fathers are more likely to fare poorly in school. And men’s inability to provide economic support means that women often raise children on their own, leading to greater levels of poverty and vulnerability among these women and their children.”

Although these issues cannot and should not be measured simply in monetary terms, the World Bank was still able to quantify the tangible costs to society of some of the problems experienced. It noted for example that a single cohort of adolescent mothers in terms of foregone benefits from alternative uses of resources would cost more than US$2 million in St. Kitts-Nevis; that youth crime and violence in St. Lucia generates more than US$3 million in lost benefits to society and US$7.7 million in lost benefits to private individuals annually.

The Nature of Violence in Our Time
At this juncture, it would be pertinent to ask ourselves what is the nature of violence in our time since it has become such a pervasive feature of social existence. I would like to posit three fundamental types and causes of violence:
· Structural violence
· Spiritual violence
· Environmental violence

Sociological literature has long recognized that violence is sometimes a social response to injustice and exclusion. Structural violence is the type of violence that arises as a reaction to this kind of situation. The Church recognized this since Vatican II and more recently, the Antilles Bishops quoted Archbishop Romero of El Salvador who stated:
“I will not tire of declaring that if we really want an effective end to violence, we must remove the violence that lies at the root of all violence: structural violence, social injustice, the exclusion of citizens from the management of the country, repression. All of this is what constitutes the primal cause, from which the rest flows naturally”

Structural violence is occasioned by a sense of powerlessness and hopelessness when people feel absolutely disempowered and when the judicial apparatus of the state provides no comfort that justice is possible.

The second kind of violence – which I referred to as spiritual violence – is more subjective and a response of spirit to crisis. It can be physical or psychological and occurs when trauma or turbulence hits. In this sense, violence can be seen as the negation of life as it affirms destruction. Yet there is a powerful deconstructive power in trauma that channeled carefully enables a victim of violence to overcome the seemingly insurmountable odds that have impacted them. Grant (1999) attests that:
“Trauma, in spite of its brutality and destructiveness, has the power to open victims to issues of profound existential and spiritual significance. The displacement of the ego forces confrontations with deeper levels of self and reality.”

This reality is functional not only at an individual level but can be relevant also at the collective level. The example of Nelson Mandela and his redemptive use of reconciliation to heal his nation is the most poignant lesson of our times. The invocation of the Psalms that “Truth and mercy have met together; peace and justice have kissed.” (Psalm 85:10) reminds us of the power of accepting truth while exercising mercy – that reconciliation is only possible where there has been a confrontation with truth in the context of justice.

The third construct of Violence is as an environmental factor of identity formation. In many societies today (both developed and developing), the youth of urban ghettos are increasingly turning to mechanisms and emblems of violence to facilitate their identity formation. Drugs, guns and violence have become integral to the self-definition of their masculinity and have assumed a primal ascendancy in the global culture as a result of the treatment of violence in the international film culture.

To be continued

Caribbean Church

Trinidad & Tobago
Port-of Spain.
Pray for Benedict XVI urge Archbishops

‘Let us pray for our most blessed Pope, Benedict. May God preserve him and fill him with life, and make him blessed on earth, and not hand him over to his enemies.’ This simple prayer was uttered both in Latin and in English by the Papal Nuncio, Archbishop Thomas E. Gullickson, in closing remarks at the April 25 Pontifical Mass in Port-of –Spain to celebrate the election of Pope Benedict XVI.

Pope Benedict, the former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, was elected by the College of Cardinals to succeed Pope John Paul II. He was installed as head of the Church at an April 24 Mass. At the Thanksgiving Mass held at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, more than 40 priests concelebrated with retired Bishop John Mendes, Archbishop Gullickson and chief celebrant and homilist, Archbishop Edward Gilbert. In his homily, the Archbishop identified some of the challenges that have emerged from this historic Church event. One challenge is for all Catholic faithful to pray not only for the new pontiff, but for those who will assist him in his papal ministry to the church and to the world.

Another challenge, he continued, is for us to remain open to his teachings, reflect on them, and to be “obedient in faith”. Archbishop Gilbert also highlighted key aspects of the Holy Father’s homily at his installation Mass. He said Pope Benedict would seek to evangelise a secular Europe, work for peace around the world, the renewal of the clergy and Church, and focus attention on the ecumenical movement. We must respond to his papacy by collaborating with him ‘in becoming shepherds and so touch the lives of other people’.

