Lenten Retreat

The retreat was held in Jerusalem, at the Church of Saint Peter in Gallicantu. It began at 11:00 AM with a penitential celebration, during which the Gospel of the Lost Sheep was proclaimed. The Good Shepherd, through the communal celebration and individual confessions, came to seek out His sheep, lifting them one by one onto His shoulders and bringing them back into communion with Him and with His Church.

Immediately afterward, lunch was shared—generously prepared and brought by members of the various communities. After lunch, participants joined different activities in groups: retracing the Stations of the Lord’s Passion along the Via Dolorosa, meditating on the seven last words of Jesus with Fr. Roman, or simply devoting time to personal prayer and meditation.

At 15:30, the celebration of the Mass began, the climax of the day, during which the Gospel of the Prodigal Son was proclaimed. In his homily, Fr. Benedetto highlighted how the father in the parable reaches out to both sons, despite their different and less-than-exemplary attitudes.

It was truly a day filled with God's mercy, which we experienced tangibly through the sacraments received, the Gospels proclaimed, and the fellowship of our brothers and sisters from the communities of our Vicariate.