Sabama’s first-ever retreat

THERE is an ever-increasing need to bring those who are lost, especially in the local communities, into the church to maintain and increase the commitment of those already in the church.
This required vibrant parish leadership.
Leaders from the various Liklik Kristen Kominiti (LLK – small Christian community) of Mary Help of Christians parish, Sabama, along with its outstations Serokone, Pari and Gabutu, and their various devotional group leaders began the month of December with their first-ever leadership retreat at the Sivarai Namona Pastoral Centre outside Bomana, National Capital District.
Organised and facilitated by parish priest Fr Ambrose Pereira, SDB, with the assistance of volunteer animators, the programme saw 31 leaders immersed themselves in various sessions aligned with the theme ‘Yeast in the Leaven’.
Opening the programme, Fr Ambrose reminded everyone to “switch off, switch on!” emphasising the need to turn off phones for people and to switch on spiritually during the retreat.
The second session, entitled “a vibrant parish”, was facilitated by cleric Raphael Gobi from Sabama.
The third session featured Grace Wrakia, an animated Catholic woman, Lasallian youth animator and participant at the recent synod on synodality in Rome.
She empowered participants to appreciate their Catholic faith, sharing her experiences from the synod.
The session concluded with an exercise where participants broke into groups to discuss communion, participation, and mission in their contexts.
At the programme’s conclusion, participants were instructed to gather in their respective groups to elect their leaders for 2024.