Rev. Fr. Peace JEMIBOR

 

The priests of the Catholic Archdiocese of Ibadan began their 2026 Annual Presbyterial Retreat, a sacred and prayerful gathering aimed at deepening spiritual renewal and strengthening priestly identity. The retreat, which began on Sunday, March 1, till Friday, March 6, took place at the serene Abbe Louis Bautane Retreat and Catechetical centre, Ijebu Itele, Ogun state, an arena well known for fostering silence, reflection, and encounter with God.

 

Facilitating the retreat was Very Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Oriyomi of the Abeokuta Diocese, whose conferences are centered on helping priests reconnect with the core meaning of their vocation amidst the demands and pressures of contemporary pastoral ministry. The retreat provided the clergy with a much-needed pause from active parish life, allowing them to withdraw briefly into solitude in order to be spiritually refreshed and inwardly renewed.

 

At the opening welcome session on the day of arrival, the Retreat Director invited participants to consciously enter into the spirit of recollection by embracing silence and distancing themselves from distractions of the outside world. He explained that silence is an essential pathway to genuine prayer, enabling priests to listen more attentively to God and to rediscover clarity of purpose in their ministry. This invitation set a reflective tone for the retreat, encouraging participants to create space for God’s voice to speak anew in their hearts.

 

In the first major conference delivered the following day, the facilitator called the priests to a return to the foundations and roots of the priesthood. He reminded them that by virtue of ordination, a priest is Alter Christus – another Christ – acting in the name and person of Christ, the Head. He emphasized that the priesthood is not merely a functional role within the Church, but a sacred participation in the mission of Christ Himself. In this context, he strongly underscored the centrality of the Holy Eucharist, noting that priests are to celebrate and preserve the Holy Mass not as a personal activity or private devotion, but as the saving action of Christ for His people. This reflection invited the priests to renew their reverence for the Eucharist and to approach its celebration with renewed faith, humility, and devotion.

 

Later in the evening session of the same day, attention shifted to the theme of priestly fraternity. The Retreat Director encouraged the priests to cultivate authentic brotherhood among themselves, rooted in obedience to Christ and fidelity to His Church. He observed that genuine fraternity strengthens priests in times of challenge, fosters mutual support, and enhances the credibility of their witness to the faithful. He urged the participants to see fraternity not as optional, but as an essential dimension of priestly life that reflects the communion of the Church itself.

 

On the second day of the retreat, the morning session focused on the nature of the priesthood and the primacy of communion with Christ. Drawing inspiration from the Gospel accounts of the calling of the apostles, the facilitator stressed that “the first obligation of the priest is to be with Christ,” recalling that Jesus first called his apostles to remain with him before sending them out on mission. From this perspective, he emphasized prayer as the heartbeat of priestly life, insisting that effective pastoral ministry must always flow from sustained intimacy with the Lord. Without a deep life of prayer, he noted, priestly activity risks becoming mere routine rather than a true expression of divine mission.

 

Beyond the formal conferences, the retreat programme also included other rich spiritual activities such as the communal recitation of the Holy Rosary, the celebration of the Divine Office, and extended periods of personal prayer and reflection. These moments have provided the priests with opportunities for interior renewal, examination of conscience, and deeper openness to God’s grace.

 

As the retreat continues, participants are expected to engage further in prayerful reflection and spiritual dialogue that will help them return to their pastoral assignments renewed in spirit and recommitted to their sacred calling. A continuation of this report will be published in the next edition as the retreat progresses towards its conclusion and the fruits of the spiritual exercise become more evident.