Catholic Opinion Issue #5 November 2022

ADVENT: A TIME OF HOPE

mother dear, we too are waiting to behold thy son divine". We were instructed to watch and pray with patience.

The Church's liturgical year begins with Advent. This year, Sunday, November 27, heralds the beginning of the Season of four (4) weeks when Mother Church asks us to redirectourthoughtstothe birth of Christ, a significant event in Salvation History. As children, we would sing " prepare your house as fit as you are able, for Love the Guest is on the way" and "

We made our Advent wreath, adorned with 3 purple candles and 1 pink for Gaudete Sunday, the 3rd of the four, these representing our Christian virtues of hope, peace, joy and love and one white in the center representing Christ at the heart of all things. These are the gifts we are bringing to the birthday celebration, gifts bestowed on us and which we now return.

In our waiting and longing we join with men and women of the ages who with fervent hope prayed, watched and hoped for a saviour to deliver them from oppression, war and strife. The deliverer, the Promised of Ages was to come and change everything restoring the glory of Israel. The prophets thundered, warned and pleaded:

"Come let us climb the Lord's mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob, That he may instruct us in His ways, And we may walk in His paths" Isa.2:3

(Continued on page 4)

TALK TO THE DEAD

All Souls Day 2/10/2022

Lifehastaughtmenottobelieve in many things, but I do firmly believeinlifeafterdeath.

Death...Yes D-E-A-T-H An inviting topic in our society and yetverymuchavoided.

The book of Ecclesiastes reminds us, “There is an appointed time for everything, andatimeforeveryaffairunder the heavens. A time to be born, and a time to die … a time to weep, and a time to mourn, and atimetodance”(Eccl3:1-9).

All Souls Day is an outstanding tradition in the Catholic faith. November is dedicated to remembering those who have died. We all have experienced death, whether directly or indirectly, and no matter what, we should never forget our loved ones and those who may have contributed to our lives in one way or another. The dead are remembered not because their departure changed our lives; but life never ended by theirabsence.

As we celebrate this memorial day for the dead, we call to

remembrance all those who have died, those we know and those we do not know, but especially those who die lonely and those who die without comingto terms withtheir God. We say a prayer for those who may have died in bitterness due to issues among family members, friends, or community. We also remember those who may have taken their lives for whatever reason that Godwillbemercifultothem.

The aborted children, men and womenkilledinwarand

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Pope’s November Intention P2

Student exchange P3

Institution of Acolytes P4

Blessing of the Pets P5

Synod Process Review P6

Document from Latin America and the Caribbean P7

Kids Page P8

Featured school of the month P9

Guidelines for Holy Mass P10

Pastoral Assignments P12

Celebrating the Feast of Christ the King P13

Memorials / Obituaries P14

(Click page number)

Quiz!!!

Who had the longest pontificate?

(See page 13 for answer)

“The media only writes about the sinners and the scandals, but that's normal, because a tree that falls makes more noise than a forestthatgrows.”

Pope Francis

Pope Francis’ Prayer Intention for November: Children Who Suffer

Pope Francis, in his special prayer intention for the month of November, invites us to pray for the millions of children who are suffering around the world, especially for those who are homeless, orphans, and victims of war. "There are still millions of boysandgirlswhosufferand live in conditions very similar to slavery. They aren't numbers: they are human

What yuh Think?

Howwelcomingarewe?

Many parishes sing a welcomesongwhenpersons are visiting for the first time. But do we actually welcome them? Do we greet them after Mass? Do we take their particularsand keep in touch with them? Do we make them feel like this is indeed a welcoming parish interested in their human and spiritual wellbeing? Or are opportunitiesmissed?

And what of our regular

beings with names, with a face of their own, with an identity that God has given them," Pope Francis says in hisvideomessage.

Every marginalized child living without schooling, without a family, without health care, the Pope said, is “acry;” acry “thatrisesupto God and shames the system that we adults have built.”

The Pope continued by

parishioners? Do we see our parish as a community and engage in genuine fellowship? Do we stay behind for conversation and greetings? Or do we hurry away? Do we encourage the young or do we criticize them?Manyyouthssaythey are not made to feel welcome by the way adults treatthemandfindfaultwith them at church. Other parishioners complain that some older ones don’t involve them in the various activities or ministries, making them feel that those veterans control things in thoseministriesandjealously

saying every child should havetheright toaccessbasic services and be able to feel the warmth and love of a family:Anabandonedchildis our fault. “We can no longer allow them to feel alone and abandoned they are entitled to an education and to feel the love of a family so theyknowthatGoddoesnot forgetthem.

excludeothers.

So how inclusive are we in our parish? Are we tolerant enough to accept others as they are with their faults and failings? Or do we adopt a judgemental approach inconsistent with the way Jesus reached out to sinners like the woman at the well?

“Holier than thou” does not bring souls to Christ. Rather, itiswelcomingallinthehope that Christian kindness will leadthemtocommittoGod. Do you welcome others? Do you feel welcome in your parish? What are you doing aboutit?