Barbados - Bridgetown
Abstinence ‘seed’ planted in Barbados Youth.

On March 19, the Feast of St. Joseph, 37 young people, aged 12 to 20 years, pledged to abstain from sexual activity until they are married. The simple ceremony, presided over by Bishop Malcolm Galt, took place at the Sugar Reef Restaurant Rockeley, Christ Church and marked the close of an abstinence programme given by the Living Water Community (LWC), Barbados. Refraining from sexual activity outside of marriage has always been part of church teaching, said mission leader, Rosemary Scott. “Even if cultures changed, God’s values don’t,” she said. “If we look at John Paul II, he never watered down the faith.” LWC offered the programme when concerned parents urged them to help their teens navigate the world’s tricky social and moral landscape. Scott, with a team of interested parents and adults, adapted and existing abstinence programme used in the state of Louisiana, USA, introducing faith –based elements into it. Over nine weeks the team shared with the youngsters healthy, creative ideas about friendship and dating, how to choose friends, the myths surrounding love and safe sex, communication skills, building healthy relationships, sexually transmitted diseases, and trusting God to be a part of their lives. At the ceremony each teenager received a certificate on which was printed the words of their pledge and a silver ring, blessed by the bishop, to be worn on their wedding finger as an outward sign of their special way of life. The pledge was not a “vow”, Bishop Galt was careful to note. This is the first abstinence programme offered by the Barbados LWC, another has since begun.

Grenada - St. George’s
Rebuilding Churches after Hurricane Ivan

As the Catholic Church in Grenada literally rebuilds in the wake of the destruction caused by Hurricane Ivan last year, a call has gone out for the exercise to include “building church communities and personal edification”. The call was made by Fr. Sean Doggett, chairman of the Diocesan Building Committee in an article in the May 1 issue of Catholic Focus. He also provided an update on the rebuilding process. In his update, Fr. Sean noted that the reconstruction of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in St. George’s for instance, provided a historic opportunity. Already ideas are being solicited from Catholics throughout Grenada, Carriacou and Petit Martinique for the design of the Cathedral’s outer structure. At a later date, the faithful will also be consulted for ideas on the design of the interior. The Cathedral serves the whole diocese, and it is therefore fitting that the views of all should be heard and considered. With respect to other parish churches reconstruction of the church in Gouyave is almost completed, but for many others the work has not yet started. Fr. Sean lamented that repairs to the various presbyteries were also behind. “ I had hoped that far more would have been achieved in the repair of the roofs of presbyteries, but getting realistic estimates and capable contractors willing to take on the work has been a real problem”, he said.

Jamaica - Kingston
National Eucharistic Congress-Sunday May 29, 2005

In June of 2004, the late Pope John Paul II, in the wake of Vatican Council II and the Great Jubilee 2000, declared October 2004 to October 2005, the Year of the Eucharist, emphasizing that this should be a strong time of encountering Christ present in this Sacrament of His Body and His Blood. With this in mind and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the three Catholic Bishops in Jamaica (Kingston, Mandeville, and Montego Bay) met and convoked a National Eucharistic Congress to be celebrated on the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ, May 29, 2005 at the National Arena in Kingston. In this way the three dioceses will unite in a common celebration and so employ their resources in a more effective manner. Theme of the Congress: ‘Eucharist: Light and Mission of the New Millennium’. In preparation for this congress parishes throughout the Dioceses have been encouraged to read, study, dialogue and reflect on John Paul II’s Encyclical Letter, “Ecclesia de Eucharistia (2003)”, hold Holy Hour Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, prayer vigils and Eucharistic processions. Among the aims of the congress are: a more intense catechesis on the Eucharist, more active participation in the sacred liturgy, a careful exploration of possible initiatives in carrying out social works geared to the promotion of human well-being and the dutiful sharing of temporal goods after the example of the early Christian community.

