Janet Chinnia

On Friday, October 20, the principals and teachers of the five  primary schools within the parish of San Rafael, under the guidance of Fr Michael Moses, parish priest gathered together at the San Rafael RC Church for a symposium, focussing on Catholic education in the parish. Also in attendance were, Bernard Garcia and Ruby Nelson of the North-eastern Vicariate, as well as Janet Chinnia, our guest speaker.

The day began with Holy Mass, celebrated by Fr Michael Makhan, a former parish priest of San Rafael. In his homily, Fr Makhan stated that permissiveness has pervaded the land and society is suffering as a result.

He emphasised, that teachers have a good opportunity to mend the bridge and to ensure that there is law, order and love and not allow this permissiveness to destroy our society because a good teacher makes the difference not only in school, but in our communities as well.

The second session began with the powerful and captivating address by Janet Chinnia, a teacher for 33 years, who is also a lay minister and co-ordinator of “Jesus Explosion”, among other things. She emphasised that God had entrusted in us (teachers) an important and purposeful task and that the focal point of Catholic education is character development.

This is the reason why we have to revisit our classrooms, reviving Catholic education in school and community while living the values of Jesus Christ in the Church.

Fr Michael Moses guided the final session where the teachers discussed Synod resolutions 26 and 28 with reference to Catholic Education.  It was concluded, that even though a lot is being done to instil and propagate Catholic Religious education in the parish of San Rafael, there is so much more to do. 

We as teachers, left renewed and energised to implement suggestions, for example, the reciting of the midday Angelus and many other ideas.