“You have been chosen,” said Archbishop Edward Gilbert to the group of priests, religious and laity at the end of the three-day Mayaro retreat. He was delivering the homily at the Mass closing the retreat, which for the most part, focussed on the mission of the Church in Trinidad and Tobago.

The event, from May 12 to 14, at the Mayaro Resource Centre, brought together over 60 of the priests serving in the Archdiocese and five parish administrators to reflect on the mission that Jesus has given to his Church, to consider the nation’s present social and economic situation and its impact on the lives of the country’s citizens and the Church. The meeting also considered the results of a survey conducted among the priests.

The Archbishop who was present at all sessions of the retreat, but whose interventions were few, used his homily to challenge the priests to engage in the mission to which they were called. “Go back to the fundamental principle, to Jesus’ words, ‘I chose you’. If you really believe that you have been chosen,” he said, “then you have an agenda.”  He appealed to the priests to be present to the people. “Your people expect you to be present to them. Catholicism is a visible, tangible Church,” he stated.

Priests and religious at one of the sessions

But, if those serving the people in our parishes are to get mission right, then “the call to holiness” must be seen as central to everything else. To many, “holiness may seem so vague. It is anything but,” he said. “It is very clear. It is about keeping the commandments.”

He called on the gathering to seize the opportunities presented to them each day for growth in holiness. “You don’t only evangelise others. You’re open to evangelisation yourself as you serve others. See catechesis as an opportunity to catechise yourself as you prepare to catechise those whom you must serve.”

At the end of the retreat, after several presentations and discussions in full assembly and in small groups, there was general consensus among the priests and parish administrators that the number one issue facing the nation was a breakdown of the moral framework.

The Church, it was agreed, must find ways to regenerate that framework and a sense of right and wrong. The school and the family it felt were critical to success in this area.

The meeting expressed concern about the Catholic school, its staffing and the apparent failure of the system to address the emerging media culture.

It called for a closer working arrangement between the Catholic Education Board of Management and parish priests and called for steps to be taken to ensure that our schools are staffed with Catholics who are practising their faith.

It would not have been possible to consider the social dimension without considering the escalation of crime in the nation and the steps that the Church had to take to address the situation.

The Church, it was agreed, had to challenge the drug culture and Catholics involved in any way, but it also must speak up on the matter of border security. It also had to strengthen its ministry to drug addicts and to formulate methods or ministries for families in situations of loss and grief.

The Vicar for Administration is expected to bring a small team of theologians together to review the definitions, challenges and proposed pastoral actions. He will also meet with priests, pastoral councils and synod delegates in the Vicariates to outline the pastoral actions to be taken.

Following these meetings, priests are expected to enter into dialogue with their synod representatives and parish leaders on the question of mission. The results of all these consultations will go to the Synod at the end of September.

At Synod 2008, the pastoral priorities will be defined, leading to the parish template or guide to parish life in the Archdiocese of Port of Spain.