Suriname - Paramaribo
Bishops: Discrimination against HIV victims unacceptable

Not only is it “unfortunate” that persons with HIV/AIDS should suffer stigma and discrimination, say the bishops of the Antilles Episcopal Conference (AEC), but it is also “unacceptable”. In calling on the people of the region to challenge the widely held negative attitudes towards persons with HIV/ AIDS, the bishops said: “we declare without reservation that HIV/AIDS is not a curse from God. It is not a divine judgement on individuals for their sins”. These positions are contained in a statement on HIV/AIDS issued by the bishops at the conclusion of their 49th annual plenary meeting in Suriname on April 14. Noting that the Caribbean had the second highest incidence per capita of HIV/ AIDS after “sub-Saharan Africa and that there remained as yet no cure, the bishops reiterated that the most effective means of protection from this disease was sexual abstinence before marriage, and fidelity to one’s spouse after marriage. “This is factually attested to in countries such as Uganda where abstinence is an integral part of the governmental strategy to confront the disease”, they said. We as bishops are committed to seeking new ways to enter into partnerships with other Christian churches, other religions, governments, health care providers and the private sector in providing even more services to HIV/AIDS victims and their families.

World Church

VATICAN CITY
Pope asks for more commitment to Africa

Benedict XVI appealed to the international community on Africa Day for greater commitment to solving the continent’s problems. The Pope made his appeal on May 25th. During his general audience in St. Peter’s Square, which gathered about 27,000 pilgrims, including some African heads of state and government. The African leaders at the audience were Blaise Compaore, president of Burkina Faso, Amadou Toumani Toure, president of Mali, and†Absalom Themba Diamini, Prime Minister of Swaziland, who were accompanied by their entourages. ‘My thoughts and prayers are with the beloved people of Africa,” the Holy Father said in English at the end of the audience. ‘I encourage our Catholic institutions to continue giving generous attention to their needs, and I hope and pray that the international community will become ever more involved in the problems of the African continent,” he said. The Organization of African Unity was established on May 25, 1963. That date is now commemorated as Africa Day. Africa is emerging as one of Benedict XVI’s main concerns. The Pope himself expressed this May 13, when he met with the priests of the Diocese of Rome in the Basilica of St. John Lateran.

On that occasion he said: “Africa is a continent of very great possibilities, of very great generosity on the part of its people, with a lively and impressive faith, but we must admit that Europe has exported, unfortunately, not only faith in Christ, but also vices.” The Pope has already met personally and in group with the bishops of Rwanda, who came to Rome for their five yearly visit. He is currently meeting with the bishops of Burundi.

On April 26th. The former Jean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Bernardin Gantin, met with Benedict VXI before returning to his home country of Benin. In a private audience Cardinal Gantin, 83, discussed the acute problems of Africa and asked the Pope for his help.

VATICAN CITY
Coin to commemorate World Youth Day 2005

The Vatican City State has released a 2 euro coin to commemorate this year’s World Youth Day in Cologne, Germany. Some 85,000 units of the collector’s coin will be produced, World Youth Day organizers said. The reverse of the coin shows Cologne Cathedral, and above it is the star of Bethlehem with a comet’s tail, which guided the wise men, It includes the inscription in Italian “XX Giornata Mondale della Gioventu.” The design is by sculptress Daniela Longo. The face of the coin reads “Citta del Vaticano” (Vatican City), and around it are the 12 stars of the European Union. The date 2005 and the place is indicated with the letter “R” for Rome. The World Youth Day Office in Cologne said it will not be offering the coins. The theme of the August event is “We Have Come to Worship Him.” This is “a theme that enables young people from each continent to follow ideally the itinerary of the Wise Kings, whose relics, according to a pious tradition, are venerated in Cologne “and, like them, to meet the Messiah of all nations,” said Pope John Paul I I in a message in preparation for the event.

VATICAN CITY
Caritas Internationalis Has its First Lay President

Denis Vienot, president of Caritas Europe, has become the first layman to be named president of Caritas Internationalis, the confederation of Catholic aid organizations. The organization’s executive council elected Vienot on May 18’b., to succeed the late Maronite Archbishop Fouad El Hage of Tripoli, Lebanon, reported Vatican Radio. The Paris born president of Caritas Internationalis had headed Caritas Europe since 1999. In accepting the post. Vienot, 59, said that he will continue with Caritas’ commitment to the weakest Since last November, Caritas Intemationalis has had a “public canonical juridical personality,” linking it more closely to the person of the Pope and to the Holy See. Caritas Internationalis brings together 162 local Catholic relief, development and social service organizations.