Sister Rose Chang, Servite sister is pictured here (standing) facilitating a strategic planning SWOT analysis Session with the Blessed Sacrament Cathedral Parish Advisory Council recently. Lay leaders and the Pastoral team spent an interactive and constructive time in evaluating and charting a way forward for more effective administration and ministry in the parish, especially in light of the recent pandemic and thechanges that involved.

Mr. Brian Wiggan Chairman of the Parish

Student Exchange

staff members engaged members of the Administrative Team at Campion in discussions on some of the common challenges facing high schoolsintheCaribbean.

The students, for their part, attended classes and curricular club meetings along with their Campion counterparts. This allowed them to get to better know their Jamaican counterparts and facilitated a wealth of sharing of common experiences. The Harrison College students visited sitesofinterestincludingtheUniversityoftheWest Indies,MonaandtheNationalGallery.

TheclimaxofthevisitwasaYouthSummitheldon October 31, 2022, where students of Harrison College and Campion College presented their opinions on various topics, including, the effect of 19 on the education system, the “Orange and the effects of Climate Change, particularly on SIDS (Small Island Developing States). Aftertheirpresentation,thediscussionwas joined by students from Ardenne High School, Immaculate Conception High School, Jamaica CollegeandSt.AndrewHighSchool.

Between October 26, 2022 and October 31, 2022, a group of twenty Sixth-Form students and five staff members from Harrison College in Barbados,

visited Jamaica and were guests of Campion College. Thedelegationfrom Harrison College was led by their Principal Ms. Juanita Wade, and the

The B. A. in Guidance & Counselling offered by St. Michael’s is a degree with a difference. It is a research based undergraduate degree, which has sociology, pastoral care and spirituality as its underpinnings. It is designed to prepare its graduates to work in schools, and church-based organizations. A graduate of this degreewillbeableto:

 Analyzethepsychological,sociologicalandculturalfactorswhichleadtofunctional anddysfunctionalbehaviorinstudentsandfamilies.

 Planandconductschoolassemblies;

 Offercareerguidancetostudents.

 Produceanddeliverlessonplansforclassesinlifeskillsandhealthylifestyles;

 Train youth and adult leaders to be comfortable in exercising authority, and in relatingtoauthorityfigures.

 Assist young and old to perform self-examination, and thereby in maintaining a healthymentalprofileandremediatingdysfunctionalbehaviour;

 Counselparentsandchildren,couplesandfamilies,towardsconflictavoidanceand resolution;

 Assistintheformationofstrongself-disciplinedmenandwomen

 Provideindividualizedandgroupcounsellingtoyouthandadults.

 Promote healthy interpersonal relationships between men and women comfortablewiththeirbodiesandtheirsexuality.

 Provideassistanceinavoidingsubstanceabuse,andinbreakingbadhabits.

 Remediatenegativeself-imageandpersonalitydisorders.

 Conductqualitativeandquantitativeresearchintheirfield,analyzetheresults,and writethemup

Presentations on this programme to your organization are available on request by emailingusatstmtc2902@gmail.com

CampionCollegehopestomakeareciprocalvisitto Harrison College and Barbados sometime in early 2023.

FOURTEEN MENAND WOMEN INSTITUTEDASACOLYTES

By Rev. Peter Espeut

Sunday, October 30, 2022 at Holy Trinity Cathedral, fourteen men and women of the Archdiocese were instituted to the Ministry of Acolyte by the Most Rev. Kenneth Richards DD, Archbishop of Kingston. Previously, Archbishop Kenneth had instituted them all to the Ministry of Reader.

Many often ask the difference between Readers and Lectors, and Acolytes and Altar Servers. Lectors, Eucharistic ministers,

important service in the liturgy, but do so in an informal way with temporary appointments, which have to renewed after a specified period; both women and men have long performed these functions well.

Formerly the ministries of Reader and Acolyte were treated as stages on the way to ordination to the diaconate and the priesthood, and indeed, the eleven men instituted as Readers and now Acolytes are heading

for the permanent diaconate; three of the wives have been journeying with them, receiving the same formation, and the same assessments. Only on January 10, 2021 did Pope Francis change Canon Law to open up the Ministries of Reader and Acolyte to women as standalone offices, and here in Jamaica we were fortunate to have women already trained and assessed and ready for institution. Two wives of deacon aspirants were instituted as acolytes in the Diocese of Montego Bay last month (see the last issue of Catholic Opinion) – globally probably the first in recent centuries. The three women from the Archdiocese arelikelytobethesecond batch of women so instituted in modern times.

Readers not only proclaim the word in the liturgy (as lectors do) but are expected to make a special study of the Word of

ADVENT: A TIME OF HOPE

thanksgiving, compassion thoughtfulness, caring and sharing. The constant wanting 'more' leads to discontent, dissatisfaction and an agitatedunhappinesswhichrobsusof ourjoy.

(Cont’d from page 1)

he come for all'. Hence we are called to share this gift of God's love. Our world is crying out for peace and justice and we have heard the ' Good News'itisourdutytospreadit,then,

God, and should be involved in training lectors.

