The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said that the National Retreat for Priests (NRP) to be held in Cebu in November aims to provide a deeply enriching and spiritually rejuvenating experience for all priests.
Archbishop Jose Palma of Cebu (Photo from CBCP news)
In partnership with the Archdiocese of Cebu, the CBCP Episcopal Commission Clergy (ECCler), organized the retreat, with the theme "Priesthood: A Call to Holiness.”
The NRP will be held at the IEC Convention Center, Cebu City from Nov. 7 to 9.
"In this synodal journey together in our shared vocation as priests, it is essential to take time for personal reflection, renewal, and recommitment to the sacred calling we have received from Jesus Christ, our High Priest," said CBCP president Kalookan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David in a CBCP news on June 21.
David also said it gives a sacred space to meet as brothers in Christ, support and encourage each other and learn more about the deep secrets of spiritual calling.
Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma also added: "This is our way of saying that as we move toward tomorrow, we want the dawning of the Holy Spirit, the age of the spirit, to be our guiding force in a special way."
Palma noted that plans are ongoing to organize this "very important" gathering for priests, with the goal of providing them with a renewal of spirit as they come together in the community.
At the retreat, one of the speakers will be Sr. Briege McKenna, OSC, an Irish nun who is well-known worldwide for her gift of healing and ministry to priests.
Fe Barino, the head of the NRP working groups and the leader of CHARIS Philippines, is urging other priests to join because it can accommodate about 3,000 attendees since 1,000 priests from at least 22 parishes have already signed up for the event.
The retreat was initially built for the 51st International Eucharistic Congress in 2016 and was planned as part of the celebrations for the 500th Anniversary of Christianity in the Philippines in 2021, but was postponed due to the pandemic. (Rhowen Del Rosario)