On the cusp of Corpus Christi celebrations, Local Government Minister Khadijah Ameen on Tuesday distributed about 3,000 vegetable plants to boost local agriculture and promote a \u201cgreener environment\u201d at her constituency office at Pasea Main Road, St Augustine.<\/p>\n
The event\u2019s theme was \u201cCollect Your Plants for Corpus Christi\u201d.<\/p>\n
She also visited ASJA Girls\u2019 College and Tunapuna Government Primary School to encourage children and youths to adopt \u201cgreen practices\u201d like water and soil conservation.<\/p>\n
The dizzying array of saplings (small plants) included okras, hot peppers, pigeon peas, tomatoes, melongene, mint, parsley and sorrel\u2014a favourite Trini Christmas drink.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
saplings: Volunteer Samantha Beharry displays a tray of okra plants, a staple in callaloo soup.<\/p>\n
Among those who lent support were Agriculture Minister Ravi Ratiram, donor Kenneth Sewata, Slim\u2019s High Quality Seedlings, Seeta Jaboolal, Orange Grove farmers, and volunteer Samantha Beharry.<\/p>\n
Corpus Christi is a liturgical solemnity which celebrates the blood and body of Jesus Christ. At the end of Mass, there is often a procession of the Blessed Sacrament, generally displayed in a monstrance (an open or transparent receptacle in which the consecrated host is exposed for veneration). The liturgy also commemorates Christ\u2019s washing of the disciples\u2019 feet, the institution of the priesthood, and the agony in the Garden of Gethsemane.<\/p>\n
Ameen said: \u201cToday\u2019s exercise was the distribution of about 3,000 plants to the constituents. Traditionally, Trinbagonians like to plant on Corpus Christi. At times, we get the odd showers. We want to encourage locals to grow their own food. You can plant in small spaces like flower pots and big spaces like farmlands.\u201d<\/p>\n
She added: \u201cWe emphasised the importance of agriculture and appreciation of the environment in the schools. Every child was given a seedling. We wanted to encourage them to plant their food.\u201d<\/p>\n
She also lauded the farmers in her constituency, saying: \u201cI did not forget the farmers. I wanted to show appreciation. They are humble, hard-working folks. It\u2019s a huge farming community that stretches to areas like Bamboo Number Two.\u201d She also extended Corpus Christi blessings to the national community. She said: \u201cI wish everyone a happy and holy holiday. Let us reflect on Christ, who gave his body and blood to redeem mankind.\u201d<\/p>\n
St Augustine constituent Lisa Ragoonath said: \u201cI wanted to buy some plants for my son. But I am glad to get some seedlings. It\u2019s a good initiative.\u201d Having made the trek from Cumuto, Renee said he was collecting seedlings for his wife, Geeta Besai. He said: \u201cI will plant them on Corpus Christi Day. I saw it on Facebook.\u201d<\/p>\n
Churches celebrate Corpus Christi<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, congregations from the Full Gospel, Catholic and Anglican churches are preparing for today\u2019s Feast of Corpus Christi.<\/p>\n
Apostle Carlton Armstrong will host Strategic Alliance For Kingdom Advancement at the Centre Point Mall auditorium, Chaguanas, from 1 p.m. Via a WhatsApp message, he said: \u201cIt\u2019s a massive gathering of the Ecclesia. It will be a time of praise and worship. They will look at ways to make the faithful more financially empowered.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are looking at a credit union and a hospital. We are coming together to cast vision for the future of the body of Christ. Come and share your ideas.\u201d He reminded believers about Isaiah, Chapter 60, verse 1, which states, \u201cDeclaring our light has come. And his glory is risen upon us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Anglican bishop Rev Claude Berkley said they will be hosting Belizean Archbishop Most Rev Phillip Wright at the annual family day at Skinner Park, San Fernando. He paid a visit to President Christine Kangaloo and her husband, Kerwyn Garcia, on Wednesday. Then he visited San Fernando Boys\u2019, Mother\u2019s Union Children\u2019s Home, St Margaret\u2019s Boys\u2019 School, Belmont, and Bishop Anstey High School, Keate Street, Port of Spain.<\/p>\n
He also visited retired bishop Clive Abdulah, 99.<\/p>\n
In a phone interview, he said: \u201cRev Wright will be the guest of honour. I will deliver the official welcome. He will deliver the homily at the family day. Last year, we were in Tobago. It\u2019s a coming together for Anglicans from four regions\u2014South, North West, North East and Tobago.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cAfter worship, there will be a cultural show to mark the visit of the Archbishop. Kiosks advertising different ministries and providing other titbits of information will be on display. We will have crafts, local delicacies like kurma and preserves on sale. Children and youths will have fun. But most importantly, Christ will be at the centre of the celebrations.\u201d<\/p>\n
He also reminded the country, \u201cCorpus Christi is about unity and the body of Christ.\u201d Let us show unity, love and peace. We have our challenges, but if we pray together and stay together we would be overcomers.\u201d<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, a cluster of white tents was being constructed at the Cathedral of The Immaculate Conception, Independence Square, Port of Spain. Overseeing the operations were monsignor Fr Martin Sirju and sacrosant Kellon Baptiste who said Roman Catholic Archbishop Fr Jason Gordon will officiate at the Mass.<\/p>\n
Later on, they will be distributing about 1,000 seedlings courtesy the Agriculture Ministry.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cCelebrants can wear white. Mass starts at 8.30 a.m., through the streets of Port of Spain. We will move from the Cathedral to Independence Square, then Park, Prince and Nelson streets. People will sing hymns and pray the Rosary as we proceed. There will be three Benediction points at the Cathedral, Rosary Church, and back at the Cathedral.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"On the cusp of Corpus Christi celebrations, Local Government Minister Khadijah Ameen on Tuesday distributed about 3,000 vegetable…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":322150,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[155,157,156,8194,66],"class_list":["post-322149","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-corpus-christi","tag-corpus-christi","tag-corpus-christi-headlines","tag-corpus-christi-news","tag-features","tag-local"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/322149","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=322149"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/322149\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/322150"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=322149"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=322149"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=322149"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}