Acolytesnotonlyassistdeaconsand priests at Mass (as altar servers do), but are permanent Eucharistic ministers, are trained as sacristans and to conduct funerals, and to lead Sunday worship in the absence of a priest or deacon.

Readers and Acolytes perform these ministries permanently, and are entitled to wear albs. The formal Institution of women as Readers and Acolytes is official recognition of their specific vocation to leadership in their communities.

Congratulations to the fourteen new Readers and Acolytes in the Archdiocese of Kingston! We pray that God will richly bless the work of your hands. 

As community, vulnerable, open and trusting we call on the Lord to come into our lives, to abide with us in the sacrament of the Eucharist where we have our personal encounter with Him. This wonderful gift we have to sharewithallGod'schildrenasitisus who bring Christ's love into the world. Love the guest comes in sacrament,yes'Hecomesinthename of the Lord'. The prophet Isaiah tells us that all that is required of us is to love and walk humbly with our God and as children we loudly recited " I have Christ, what more want I?" But we corrupt the Season seeking after more and more 'stuff'. In this Season oftoomuch, weasktheGodofgood gifts to slow us down, temper our desirestopossessmoreandmoreand awaken in us a sense of peace,

So Jesus, the teacher, the healer, the friend, brother and saviour, the long awaited comes to us in Sacrament and he comes as Mary's son a baby born in a stable and he it is who was chosentobringaboutourredemption:

"HereismyservantwhomIuphold, my chosen one with whom I am pleased Upon whom I have put my Spirit;Youshallbringforthjusticeto nations, Not crying out, not shouting...... Until you establish justiceontheearth;Isa.42:1-4

Jesus came into a world where injustice, greed and unjust relationshipscriedouttoheaven,they needtobechallengedandconfronted. In our time of brash 'up in your face' hedonistic culture how do we speak God's truth? We live in hope. God's glory comes to us at Christmas, as Ernie Smith say, 'Jesus come for one

" The desert and the parched land will exult;thesteppe will rejoiceand bloom. They will bloom with abundant flowers, and rejoice with joyful song........Be strong, fear not! HereisyourGod,TheGodofjustice and mercy Is coming to save you. Then will the eyes of the blind be opened;"Isa.35:1-6

Wearenotthereyetso weknowthat the redemptive plan is not complete. "Christ will come again". Advent focusesusonthatreality.Jesusbegan His workatHisfirstcoming, Hewill bring it to completion at His second coming.Justiceand mercyshallmeet and mankind will share in the glory. During Advent then, we prepare ourselves,wehangontohopeandwe have great expectations as we pray unceasingly.

-MarciaThwaites



Synod Process Reviews Policies on Parishioners, Women in Leadership

Peopledesire thatthe churchbea refuge for the wounded and broken, not an institution for the perfect, the United States report thatwasincludedinthedocument stated.

find ways to attract men to a more activemembershipintheChurchand to enable women to participate more fullyatalllevelsofChurchlife.”

A new synodality document released late October indicates that the Church is aware of some outdatedteachingsand mayconsider amoresignificantroleforwomen.

As part ofPope Francis'songoing consultation process with Catholics worldwide, a newVaticandocument covers several topics, including women's ordination, homosexuality, children of priests, sexism, and clergy abuse, which were once considered of utmost taboo within theCatholicChurch.

Under Popes John Paul II and BenedictXVI,justmentioningmany of the topics raised in the new document mayhave raisedanalarm. Times have changed under Pope Franciswhohasbeenhailedbysome for opening conversations about sexuality and other subjects within theChurch.

"Among those who ask for a more meaningful dialogue and a more welcomingspace, we also find those who, for various reasons, feel a tension between belonging to the Church and their own loving relationships, such as: remarried divorcees, single parents, people living in a polygamous marriage, LGBTQ people, etc.," the document states.

According to the report, the church should be patient and authentic rather than superior, walk alongside parishioners instead of judging them, and build genuinerelationships.

The document also includes a discussion surrounding the role of women in the church. “After careful listening, many reports ask that the Church continue its discernment in relation to a range of specific questions: the active role of women inthegoverningstructuresofChurch bodies, the possibility for women with adequate training to preach in parish settings, and a female diaconate. Much greater diversity of opinionwasexpressedonthesubject of priestly ordination for women, which some reports call for, while othersconsideraclosedissue.”

The document says that “almost all reports raise the issue of full and equal participation of women. However,thereportsdonotagreeon a single or complete response to the question of the vocation, inclusion and flourishing of women in Church andsociety.”

61: “The Church faces two related challenges: women remain the majority of those who attend liturgy and participate in activities, men a minority; yet most decision-making and governance roles are held by men. It is clear that the Church must

St. Michael’s College, inconjunctionwiththeeducation commissions of all three dioceses, will be launching a virtual training program for Chairs and Members of the boards of all Catholic schools.

Thisisexpectedtostartearlyin2023andshouldberequiredforallwho serveonschoolboards. Mrs. Grace Baston willleadthesessionsonthe philosophyofCatholiceducation.Mr. AntonThompson willpresenton the proper functioning of boards and particularly on relations with the MinistryofEducation.

