LWC Pastoral Ministries
Counselling & Spiritual Direction
In keeping with our Mission Statement, Living Water Community reaches out to people who are in need of help, whether physical, spiritual or emotional The Ministry of Counselling and Spiritual Direction is one of the ministries that offers this service. Counselling:
When people are hurting emotionally or otherwise and need someone to listen or pray with them, they come to our Centre. Sometimes they just need information on where to get help re education, Government assistance, etc. Most times there are serious problems e.g. alcoholism, drugs, children behavioural problems and, especially, marital problems. We have offered basic counselling courses to our Community members and to the public. There are on-going seminars on pertinent topics e.g. Different methods of praying. At present we have counsellors in Port of Spain. There is someone on duty every day and people are free to come in, with or without an appointment, to see a counsellor. Spiritual Direction:
Spiritual Direction is one of the services offered to our members. It is not to be confused with counselling. In Spiritual Direction, we journey hand in hand with our directees to our Lord. We try to see God’s hand in everything that happens to us. We try to accept His working in our lives. Holiness is our goal. There are 10 Spiritual Directors in our Community. At the beginning of the journey we meet with our directees once in one or two week periods as the case may be. As our directees grow spiritually, we meet once in 3 or 4 weeks. The very mature come to us when they need to do so.
Hospital Visitation
The Scriptures say, “wherever the water flows it brings life …. Near the river on both banks there will be all kinds of fruit trees with foliage that will not wither and fruit that will never fail ….. the fruit will be good to eat and the leaves will be used for healing.” (Ex. 47:9-12) Our stream of Living Water that brings both life and healing, is the stream that flows from the Centre into the Hospital! This is our Hospital Ministry, composed of faithful members who visit the sick on the wards, taking them the Holy Eucharist, praying with them and simply sharing love and friendship. Imagine when we get into heaven and hear Jesus say to us “I was sick and you visited me.”
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
“The Eucharist is a priceless treasure: by not only celebrating it but also by praying before it outside of Mass we are enabled to make contact with the very wellspring of grace.” (Pope John Paul 11) Eucharistic adoration is the act of worshiping God as He is present in the consecrated Eucharist. Since the Last Supper, when Jesus broke the bread and distributed the wine, saying, “This is my Body” and “This is my Blood”, Catholics have believed that the bread and wine are no longer merely baked wheat and fermented grape juice, but the actual living presence of the Second Person of the Trinity. The normal opening hours for the Blessed Sacrament Chapels are Monday to Saturday from 6.00am to 9.00pm in Port of Spain and Monday to Friday from 9.00am to 3.00pm in San Fernando.
Evangelisation
“And He said to them, go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News to all creation.” (Mark 16: 15-16)
“The task of evangelizing all people constitutes the essential mission of the Church…..Evangelizing is in fact the grace and vocation proper to the Church, her deepest identity. She exists in order to evangelize.” (Saint John Paul II)
How do we as Living Water Community evangelise? Through: “Life In the Spirit” Seminars, Bible and Spiritual Formation Classes (virtual offered during pandemic), Trinity TV programming, Social Media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Youtube), “Come to the Water” (An Introduction to Living Water Community), Prayer Meetings (streamed on digital platforms and Trinity TV), “Catholics Return” (a programme for lapsed Catholics www.catholicsreturn.org) Hospitality and Fellowship e.g. reaching out to our Sunday Worshiping Community, Retreats and Pilgrimages (Local & Foreign).
Prison Ministry
Every Wednesday morning a small team visits the Prison in Port of Spain and evangelises to the prisoners. This includes Praise and Worship and sharing of God’s word. To our brothers behind bars, this time is greatly appreciated; simply knowing that God cares for them can change their lives.
Intercessors
The Intercessors Ministry is one of the oldest ministries in Living Water Community. It is a ministry where the members unite in prayer and volunteer to stand in the void for those who make prayer requests of us. There is strength in unity. The ministry of intercessory prayer is a journey. We learn to trust and let go – we learn humility because we are not in control. We also are given the grace to hear of and see the miracles of the wondrous ways in which God answers our prayer requests. Many of our intercessors cannot attend meetings due either to age or employment, but they intercede at home. We welcome and honour all requests for prayers for any problem whatsoever, whether marital, illness, financial, children, examinations, or anything else.
