Mindanao Marian retreat for priests

Last October 22-24, 2018, 25 priests and 23 lay faithful from all over Mindanao were gathered at the Benedictine Monastery Retreat Center, Cogon, Digos City for the Marian Retreat for Priests in a Continuous Cenacle, with its theme: Renewal of the Priestly Heart and Mind To Jesus Through Mary. This retreat was organized by the members of the Marian Movement of Priests (MMP) with Bishop Guillermo Afable, D.D., Bishop of Digos and the MMP National Spiritual Director, Fr.Roland Sayman, STL of the Diocese of Mati, the current MMP Regional Responsible for Mindanao, Fr. Omer Prieto of the Diocese of Cubao, a well-known resource speaker on Marian consecration, and Fr. Anselmo Forteza, DCD of the Diocese of Digos as speakers. The retreat talks included the following topics: The Redemptive Suffering of the Cross (Fr. Omer Prieto), Conversion (Fr. Omer Prieto), Prayer (Fr. Roland Sayman) Fasting, Mortification and Penance (Fr. Anselmo Forteza) and Cenacles of Prayer (Bp. Guillermo Afable, D.D.).

The Marian Movement of Priests is a private association of Catholic clergy and lay associate members founded by Italian priest Fr. Stefano Gobbi in 1972. During his visit to the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima in Portugal he was inspired to begin this work of encouraging Consecration, especially of priests, to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and wholehearted fidelity to the Magisterium of the Pope. Fr. Gobbi has traveled throughout the world holding Cenacles of Prayer on every continent.

A cenacle of the Marian Movement of Priests consists basically of the following: Invocation to the Holy Spirit, Recitation of the Holy Rosary, Prayers for our Holy Father, the Pope, Reading and meditation on one or more of the messages given in the book, “To the Priests, Our Lady’s Beloved Sons” (The Blue Book), and The Act of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. “Cenacle” is a word for the upper room where the Last Supper was held, and where the Sacraments of the Priesthood and The Eucharist were instituted. It was also in the cenacle where the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles and the Blessed Mother.

During the entire duration of the retreat, while the talks for the priests were ongoing, the lay faithful who are members of the MMP were praying the cenacle. They were the prayer warriors asking Mama Mary’s intercession for her beloved sons… that they will all consecrate themselves to her Immaculate Heart and have a renewal of their heart and mind to Jesus through Mary. (Manilee Araune, SUGID SoCCom)