Because of numbers, it may be necessary to segment the course accordingtothetypesofschools.Informationwillfollowastoduration, dates,timesandcost.

The document also quotes the Holy Land’s report: “In a Church where almost all decision-makers are men, there are few spaces where women canmaketheirvoicesheard.Yetthey are the backbone of Church communities, both because they represent the majority of the

practicing members and because they are among the most active members of the Church.” The documentcitesoneofthecontinental reports Pope Francis had commissioned worldwide. Here the contribution came from New Zealand, which states that a "lack of equality for women within the Church is seen as a stumbling block fortheChurchinthemodernworld."

The Holy Family Self Help Centre operated by the Marists Sisters in the inner city community of Mount Salem St James celebrates 50 years of yeoman missionary service with a week of activities from November 20-26th, 2022. The Centre has been a beacon in the west over this period and has made a significant contribution in training unattached young adults in Food and Beverage,HousekeepingandParentingskills.

Blessing of Pets on the Feast of St Francis of Assisi

TheBlessingofthePetsofvariousparishioners,took place at St. Thomas Aquinas Church on October 4th, 2022. This is a time honored tradition for those to safeguard the souls of their loved ones, be it human or otherwise. The love that is shared with ones pet is immenseandcannotbemeasured. TheBlessingofPets usuallygoeslikethis:

“Blessed are you, Lord God, maker of all living creatures.Youcalledforthfishinthesea,birdsintheair, andanimalsontheland.YouinspiredSt.Francistocall allofthemhisbrothersandsisters.Weaskyoutobless

this pet. By the power of your love, enable it to live according to your plan. May we always praise you for all your beauty in creation. Blessed are you, Lord our God,inallyour creatures!Amen.”

Consider donating pet food or gently used blankets and towels J.S.P.C.A. or to the local animal shelter around this time of the year. The Feast of St. Francis of Assisi provides an opportunity to teach children about endangered or abused animals and what we can do tohelp. 

Symposium

The Jamaica Council of Churches collaborated with St. Michael’s College and the United Theological College of the West Indies in the staging of a symposium entitled “Pursuing Peace, Affirming, Human Dignity” in the Chapel at the UTCWI on Thursday, November 17, 2022. The Presenters were the Honourable Delroy Chuck, Minister of Justice, Senator Donna Scott-Mottley, Opposition Spokesperson on Justice and Information, Rev Jonathan Hemmings, Pastor of the Ocho Rios Circuit of Baptist Churches and

Professor Elizabeth Ward from the Violence Prevention Alliance. The audience also had greetings from Minister of Education, Hon. Fayval Williams, Archbishop Kenneth Richards who is the President of the JCC and from the Presidents of St. Michael’s and UTCWI, Deacon Ronald Thwaites and Rev. Oral Thomas, respectively. The symposium came against the background of the current situation with excessive violence in the country and the perceived need for an increased role for the Church in the search for lasting peace. The presenters all emphasized the role of the Church in this effort, especially through its outreach programmes and its schools. 

A place for Reflection

Dear Brothersand Sisters inChrist, GreetingsfromOurLadyof the Assumption in Morant Bay!

Senator Donna Scott-Mottley, Opposition Spokesperson on Justice and Information presenting during the forum on “Pursuing Peace, Affirming, Human Dignity” at the United Theological College of the West Indies. At the head table, from left, are Professor Elizabeth Ward, Rev. Jonathan Hemmings, Honourable Delroy Chuck, Minister of Justice, and,moderatorfortheafternoonRev.KarlJohnson.

ACCOMMODATIONS!

St. Michael’s College has (1) room for male and (1) room for female.

Call: 876-927-1259 or 876-977-4206

Email: bursarst.michaels@yahoo.com

for more information

As those of you who were here for the Pilgrimage on August 14th already know, we have completed the buildingofasmallshrineto Our Lady here on the grounds of the church. It is meant to be a place of prayer and reflection. It is also a place of pilgrimage. So I am hereby extending an invitation to you as individuals, as families, as parish groups, as groups of Teachers, SSVP, Legion of Mary, Youth groups and any other group to come andspendtimehereatthe shrine. Spend time with

Our Blessed Mother. I would simply ask that you call us a few weeks beforehand sothat we can book you in. We would NOT ask for a fee from you,butwewouldaskthat you take up a collection or make an offering to the church for the upkeep of the shrine and the flowers and plants there. Thanking youinadvance, Fr. Frank Power, SVD, on behalf of the parish pastoral team and community.

Houseline: 876-982-2250.

Mycell: 876-855-8551.

Fr.ShadrachKetiga

Cell#876-573-0807

dogs (Asha and Lucca) and a cat

The church in Latin America and the Caribbean is called to be a missionary church that heeds the cry of the poor and excluded; a synodal church where women, young people and lay people have greater roles; and a church that is evangelized even as it evangelizes, according to the final document of the church’s First Ecclesial Assembly held a year ago in Mexico.