Men's Ministry
Over the years, the men of the Living Water Community have forged a strong bond with each other and this is nurtured by their monthly meetings held on the 3rd Friday of each month from 7.00 pm to 9.00 pm. This is an uplifting evening of prayer, praise and fellowship and ALL MEN – whether members of LWC or not – are welcome.
Spiritual Retreats:
Each year, the men retreat for a weekend either ‘down-the-islands’ or at some other peaceful location, for a time of deepening their spirituality and of support for each other in their prayer and family lives.
Fun Time:
Cricket, football…..anyone? We find time to play sport for the fun of it. These ‘limes’ take place two to three times each year.
Nazareth House - San Fernando
Since 1993, Living Water has been flowing in South Trinidad. Our Centre in South is known as Nazareth House and is located at 66-68 Marryat Street in San Fernando. Originally a family home, it has now become home to approximately 100 Covenanted Members of our Community. Situated just below the San Fernando Hill, it is an oasis of peace. Offering a breathtaking view from its wrap around, veranda. We often boast about our garden with one of the country’s most beautiful grottos to Our Lady. Of course the pace is a little different to our Centre in Port of Spain but here is some of what we offer from day to day. (Please note that normal activities had to be curtailed due to the pandemic):
- Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament – Monday – Friday, 9:00am – 3:00pm
- Charismatic Prayer Meeting – Mondays, 7:00pm
- Spirituality sessions – Tuesdays, 9:30am – 12:00noon
This includes Christian Meditation; Seminars; Teachings
- Children’s Prayer Meeting – Tuesdays, 3:30pm – 4:30pm
- Bible Classes – Wednesdays, 9:30am – 11:30am
- Ministry to Poor – Thursdays, 8:30am
- Youth Group – Fridays, 5:30pm – 7:30pm
Many groups from within the Catholic Community in South also use our facilities from time to time (for a minimal charge). Nazareth offers an air conditioned AV Room, large kitchen and small meeting rooms, which are ideal for retreats.
Youth Ministry
Living Water Community Youth Ministry is a very vibrant pulse within the Community that desires to keep the spirit of the Community alive. Our various activities in Port of Spain include: Children’s Meeting (under 12 yrs) – Thursdays 3:15 pm – 4.30 pm Youth Meeting (13-19 yrs) – Mondays 3:15 pm -4:30 pm
New Life Ministry - Drug Rehabilitation for Men
The Community’s ministry towards alleviating the scourge of drug addiction and abuse is two-fold: prevention and rehabilitation The New Life Ministries Rehabilitation Centre is located at Mount St Benedict and offers for clients with the disease of addiction:
- Rehabilitation through a comprehensive 3 month residential programme
- A 21 month follow-up and after-care programme
- Drug awareness and education at schools
This ministry has been in existence since 1986. The Rehab Centre occupies the building that formerly housed the Benedictine Abbey School. The serene location, high up in the Northern Range, its spectacular view, clean mountain air and the prayerful surroundings of the Benedictine monastery, create a healing environment.
New Life Ministry - Drug Rehabilitation for Women
The Community’s ministry towards alleviating the scourge of drug addiction and abuse is two-fold – prevention and rehabilitation.The New Life Ministries Rehabilitation Centre (for Women) is located Palo Seco and offers:
- Rehabilitation through a comprehensive residential programme
- Follow-up and after care programmes for clients with the disease of addiction
- Drug awareness and education at schools
Aquaponics & Green Garden Projects
At Palo Seco we have launched into an exciting new component to our women’s rehab, with an aquaponics and green garden project. This will involve the raising of tilapia fish on a commercial scale. One of the spinoffs to this enterprise includes a ‘grow food’ venture which is biologically connected to the fish tanks. Staff and clients are all involved in this operation, which of course will be a source of food supply for the ministry. Digicel Inc., and Food for the Poor Inc., are sponsors of this project.