3,000 priests to converge in Cebu for national retreat

CEBU, Philippines – The Archdiocese of Cebu, together with the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), will host on November 7 to 9, the National Retreat for Priests 2023 (NRP), the biggest religious gathering of clerics in the country since the start of the pandemic.

The NRP is expected to draw around 3,000 priests nationwide to the IEC Convention Center Cebu (IC3) in Cebu City.

“This retreat is our way of recognizing as we journey towards tomorrow, we want, in a special way, the dawning of the Holy Spirit, the age of the spirit, to be the guiding force of all of us,” Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma said in a live-streamed press conference.

Fe Barino, the chairman of the NRP 2023 working committees, said during the press conference that 22 dioceses have already registered for the event. These include 7 from Luzon, 8 from Visayas, and 7 from Mindanao.

“That’s about 1,000 priests already registered and we’re calling on to other priests out there because we would like to accommodate about 3,000 participants,” Barino said.

Of great significance

Monsignor Cesar Vergara of the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Clergy said that this event would be the first time that priests in the Philippines would be gathering in a huge event since the pandemic.

According to Vergara, the NRP was supposed to be held as part of the celebration of the 500 Years of Christianity in the Philippines but was delayed due to health restrictions set up during the lockdowns.

“This is a very important event and an important journey for us priests who are leading 80 million Catholics in our country, representing all the parishes that comprise the 120 bishops and 86 dioceses,” Vergara said.

There are over 11,000 Catholic priests actively serving 16 provinces in the country. Over 400 diocesan priests and 225 religious priests are in Cebu.

“The NRP provides a sacred space and an opportunity for us to gather as brothers in Christ to support and encourage one another and to dwell deeply into the profound mysteries of our priestly vocation,” Kalookan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David, president of CBCP, said in a statement

What to expect

Besides mass and conferences, the NRP working committees are also organizing a pilgrimage tour for the priests who wish to visit sacred sites in the province.

“Many priests are also friends and classmates because they studied in universities, seminaries in Manila. We also encourage them to hold some kind of a class reunion after this,” Palma said.

The registration fee for NRP 2023 is set at P2,500 per participant, excluding accommodations and airfare.

Barino said that the working committees will still provide assistance to attendees who are looking for safe and comfortable accommodations in Cebu.

Those interested in participating in the event may contact Barino via 0917 321 6717 or the secretariat via 0995 766 2168. – Rappler.com