The document of reflections and pastoral challenges resulting from the assembly was released by leaders of the Latin American bishops’ council, CELAM, Oct. 31. The publication reflects a desire for a church that “goes out to the periphery … a Samaritan church a church that builds fraternity, which is grounded in love, in the encounter with those who suffer most,” Archbishop José Luis Azuaje of Maracaibo, Venezuela, president of Caritas in Latin America and the Caribbean, said at the presentation.

Fruit of a months-long process

The document is the fruit of a months-long process that included a “listening” period from April to August 2021, during which some 70,000 people throughout the region provided input, followed by the week-long assembly, Nov. 21-28. That process made the ecclesial assembly “a practical laboratory” for the Synod of Bishops on synodality, which began with listening sessions this year, to be followed by meetings in Rome in 2023 and 2024. The document is meant not only as a summary, but as a guide for action in the coming years. “This isn’t just another document,” said Cardinal Leopoldo José Brenes of Managua, adding that the reflections and proposals “are something much more dynamic … which will give a new impetus to our pastoral work.”

“Signs of the times”

The document, titled “Toward a Synodal Church Going Forth into the Periphery,” begins by summarizing “signs of the times” in the region, including the COVID-19 pandemic which meant that only about 100 participants attended the assembly in person, while another 1,104 participated online. These signs of the times, based on input from the listening sessions, include social and economic inequalities exacerbated by the pandemic; government corruption and the fragility of the region’s democracies; ravaging of the environment, especially in the Amazon; massive

migration; the growth of cities; and an expansion of both Pentecostal churches and secularism.

Issues

Issues within the church mentioned during the listening process and in the assembly included the need to “overcome clericalism,” a call for transparency in handling cases of abuse, better formation for priests and religious, and opportunities for more formation of and participation by lay-people, including women, young people, Indigenous people and those of African descent.

we are the holy ground, we not only are the future, we also are the present.”

Take action to implement

The region’s church leaders were urged not to leave the post-assembly document on the shelf, but to take action to implement it. The document ends with dozens of “lines of action” for addressing the challenges raised in the “signs of the times” section. When the CELAM leaders were asked at the news conference about how those actions would be implemented, the response was generally that the specific steps would be up to each bishops’ conference. To some extent, that leaves the Ecclesial Assembly document in the same situation as the document that ended the Fifth General Conference of Bishops of Latin America and the Caribbean in Aparecida, Brazil, in 2007. That gathering ended with a call for a “great continental mission” to reach out to Catholics who had left the church and invite others to join. While individual jurisdictions may have made efforts, however, no region wide plan was ever developed.

Men and women religious in the region “are embracing our identity as disciples and missionaries, and we understand that it is necessary that we be converted,” Sister Liliana Franco Echeverria, President of the Latin American and Caribbean Conference of Religious, said in a video message. “We all need formation to be better witnesses and to prioritize formation in synodality so as to overcome the many and very diverse forms of clericalism,” she added. “In contexts as complex as those of our world, we are called to be a sign, to be an expression of a way of being and of values that definitely must be countercultural and eloquent.”

Greater role for young people

Participants in the 2021 Ecclesial Assembly also called for a greater role for young people. Young people, with their creativity and enthusiasm, “can make a great contribution to the church. But we need to be in spaces where decisions are made, where we are taken into account, and where our voice is heard. It is important that we realize that we are the work take action to implement take action to implement of God,

It was for that reason that when the Latin American bishops proposed a sixth general conference to mark the 15th anniversary of Aparecida, Pope Francis instead asked them to find a way to implement conclusions from Aparecida that remained pending. That request led to the listening process and the Ecclesial Assembly. But although there is not a specific plan, the document does list the action areas for each challenge. The bishops at the news conference also agreed on the need to implement the guidelines from the Ecclesial Assembly, some of which are also serving as input for the synod on synodality. With their skill in using technology for networking, young people can play a key role in continuing the process. The document is part of a process that began with discernment, continued through the assembly and does not end with publication of the conclusions. 

The complete document, including the lines of action at the end, can be seen at: https://asambleaeclesial.lat/wp-content/ uploads/2022/10/ingles.pdf

- Adapted from CATHOLIC STANDARD, November 4th, 2022

“Toward a Synodal Church Going Forth into the Periphery,” DOCUMENT FROM FIRST ECCLESIALASSEMBLY OFTHE CHURCH IN LATINAMERICAAND THE CARIBBEAN

Featured School of the Month Revival Primary School

founded in 1937 by the Catholic Church and is ideally located in the cool hills surroundingthe city of Negril, Westmoreland. The school serves many rural districts in and around the quiet district of Hopewell and charges all students, parents and teachers with the motto "Aim High, persevere and embrace your greatness!".

