Religious monthly recollection

CHURCH PERSONNEL BEGIN MONTHLY RECOLLECTION DAY OF PRAYER IN JUBA

Some 78 Religious people and other church personnel of the Archdiocese of Juba gathered this Saturday to begin their monthly recollection day. The group meets once a month to hear some spiritual inputs, intensify their prayers and meditation and celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the Eucharist.

This spiritual gathering started as an initiative of the Archdiocese of Juba some years back and gathers a good number of Religious from the various Congregations based and working in Juba. Also, priests and some lay people of the Archdiocese attend this day of prayer.

This recollection day is held at the Comboni House on the last Saturday of each month. The inputs and celebration of mass are shared among the various congregations and priests of the Archdiocese.

This was the first of eleven recollections days that are scheduled for the entire year. Among many other benefits, recollection days provide participants with an environment and atmosphere of faith, prayer, communion and fellowship. It has become a particular reference point for consecrated life in Juba. 

Fr. John, from the Congregation of the Apostles of Jesus, gave the inputs and led the group in prayers. Taking inspiration from this Lenten season, the appeals of the prophet Joel (Joel 2:1-2;12-17) and from an examination of conscience as proposed by Pope Francis, the preacher invited the religious, priests and lay participants to live Lent in communion with one another, to return to God, to accept the grace of conversion and to be ready for reconciliation.

In the end of last month, instead of a recollection, the group joined a pilgrimage from Rejaf church to Kit Centre. This event was organised by the Religious Superior´s Association of South Sudan (RSASS) as part of the celebrations to mark the end of the Year of Consecrated Life (2014-2016) in Juba. The Religious Superior´s Association RSASS inserted that event into the celebrations of the ongoing Year of Mercy (2015-2016).

The participants of this monthly recollection day took time to share about the proposed initiative of '24 Hours for the Lord,' to be celebrated on the Friday and Saturday preceding the Fourth Week of Lent (4-5 March), and expected to implemented in every diocese, as proposed by Pope Francis.

They agreed to join the Divine Mercy prayer group in St. Joseph church in a full-day Eucharistic adoration and a variety of prayer sessions and the sacrament of reconciliation and conclude the day with the Holy Mass. This will be on Saturday 5 March from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

This event corresponds with the "24 Hours for the Lord," event which will be celebrated at the Vatican and in dioceses around the world from the evening of March 4 through the evening of March 5 in the context of the Year of Mercy.

This group of church personnel will meet again for their monthly recollection day on 19 March.

Raimundo