The jubilarians (L to R): Helen Agostini, Rosemary Scott, Suzanne Dowdy
and Lilias Milne with LWC leader, Rhonda Maingot at right.

Four members of the Living Water Community Household celebrated 25 years of consecrated life on the feast of the Immaculate Conception, Monday, December 8, with Holy Mass at the community’s chapel at Frederick Street, Port of Spain.

In front of their families, other Household members and covenant community members, Lilias Milne, Rosemary Scott, Suzanne Dowdy and Helen Agostini renewed their vows at this Mass, which was celebrated by Monsignor Michael de Verteuil and concelebrated by Fr Jason Gordon – Archdiocesan Vicar for Administration – and Fr Christopher Lumsden, parish priest of St Philip and St James in Chaguanas. All three priests are members of the Living Water Household.

“Today, we celebrate as community, the life, the call, the charism God has given to us,” Fr Jason said in his homily. “But, we celebrate with a sense of humility and a deep, deep sense of gratitude that you should give your lives so readily to be responsible, available and accountable.” These three promises are specific to the Living Water Household commitment, made in conjunction with the evangelical counsels of obedience, simple poverty and celibacy.

Commenting on these counsels, Fr Jason said, “Obedience is the seeking of and surrendering to the will of God, the recognition that I am not the beginning and end of what happens in my life, but this is discerned through the community, through leadership and the needs of the community.”

Referring to the first reading of the Mass from Genesis, in which Eve succumbs to temptation, he added, “It it the undoing of the ‘No’ in Genesis, in which I promise to say ‘Yes’ to God through the authority of the Community and the Church. We hold this up as a reminder to the world of what every Christian is called to live.”

With the vow of simple poverty, he said, one proclaims that, “My whole life will be available to God’s kingdom and God’s work. I will live my yes to God in a way that is unencumbered; I won’t be attached to things, but to the people and things of God for the sake of God.”

And, commenting on the vow of celibacy, Fr Jason said that the Church teaches that true pleasure comes, not from sensory pleasure, but, “from commitment to God; happiness comes from the inside, out.” This counsel is eschatological, he said, pointing to the end of time when there will be no more marriage.

“The things of this world are passing pleasure in the eternal happiness,” he explained. “The consecrated life is a sign that this world is nothing in comparison with the kingdom of God, which is beyond our imagination. It is a vow which, to the modern world, seems utter madness, but, to us, it is utter sanity! It is not just restraint from sexual pleasure, but a choice to live with God so God would be your whole – it is an incredible relationship you enjoy with your Groom!”

Living Water Community leader, Rhonda Maingot, thanked the families of the jubiliarians for having so willingly given their mother, sisters and daughters to the Community and to Christ.  And, these four brides of Christ are as diverse as the Community which they all credited with nurturing their Catholic faith.

“I have much to thank God for,” said Lilias, 72, a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. “If I were to make a list, the litany would be longer than the Litany of the Saints! Each day has been a grace and blessing from God; I don’t know what I would do without Community!”

With a background in the oil industry, Lilias is credited with being one of the Community’s top teachers of the faith. She is also a presenter in the Community’s television ministry, Trinity Communications Network (TCN).

“I thank God for bringing me into the heart of the Church,” she exclaimed, “and giving me the opportunity to reflect on the teachings of the Church and on the gift and wonder of the Catholic Church! I thank God for choosing and calling me to be a baptised Catholic!”

Helen, 63, a former flight attendant with BWIA, has served in the Community’s catering ministry and its cancer hospice, journeying with cancer patients and helping them live with their disease. The current co-ordinator of the Mercy Home hospice for persons living with HIV-Aids, Helen’s ministry encourages her to consider often the things of eternity. She shared an experience in the Holy Land many years before that helped her ponder this reality which, she said, was one of the highlights of her life in Community.

“We were in the Shepherd’s Cave in Bethlehem,” she recalled, “and there were people from Cameroon and all over, singing Glory to God in the Highest. And, as we all sang, I had a feeling that this is what heaven is going to be like: people of many different races just praising God!”

A convert from Presbyterianism, Suzanne, 50, is a cordon bleu chef with a travel industry background, and performs major administrative functions in the Community.

Currently the co-ordinator of Nazareth House, the Community’s San Fernando-based ministry, she is also a presenter on TCN, perhaps best known for her work on TCN’s flagship programme, Trinity Update, and co-presenting with Lilias on News and Views.

“Rhonda always says that the day she left her job, she never ‘worked’ another day – now her life is ministry!” Suzanne reflected. “And, every morning, I know others are getting up to go to work, butI’m getting ready to go to ministry, to bring healing and joy!” Commenting on the Community’s physical and spiritual growth over the years, Suzanne marvelled that, “people who started out as strangers and friends have become family!”

Rosemary, 47, has served in New Life Ministries – the Community’s drug rehabilitation ministry – among others, and is the former leader of the Community’s mission in Barbados. As one of the Honorary Liaisons for the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, the former kindergarten teacher currently co-ordinates the Community’s programme for more than 60 refugees. She is also part of Living Water’s administrative core.

“It has been an amazing journey of faith,” said Rosemary of her 25 years of consecrated life, “of God’s love through the highs and lows. Today I was totally excited! I felt so blessed by God to be chosen to live this life!”

With the blessing of then Archbishop Anthony Pantin, Living Water was founded in 1975 by businesswoman, Rhonda Maingot, and former cloistered nun, Rose Jackman. The community formally embraced consecrated life a few short years after its beginning, Rose retaining her vows, except that of the cloister, with the permission of the Archbishop.

Living Water’s current legal status within the Church is as a Lay Catholic Ecclesial Community. There are 18 Household members in all – men and women who live together, whose lives are given in service to the Church and the Community.

Of these, three are diocesan priests and six persons are currently on mission in Barbados, Saba and St Eustatius – the latter two being islands in the Dutch Antilles; the Community recently celebrated its 20th anniversary of ministry there.

There are approximately 600 covenant members in Trinidad, 70 in Barbados and 60 in Saba and St Eustatius. In the past, Living Water has also had missionary outreaches in St Maarten in the Dutch Antilles, Union Island in the Grenadines and in Moscow and Seminovsky in Russia.

Living Water’s charism is to, “love and to teach the world how to love” and this love is chiefly expressed in its service to the poor and underprivileged wherever the Community is present. But, it’s more than altruism; it is a recognition of the call placed upon each consecrated person within the Community.