Building inter-religious dialogue to defend life  

by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ and Director, CREDI  “Let’s learn to live together, let’s be workers for peace.” These are the words of Roselyne Hamel, uttered at the funeral of her brother, Fr Jacques Hamel, at Rouen Cathedral recently. Eighty-eight-year-old Fr Jacques, assistant parish priest in the small town of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, Normandy, was murdered by […]

Discover and develop ‘your treasure’ 

by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ and Director, CREDI  Today’s Gospel is replete with messages for us (Luke: 12: 32-48 on being ready for the Master’s return). I wish to focus on a particular line which is of key importance in today’s world: “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”  One can […]

Love Jesus – Love Youth 

by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ and Director, CREDI  Today marks the final day of the 31st international celebration of World Youth Day (WYD) in Kraków, Poland (July 25-31). More than two million people from around the world were expected to take part in the celebration which was launched by St John Paul II in 1985 […]

Living a life worthy of our vocation 

by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ and Director, CREDI  St Paul urges us to “live in a manner worthy of your vocation. Bear with one another charitably, in complete selflessness, gentleness and patience. Do all you can to preserve the unity of the Spirit by the peace that binds you together…” (Ephesians 4: 1-3).  Let us […]

‘Mother Seacole’, model of selfless service 

by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ and Director, CREDI  Do you know about Mary Seacole (1805-1881), the Jamaica-born nurse who cared for wounded British servicemen during the Crimean War in the 19th century (1853-1856)?  She was born to a Scottish soldier and a Jamaican woman. Read her memoir, Wonderful Adventures of Mrs Seacole in Many Lands […]

Tribute to a true patriot, Mr Manning 

by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ and Director, CREDI  CCSJ members express our sincerest and heartfelt condolences to Mrs Hazel Manning and the Manning family on the passing of Mr Patrick Augustus Mervyn Manning (August 17, 1946–July 2, 2016). We owe a debt of gratitude to this patriot who lived a life of selfless service.  Mr […]

Working towards a world free of the death penalty 

by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ and Director, CREDI  Pope Francis sent a video message to participants at the 6th World Congress Against the Death Penalty in Oslo, Norway, (June 21-23). Over the past few years, he has repeatedly spoken out against the death penalty. In his message, he said that capital punishment “contradicts God’s plan […]

Pornography, a moral crisis 

by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ and Director, CREDI  “Pornography is insidious. It kills the soul, steals the heart and destroys the mind.” (Laurie Hall)  News of hackers stealing and sharing on social media and attempting to sell hundreds of photos of nude and semi-nude photographs of women and children is cause for concern in our […]

Standing in solidarity with refugees 

by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ and Director, CREDI  “A change of attitude towards migrants and refugees is needed on the part of everyone, moving away from attitudes of defensiveness and fear, indifference and marginalisation – all typical of a throwaway culture – towards attitudes based on a culture of encounter, the only culture capable of […]

Standing in solidarity with refugees 

by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ and Director, CREDI  “A change of attitude towards migrants and refugees is needed on the part of everyone, moving away from attitudes of defensiveness and fear, indifference and marginalisation – all typical of a throwaway culture – towards attitudes based on a culture of encounter, the only culture capable of […]