DEAR EDITOR: I am casting far and wide for our youth programme, which is in need of 15 guitars. We are not asking that they be new or in great condition, but maybe there's an old guitar in someone's closet, unused for years, maybe your child has migrated and left it behind.

Maybe you don't have one but could send this request out to everyone in your email listing, and somehow we could get some guitars for a summer programme (and continuing youth choir) in rural Rio Claro and Biche. 

Why do this? We want to get something fun and interesting for the youth to do in the rural areas where idleness and boredom lead to wrong paths and dangerous associations.

We want to do this because one of our youths down there - a teen - was liming, and being a DJ in a bar unbeknownst to his parents and ended up in a scuffle. One of the other boys in a group from Mayaro pulled a knife and a murder was committed. All involved were teens.

As workers for social justice we seek the causes of the ills of society and try to address them. So to combat the idleness and real boredom of youth in these rural areas, we are offering free guitar lessons with a promise of forming a band, then moving on to playing for a youth Mass, organising workshops by visiting musicians, etc, etc. But we need guitars and we know there are some out there gathering dust.

Please help us in this pro-youth/anti-crime summer camp project. Any instruments you can donate can be dropped off at Archbishop's House at the Social Justice office as soon as possible. 

Thanks for your kind help in doing something to win back our youths in practical ways they love – MUSIC, activity with peers, laughter, jokes, fun – in a clean, healthy environment, with adult supervision and a path to maybe some real career horizons.

Can you be the mustard seed by ferreting out some used guitars to start the dream rolling?

Many of you have helped Rio Claro before. Now two of the seven communities have lovely shining pews in place of the rotten, old woodlice eaten ones that seemed such a disrespect for the house of God.

Now our justice team is tackling the issue of youth and all the disadvantages that poverty brings – the lack of safe, joyful participation in simple joys like music lessons (which they can ill afford) and the huge benefits in their value system that being involved in music brings.
Thanks so much and God bless you all for any help you can give. 
Maureen Arneaud via email

DEAR EDITOR: My husband Michael and I were married at the San Juan RC Church on June 2, 1963, at a Nuptial Mass. God has blessed us with 43 years of wedded bliss. I pray that God may bless us with many more years of happy life together. Our advice to young people is to be honest and to be faithful to God and his Mother Mary.
Michael & Theresa Mc Millan, Park Avenue, Mt Hope, San Juan

EDITOR’S NOTE: Congratulations and God’s richest blessings. Michael & Theresa!