Dear Editor, As the coordinator of the Laventille Devotions from 1985 –2003, I enjoyed a happy relationship with Bishop John Mendes, who only when he was very ill or out of the country, missed any of these devotions.

By his dedication to these devotions at the National Marian Shrine at Upper Laventille , Bishop Mendes gave witness in a quiet and confident manner to a loving and tender devotion to Our Blessed Lady, “contributing to increasing the worship due to Christ. . .”

Bishop Mendes usually arrived at the Shrine at 2.30 p.m. in time for the Mass at 3.00 p.m. He would then take his seat next to the Archbishop's chair to pray the afternoon office from his breviary, which according to Archbishop Gilbert in his homily at the funeral Mass “was worn from use.”

When the office was finished, he turned to saying the rosary to praise and honour Our Blessed Mother at this privileged place of pilgrimage. Indeed, he was deeply prayerful.

According to scripture, God's ways are not our ways. All at the Laventille devotions for June who heard Bishop Mendes lead the recitation of the Act of Consecration to the Most Pure Heart of Mary so strongly and fervently would never have thought that it would have been his last devotion.

He was a man with a firm belief in the teachings of the Church, not watering down any to placate anyone. He was a man to emulate as we Catholics live our lives in the face of so many challenges from society. He had a vision for the church with lay people working side by side with pastors, and not walking behind them.

In fact, in conversation with him he praised Fr. Clyde Harvey and Msgr. Christian Perreira for he model they had presented of church in the formation of the Laventille/Morvant Pastoral Area in September 1979.

I have never forgotten how kind Bishop Mendes was to me after having major surgery in 1988. He not only found where I lived to comfort me but also offered me, of his own accord, financial help to meet substantial medical expenses.

May the noble soul of Bishop John Mendes, truly a gift from God rest happily in His beautiful, glorious and eternal home.

Errol Cooper

The Editor, I wish to offer my support and solidarity with the family of Yvonne Mc Ivor. She was a remarkably gracious colleague who gave 33 1/2 years of loyal and devoted service to the Ministry of Health, in the days when the word work meant hard work. I am deeply touched by her son's Kirk's care of her during this national trauma.

I urge all business people of power to please facilitate a qualitative environment for healing to take place in our institutions. Mrs. Yvonne Mc Ivor is a woman of dignity and decorum who for me epitomized the symbol of a long stemmed rose, and I am sure the country where she was born and grew up to serve well will keep a prayerful vigil with her family.

Shireen Dewan-McKen

Dear Editor, The proposed half-way house to assist in the rehabilitation of ex-prisoners is commendable, and the project should succeed in its objective of returning productive and law abiding citizens to society ( Catholic News July 03, 2005 ). This project is worthy of support, both financially and morally, by all citizens, not only Catholics.

There is one concern, however, which should be addressed before the project becomes operational. I refer to the abuse of prisoners by their guards and the inhuman conditions under which prisoners exist in our jails.

Trinidad & Tobago has been severely criticized by international organizations for these human rights breaches, and prison guards have been charged with murdering prisoners. These are indisputable facts and even the prison guards have complained about conditions in our jails.

These issues of social justice and human rights should be pursued vigorously by the Catholic Commission for Social Justice, just as they vigorously challenged the Government's decision to resume the hanging of murderers. We must bear in mind that it will be much more difficult to rehabilitate abused and ill treated prisoners.

The mention of murder brings to mind the recent case where a Judge sentenced a man to ten years in jail for killing a 21 year old woman because she was unfaithful.

There appears to be a tendency towards passing lenient sentences on murderers of women, where such women “provoked” men by being unfaithful. After this case, it will be “open season” on women who have been unfaithful. Kill them and make just a few years in jail!!

I look forward to the CCSJ making a lot of noise regarding these cases in order to protect life: the lives of unfaithful women. Don't they deserve this more than convicted murderers?

Rex Escalante, Vistabella

Dear Editor, It has been my habit for many a year, whenever I'm saying the Rosary privately, to say, after the Our Father and three Hail Marys for the Pope, the above prayer that I was taught when I attended the Convent in POS over fifty years ago.

When I spoke to a couple of my old contemporaries about it some time ago, they could not remember ever having heard of this ejaculation.

I was very pleased, therefore, to read on the front page of the Catholic News of May 1 2005, that Archbishop Gullickson, the Papal Nuncio, at the April 25 Pontifical Mass, uttered this simple prayer in Latin and after each pause the English translation was given thus:

‘May God preserve him, and fill him with life, and make him blessed on earth, and not hand him over to his enemies.'

It would not be a bad idea for us, when saying the Rosary in private, to add this short prayer at the beginning and then, after each Mystery , say the usual ejaculation as we rightly do now.

M Lee, La Romaine