It is our firm belief that God has given every student at Revival Primary School a blessing, anointing, and gift which is our responsibility to help them develop and to utilize in serving the community, Jamaica, and the world

Believingintheneedtoprovidea holisticapproach to education we offer various programmes which includes daily devotional exercises, Mass before exams,

beginning of the school year, as well as a Mass for the school community during parents month.Theschoolfelttheneedto takecareofGod'screation,andas such hasformulated an Environmental Club. Since its inception, clubites have partnered with the Recycling Partners of Jamaicaandparentstocollectand package PET plastics forrecycling. Club members ensure students separate plastics and dispose of them in the appropriate area to reduce pollution and waste. This has enhancedthegeneralaestheticsof the school environment and taught students the importance of playingtheirpartonreducingand "puttingplasticinitsplace".

Inspiredbycommitmentfromthe Catholic Bishops of Jamaica in the face of crime and violence

from 2021, the school offers a breakfast programme which provides breakfast to an average of fifty students each morning, MondaysthroughFridays.Thisis supported by the church, the ministry of education and some kind parents who donate ground provisionsandeggs. Since face to face resumption, teachers immediately recognised theneedforadditionalsupportfor studentswhohaveseverereading challenges. The school has embarked on providing these students with individualised

We have embarked on aplantobuildaninfant department for the 2023/2024 academic year, a library, a computer lab, as well as additional classrooms and restroom facilities to upgrade our current physical plant. All of this is done so that all students who pass through our desks here at Revival PrimarySchool maylike Jesus grow "in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God andman”(Luke2:52). 

From Fr. Colin King

Principal and guidance counsellor with franciscan brothers.

Grade six students at mass.

Students at the school harvest presenting their baskets.

Students at the school harvest performing.

A welcoming entrance to the school.

Students and parents reaping from school garden

Pope Francis: 'Priests must be close to the people'

In a conversation with seminarians and priests studying in Rome, Pope Francis addresses numerous topics: from the compassionate style of priests, called to be close to the people, to spiritual direction.

The good priest and God's style

Responding to a question on the concreteness of mercy, the Pope stated that it is necessary to learn the language of gestures that express closeness and tenderness. This also applies when giving homilies, he said. "Let the expression be complete".

Pope Francis spoke of three languages that reveal "the maturity of a person: the language of the head, the language of the heart, and the language of the hands" and urged them to learn to express themselves in these three languages, "that I think what I feel and do, feel what I think and do, do what I feel and think".

KeepingintouchwithGod'speople

To those who asked him how to live the priesthood without losing that "smell of the sheep" that must be proper to the priestly ministry, Pope Francis replied that even if one is engaged in studies or in Curial work "it is important to maintain contact with the people, with God's faithful people, because there is the anointing of God's people: they are the sheep. By losing the smell of the sheep, by distancing yourself from them, you can be a theorist, a good theologian, a good philosopher, a very good curial official who does all the things" but you will have lost "the ability to smell the sheep". “It is important I would say

necessary, in fact, mandatory for each of you to have a weekly pastoral experience, at least,” the Pope said. "If there is no closeness to the people of God, you are not a good priest."

Thepriesthoodisnotacommodity

The Pope then spoke of priests who live the priesthood as if it were a job, with set hours; official priests, who seek tranquillity. "The priesthood is a sacred service to God", the Pope explained, "the service of which the Eucharist is the highest degree, it is a service to the community". He then addressed the topic of "climbing priests", those who aim to make a career for themselves, inviting them to stop: "The climber, in the end, is a traitor, he is not a servant. He seeks his own and then does nothing for others".

Spiritual accompaniment

Pope Francis also emphasized the importance of spiritual direction - noting, however, that he preferred the term "spiritual accompaniment" - which is not obligatory but helps on life's journey, and which is good to entrust to a person other than one's confessor.

The Pope emphasized that the important thing is that these are two separate roles. "You go to the confessor so that he may forgive you your sins. You go to the spiritual director to tell him the things that are going on in your heart, the spiritual emotions, the joys, the anger, and what is going on inside you". It is important to recognize that you need someone to help you understand your spiritual emotions,

said the Pope.

Not every question has an answer

Taking his cue from a question on the dialogue between science and faith, the Pope first of all invited priests to be open to the questions of scholars and the anxieties of people and university students, to listen, and to always maintain a positive, open, and humble attitude.

"To be humble, to have faith does not mean having the answer to everything", said the Pope." That method of defending the faith no longer works, it is an anachronistic method... To have faith, to have the grace to believe in Jesus Christ is to be on the way", he explained. The Pope also recommended always keeping dialogue open with science.

Dangers of the Internet

The Pope also spoke about his relationship with technology and his discomfort with modern digital tools. He recounted how, as a gift, he received a mobile phone as soon as he was ordained bishop in Argentina, used it for a single phone call to his sister, and immediately returned it. "It is not my world, but you must use them", he told those present, albeit cautiously.

Pope Francis emphasized the dangers of the internet, such as digital pornography, which presents a temptation for many, including religious. "It weakens the soul. It weakens the soul. The devil enters from there: it weakens the priestly heart", he warned.

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The B. Ed. in Early Childhood Education prepares persons to become teachers at the Early Childhood Level of the education system.

