Tackling child labour 

by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ and Director, CREDI  Today (June 12), the world observes World Day Against Child Labour, a global human rights issue that impacts adversely on human dignity and integral human development.  The Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church states: “Child labour, in its intolerable forms, constitutes a kind of violence […]

Time for an ‘ecological conversion’ 

by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ and Director, CREDI  Today (June 5), the world observes World Environment Day. Let us all “Join the race to make the world a better place.”  Years ago, St Pope John Paul II called the environmental crisis “a moral issue”.  I am in London at the moment, and recently spent hours […]

Feeding ourselves, others with ‘the bread of life’ 

by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ and Director, CREDI  On Thursday (May 26), our Church celebrated Corpus Christi, proclaiming the truth of our faith that Jesus is present – body, blood, soul and divinity, in the Holy Eucharist – under the appearances of bread and wine.  The Real Presence of Our Lord in the Eucharist is […]

Children of the Trinity 

by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ and Director, CREDI  Today we celebrate the solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit, “who are all equally God, and cannot be divided” (Pope Francis).  Jesus’ words to His disciples in today’s Gospel (Jn 16:12-15) apply to us also: “…when the Spirit of truth comes […]

Celebrating International Day of Families 

by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ and Director, CREDI  Today is Pentecost Sunday. While we thank God for the gift of the Holy Spirit who was given to us to renew the face of the earth, let us reflect on the words of Fr Tommy Lane: “What would the Church be like if it were vibrant […]

Finding solutions to enhance our democracy 

by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ and Director, CREDI  “Any society, any family that cannot share or take seriously the pain of its children, and views that pain as something normal or expected, is a society condemned to remain hostage to itself, prey to the very things which cause that pain.”  (Pope Francis)  Pope Francis uttered […]

The ‘Joy of Love’ challenges us 

by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ and Director, CREDI  “When a family is welcoming and reaches out to others, especially the poor and the neglected, it is ‘a symbol, witness and participant in the Church’s motherhood’. Social love, as a reflection of the Trinity, is what truly unifies the spiritual meaning of the family and its […]

Resist push for T&T abortion law reform 

by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ and Director, CREDI  As we engage in our pro-life work, let us resolve never to give up in our efforts to reject the culture of death that threatens to overwhelm us.  Be alert! Be vigilant! Anti-life forces are at work constantly trying to impose their agenda on us.   It is […]

Are we hearing the Shepherd’s voice? 

by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ and Director, CREDI  Today, the Fourth Sunday of Easter, the Church celebrates ‘Good Shepherd Sunday’ and the World Day of Prayer for Vocations.  Let us pray for the priests in our Archdiocese, who, as Bishop John Sherrington, Diocese of Westminster, says, “are servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries […]

Tribute to Mother Angelica 

by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ and Director, CREDI  “God wants you to be in the world, but so different from the world that you will change it. Get cracking.” (Mother Angelica).  Mother Angelica died on Easter Sunday, March 27 (1923-2016) at age 92. Journalist John L Allen Jr rightly said that: “Rita Antoinette Rizzo, Mother […]