ROME
Benedict XVI Marks 28th Year as Bishop

Benedict XVI the Bishop of Rome, marked the 28th Anniversary of his Episcopal ordination on Saturday May 28th. Father Joseph Ratzinger, a member of the International Theological Commission, was appointed Archbishop of Munich and Freising by Pope Paul VI on March 24th. 1977, and received Episcopal ordination from the hands of Bishop Josef Stangi of Wuerzburg the following May 28th. Father Ratzinger, who had just celebrated his 50th. Birthday became the first diocesan priest in 80 years to assume the pastoral governance of the large Bavarian archdiocese. Paul VI elevated him to cardinal just a month later, on June 27th. In his autobiography “Milestones: Memoirs 1927 1977”, Cardinal Ratzinger recalled the date of his Episcopal consecration as “an extraordinarily beautiful day, a radiant day at the beginning of summer, on the vigil of Pentecost of 1977.” I experienced the reality of the sacrament: something happens in it that is true,” he wrote. “Later, praying before the column of the Virgin Mary, in the heart of the Bavarian capital, meeting many people who welcomed the newcomer, unknown to them, with a warmth and joy which was not due so much to my person, but rather manifested once again what the sacrament is.” “They were greeting the bishop, who bears the mystery of Christ, although perhaps the majority of those present wre unaware of it. But the joy of that day was in fact something different from the acceptance of a person, who still had to demonstrate his own capacity.” As Archbishop Ratzinger, he chose words from the Third Letter of John, “co worker in the truth,” as the spiritual theme of his episcopate. On November 25th 1981, Pope John Paul II appointed Cardinal Ratzinger prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and president of the Pontifical Biblical Commission and the International Theological Commission. Because of these appointments, the cardinal resigned from the pastoral governance of the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising on February 15th ,1982, and moved to Rome,

LONDON
Vocation Campaign in England Steps Out

A new campaign to promote vocations in England and Wales is taking a step into new territory, that of life outside the church buildings. This summer the bishops’ National Office for Vocations in England and Wales is running a series of ads on beer mats and on posters in the London Underground, making this the first time the Church has actively publicized priesthood outside of church buildings. Following the death of Pope John Paul I I on April 2, and with the recent airing of “Monastery” on BBC2, a reality show that tracked the spiritual journey of five men of various faiths who spent 40 days living the life of monks in a Benedictine abbey , there was a noticeable increase in the number of inquiries about the priesthood and religious life. Regarding this increased interest, Father Paul Embery, director of the vocations office, which is responsible for the campaign said: “We are trying to develop that into something more long term.” “Previously we have only advertised within the church,” he noted. “By taking the campaign into other areas of young people’s lives, we are hoping it will give them something to think about and keep the interest high.”’ Asked if it was appropriate for the Church to advertise vocations to the priesthood in this way, Father Embery said: “Pope John Paul didn’t spend all his time in the Vatican. He went out, and took his message to where the people were. We can do something similar to encourage young men to think about the priesthood.” The beer mats, while commercially available, will also be used at social events where there are gatherings of Catholic young people, such as World Youth Day this August in Cologne.

BERLIN
Bishops Campaign for Development

A delegation of bishops is touring Europe to promote goals set by the U.N. Millennium Summit that ask for an increase in aid for the developing countries by 2015. The delegation, headed by Cardinal Karl Lehmann, bishop of Mainz and president of the German bishops’ conference, handed German Chancellor Gerhard Schroder a petition on May 25th. That advocates the establishment of a strategic association for development, the removal of trade barriers, further cancellations of foreign debt and an increase in aid for development. The delegation also includes Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Mandiaga of Honduras; Bishop Alvaro Ramazzini of Guatemala, and Cardinal Telesphore Toppo of India. The prelates will also visit London and Paris. According to Cardinal Rodriguez Mandiaga, the purpose of the prelates’ tour is to exert pressure on “governments that subscribed to the Millennium development objectives, thus committing themselves to eliminate the most painful forms of poverty” by 2015.

Children's Page

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus I place all my trust in you

June is the month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. We pray and sing to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. He hears us and answers our prayers and petitions
One of our parishes is named after the most Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Can you tell which Parish?

My prayers to the Sacred Heart were prepared by
‘Grade One students’ of Babonneau Roman Catholic School

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus I love You.
Victory

Oh Sacred Heart
help
my Mommy
and
Daddy
Leanna

Oh Sacred Heart of
Jesus, Come into my
heart today.
Ricardo

Help me
to love you
Oh Sacred Heart and others as well
Janique

Help me to learn
my lessons
Oh Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Shelham

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