By Fr Robert Christo
Vicar for Communications
Growing up in St James, I knew what it meant to be raised by a village. Our street–no more than 200 metres long–was a tapestry of cultures and faiths, with six or seven different religions living side by side. But more than that, it was a community where everybody cared for everybody. If my mother wasn’t talking to a neighbour that didn’t stop the neighbour from correcting me if I stepped out of line. The street was our home, and the elders were our guardians.
Fast forward to today, and the village has disappeared. We live next door to people and don’t even know their names. We move in isolation, in silos, with everyone minding their own business. But at what cost? Our children–especially our young boys–are growing up fatherless and homeless, not in the literal sense, but in the sense that they have no formation, no belonging, no anchor in values, virtues, or family life. They may have a house but it is not a home.
And so, we have a crisis: a generation raised by streets instead of fathers, social media instead of elders, and fleeting pleasures instead of lasting purpose.
At the heart of this breakdown, I would like to suggest, is the loss of two key pillars: (1) The communal, value-based family life that once held us together, and (2) The proper understanding of sexuality as something sacred, not just transactional.
The lost village: rebuilding the family and community
Caribbean culture has always been about each one helping one. In the past, extended families played a crucial role in raising children. Aunts, uncles, neighbours, and godparents filled in the gaps where parents struggled. Poverty existed, but I never knew we were poor, because value formation and moral grounding sustained us.
Today, children are growing up without that formation. They are raising themselves in an environment where marriage is undervalued, fatherhood is optional, and motherhood is unsupported. Sometimes, children are affected when his/her father is referred to as d chile fadder. A young man once asked me, “Why do fathers leave?” We need to restore that sense of family as a place of love, guidance, and discipline. Extended families, churches, and communities must reclaim their role in raising children—not just as an option, but as a responsibility.
Managing urges: The Theology of the Body in a sex-saturated culture
The second root of this crisis is the hyper-sexualisation of our society. From our music to our food to our everyday conversations and public imagery, sex is everywhere. It is marketed as freedom, as entertainment, as casual. But no one is teaching our young people how to manage their desires, how to respect their bodies, or how to see sex as something sacred rather than just pleasurable.
A young man once told me after Mass, “Father, you preach well about everything, but you never taught us how to deal with our urges.” That was a moment of deep revelation. The Church speaks of morality, and Fr Mark Georges’ book on Anthropology of Integration emphasizes the fact that urges are not bad but need to be integrated into the dignity of the whole person: unity of body and soul. How often do we teach people how to live this out?
St John Paul II’s Theology of the Body offers a powerful response to this crisis. It teaches that our bodies are not just objects of desire, but sacred vessels of God’s love and purpose. Sex is holy. It is not just physical, but spiritual. It is meant to be an expression of total self-giving within marriage, not just a moment of pleasure outside of commitment.
If we do not teach this, we leave our people defenseless against a culture that reduces sex to a transaction. They are drawn into unhealthy relationships, fathering or mothering children before they are ready, and exposed to emotional pain, diseases, and a cycle of brokenness that keeps repeating.
Where do we go from here?
Family structures must be rebuilt. Extended families and faith communities need to step in and offer formation, love, and guidance. Marriage must once again be seen as a sacred covenant, not an outdated tradition.
Conversations about sex must be open, honest, and rooted in truth. Our churches should not just preach about chastity; they must teach how to live it.
Theology of the Body should be introduced at all levels. Youth ministry, catechism classes, marriage preparation—everywhere. Our people need to know the power of chastity, the beauty of sexuality in its right context, and the dignity of their own bodies.
If we want to break the cycle, we must restore belonging, restore virtue, and restore God’s vision for love, family, and sexuality.
The time to act is now. Who is willing to rebuild the village?
We doh have to … remain silent.