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Sixth Form Pathway II (Technical)

Sixth Form Pathway III (General)

Under the Technical pathway, the courses offered are Digital Animation, Agro-Food Processing, Computer Servicing and Support, and Housekeeping. Under the General Pathway, students are enrolled to do IT for Office Application as their skill competency. Both pathways include Entrepreneurship, Customer Service, Math and English for those who did not pass it in CSEC. For further information, check the website: https:// ccm.edu.jm Email: reachccm@ccm.edu.jm

PASTORAL ASSIGNMENTS IN THE ARCHDIOCESE OF KINGSTON

His Grace, Archbishop Kenneth D. Richards, DD,CDhasappointedthefollowingasPastors for a term of six years (renewable} to the followingparishes:

Father Howard Thompson has been appointedPastorofSt.JohntheBaptist;

Father Richard Brown has been appointed PastorofStellaMaris;

Father Maria Lucas Gunalan has been appointed Pastor of St. Joseph's in Spanish Town;

Father Walter Dorsey has been appointed PastorofSt.RichardofChichester;

Father Xavier Kannickairaj has been appointedPastorofSt.Jude's;

Father Gregory Augustine, C.Sp.S. with the agreement of his Superiors has been appointed Pastor of St. Theresa's on Deanery Road, and Holy Rosary and continues as Director of the ArchdiocesanHouseofStudies;

Father Rohan Tulloch, S.J., with the agreement of his Superiors has been appointed Pastor of St. Benedict- the- Moor and Missions and continueshis ministrywiththe Youthinour Archdiocese;

FatherMarioBurton,in combination with St. Pius X, has been appointed Pastor of St. Patrick’s,BayFarmRoad;

Father Benjamin Combey has Pastoral responsibility for St. Peter Claver and Pastoral responsibilityforChristtheRedeemerChurchin SeaviewGardens;

Father Joseph Campbell has been appointed PastorofSacredHeart,OldHarbour.

Father Devon Nash will be residing at Villa Vianney.

Father Siju Koikara (Fr Thomas) will be the Chaplain to the Missionaries of the Poor Sisters, Missionaries of Charity Sisters and Hospital Ministry.

The following Deacons have received the followingassignments:

Deacon Paul Dunn to serveat St.Mary'sand Missions;

Deacon Christopher Gooden to serve at Holy Rosary;

DeaconWinstonBurtontoserveatSt.Patrick's;

DeaconPatrickKihugitocompletehistimeas

transitoryDeaconatStellaMaris;

Deacon Joseph Lucas to complete his time as transitoryDeaconatSt.Joseph's.

Inaddition:

Brother Bernie Spitzely, S.V.D. with the approval of his Superiors will serve at St. Patrick’s, Bay Farm Road under the direction of FatherMarioBurton.

APPOINTMENTS OUTSIDE OF THE ARCHDIOCESE

At the request of Father Thomas Dynetius, His Grace has conceded a leave of absence from the Archdiocese of Kingston to Father Thomas Dynetius who will be received as a Fidei Donum Priest assisting for three years the Bishop of Mandeville, the Most Rev. Bishop John Persaud, DD.

Theabovementionedappointmentstakecanonical effect on November 27, 2022, First Sunday of Advent. The actual date for Clergy and Religious to begin Pastoral assignments will be January 8, 2023.

Catholic Schools Mass Oct. 28 (Highlights)

Catholic Schools Week is celebrated each year in Mission Month. It usually occurs in the last week of October. This year's Catholic SchoolsWeekwascelebrated fromOctober23rdtoOctober 29th, with the theme: “You Are My Witnesses”. Schools were asked toincorporate this theme into the life of their school. The week culminated

on Friday, October 28, 2022, with the celebration of a beautiful spirit filled liturgy at the Most Holy Trinity Cathedral, attended by representatives from most of our schools, totaling over 500 students and other stakeholders, Board Chairmen, Principals, Teachers, and Clergy. Celebrant: Most Rev.

Kenneth D.O. Richards, DD, CD, Rev. Father Kingsley Asphall, and others were amongthoseinattendance. We Thank God for all our Stakeholders and we thank Him for the spirit that filled theCathedralthatday. We look forward to our next year Catholic Schools Week, whichwillfallinthelastweek ofOctober.

Archbishop Richards with Students of Marymount High after the Catholic Schools Mass

Students and teachers in the Cathedral for the Catholic Schools Mass.

CELEBRATING THE FEAST OF CHRIST THE KING – NOV. 20.

When Pilate asked Jesus if he was a king, John 18; 36 tells us that Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.”

The last Sunday in our Liturgical Year is now celebrated as the Feast of Christ the King. Pope Pius XI instituted this feast in 1925 to respond to the then growing secularism and atheism that attempted to “thrust Jesus Christ

and his holy law” out of public life. This Feast reminds us that while governments come and go, Christ reigns as King forever. It encourages us to celebrate and live out our faith in public.

