The Kenyan Catholic Priest weighed in on the perception that the program is meant for errant Priests and women and men Religious, saying, “We don’t know if anyone is brought in as punishment. What we know is that you are a pastoral agent and we offer you the best possible climate for rest and renewal.”
When those who enroll in the program report, “we do not take them as people who need correction but as pastoral agents who need rest and renewal,” Fr. Gatamu said, adding, “None of us is a finished project. There is always something that we need to renew ourselves about.”
The latest beneficiaries of the program, who graduated on December 8 included Priests and women and men Religious from Ghana, Zambia, Cameroon, South Africa, South Sudan, and Kenya, he told ACI Africa.
Beneficiaries of the program are taken through holistic topics touching on spiritual, physical, psychological, and emotional aspects, he further said, and went on to share a typical day at the Centre.
Participants in the program begin the day with Holy Mass, followed by breakfast. They then have a four-hour session where they discuss various topics, including conflict resolution and the value of a sabbatical program, among others.
Each week, participants have one-on-one sessions with facilitators to share their experiences, Fr. Gatamu told ACI Africa during the December 11 interview, adding that there are also weekly group meetings, participants and facilitators meeting for mutual sharing of experiences.
Other activities at the Centre include monthly recollections, an eight-day retreat, social evenings, and a one-day trip, the member of Clergy of Murang’a Diocese said, and that participants in the sabbatical program are free to leave the Centre on Friday evening and return on Sunday evening.
Launched on 10 August 2013, St. John Paul II Sabbatical Program is a brainchild of Bishop James Maria Wainaina of Murang’a Diocese. So far, 323 Priests, 94 Nuns, 18 brothers, and two Deacons have participated in the program since its inception.
Speaking on behalf of the 30 participants in the program, who graduated on December 8 in what was the 21st sabbatical session, Fr. Robert Omondi said that lessons learned during the four months “were deeply insightful yet fun-filled”.
“Our meals were wonderful; our social evenings merrier. Our worship was spirit-filled; our Sunday supply was enthusiastic. Our field classes were full of play; our afternoon walks were physically nourishing,” Fr. Omondi said.