Pope Pius XI called us to let Christ reign in our daily lives: “He must reign in our minds, which should assent with perfect submission and firm belief to revealed truths and to the doctrines of Christ. He must reign in our wills, which should obey the laws and precepts of God. He must

reign in our hearts, which should spurn natural desires and love God above all things, and cleave to him alone. He must reign in our bodies and in our members, which should serve as instruments for the interior sanctification of our souls, or to use the words of the Apostle Paul, ‘as instruments of justice unto God.’ “ (encyclical Quas primas)

For Christians, when our faith is repeatedly marginalized in public life, we can fall into the

habit of compartmentalizing our lives. We love Jesus in our private lives, but we shrink from acknowledging the kingship of Christ in social life. When we celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King, we declare to the world and remind ourselves that Jesus is the Lord of the Church and of the entire universe. It is a fitting climax to the Church’s liturgical year!

Adapted from The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

TALK TO THE DEAD (Continued from page 1)

violence, may they find peace in the bosom of Abraham.

As we journey with the souls of the faithful departed this month of November, take your time to remind them as Gary Sturgis did in his poem entitled, At The End Of My Journey -

“I just want to let you know I’m okay. I still feel your presence in my everyday life. I talk to you all the time…and I see the signs you send me. I smile when I think of something you would say to make me laugh. I can still hear your voice in my head and feel your love in my heart. I don’t feel like you’re gone just because I can’t see you I know you’re now just a part of me. A very important part just as you’ve always been.

I try really hard not to feel quilt, regret or anger…because those emotions only make me feel further away from you. I’m also not sad all the time I know you would hate to see me that way. I talk to you just as I always have sometimes even out in public. I don’t care what other people think. They don’t know us and they don’t know our story. I know as much as I tried I couldn’t save you. I did the best I could with the knowledge I had at the time. I made the right decisions based on what I believed was best for you…and us. I know you know that. Here’s the thing I’m here…and you’re there…and I hope where you are is better because I’ll see you there someday when I find my way back to you.

Thank you for being a part of my journey…even though I wish it could’ve been longer and for teaching me about the promise of never-ending love. Until we meet again I promise you I’ll continue to honor our relationship by releasing the anger that no longer serves me, forgiving myself for what I might have done wrong and living the best life I can with no regrets. I’ll honor your memory by living my life for both of us and at the end of my journey I know you’ll be waiting.”

Take your time, ‘Talk to the Dead’ – write them a letter, write them a text, write them a note, and whisper a prayer for them. Do not forget to tell them how much you miss them and how forever you will love them 

-Deacon Joseph Lucas

With a pontificate of nearly 32 years, Pius IX holds the record for the longest reign of any pope in history. In that period, he had ample time to establish his reputation as a reactionary leader who was resistant to relaxing any elements of Catholic doctrine. In his notorious "Syllabus of

Errors," he specified that one of the greatest affronts to Catholicism was believing that "the Roman Pontiff can, and ought to, reconcile himself to, and agree with progress, liberalism, and modern civilization." In an effort to ensure that no one tampered with his new order, he convened the First Vatican Council in 1869 and used it to redefine papal authority by claiming the pope's "supreme power of jurisdiction over the

whole church, not only in matters that pertain to the discipline and government of the church throughout the whole world." The inflated powers he accorded the pope did not sit well with many Catholics, and a wave of anticlericalism consumed Europe. By the time of his death,PiusIX'spopularitywas solowthatamobattackedhis funeral procession and attempted to throw his body intotheriver. 

Pius IX (1846-1878)

“You can't wait until life isn't hard anymore before you decide to be happy,” - Jane Marczewski. The Mass of Thanksgiving for the life of KarenaCKBrown tookplace on October 15, 2022, at St. RichardsCatholicChurch.She will be missed for her love of life, family, Church and her steadfastfaithandtrustinGod.

memorials

Obituaries

A Mass of Thanksgiving was celebrated recently for the late Mrs. Janet McLeod at St. Martin de Porres Church, Gordon Town where Janet had worshipped for many years. An Associate of Mercy, she is remembered as a person of great gentleness and kindness. Mrs. McLeod is survived by her daughter, Sara (Mrs. Christopher Levy), a son, Brianandseveralgrandchildren

Mrs. Yvonne Thompson who died recentlyinCanadawasremembered at a Mass of Thanksgiving at St. Richard's Church celebrated by Archbishop Emeritus Charles Dufour. Survived by her children Lisa and Andrew, Yvonne, an Associate of Mercy, had served in a numberofministriesinherparish.

Catholic Opinion Online is published with the authority of the Archbishop of Kingston and the Bishops of Montego Bay and Mandeville by St. Michaels College in association with the Communications Commissions of all three dioceses. The publication team comprises Joseph Pereira, Ronald Thwaites, Joseph Lucas, Anton Thompson, Baldwin Powell, Theresa Givans, Peter Espeut and Richard Sinclair (Publication Coordinator). Letters to the editor, notices, suggestions and inquiries regarding distribut and advertising needs may be directed to St. Michael

JanetMarieMacleod

Yvonne Thompson

In loving memory of our dear Father George, Mother Ena, Brother Ken and Sisters Norma and Adele (The Keating Family)

KarenBrown