Retreat and the Tri-Celebration in Malawi

MANGOCHI, Malawi - Just as the vehicles we use in our various apostolates need service at specific intervals to ensure safety and efficiency, so do our life in general needs renewal for our own personal growth, increased resilience and more importantly a more fulfilling life. As religious, the need to renew our life through prayer is very pivotal following the good example of Christ Jesus, the author of our vocation. Despite being so busy, teaching, healing, casting out demons among others, he would set aside some precious time in prayer to recharge his spiritual life, “But he withdrew to the wilderness and prayed” (Luke 5:16).

It is with the same conviction that we, the Company of Mary of the Anglophone Africa Delegation organise annually this moment of prayer, withdrawing ourselves to an environment of prayer to renew ourselves hence recharging our spiritual life.

This year’s retreat took place at Montfort Lake House in Namiasi, Mangochi from the 21^st to the 26^th of September 2025 on the theme “An Appropriate Time to recharge Our Spiritual Battery as Pilgrims of Hope of the Resurrection.” This theme exactly highlights what this precious moment of prayer ought to yield in our lives as religious. The facilitator, Reverend Fr James MAfr, made it so clear that as religious, we really need this time to be with the Lord in prayer to keep on recharging our “Spiritual Battery” so that we may be effective in our various apostolates as Montfort Missionaries.

There were nine sessions from the September 21^st to the 26^th . The topics covered under the umbrella of the main theme of the retreat “An Appropriate Time to Recharge our Spiritual Battery as Pilgrims of Hope of the Resurrection”, were The Five Finger Prayer, A Day in the Ministry of Jesus Our Primordial Priest, Captured Through Spiritual investment, Created Human I am to be, A realistic Possibility of Living Marian Spirituality, Repentance and Forgiveness, Living the Beatitudes and finally A need to tread to Normalcy; A Prayer of Gratitude and Thanksgiving. Indeed, it was a very inspiring and life-giving retreat as we recharged our Spiritual Battery hoping to yield more fruits in our different apostolates.

The last day of our retreat was really a day of giving thanks to God in a very special way as we joined our elder brothers who were celebrating the gift of their vocation. Fr. Andrew KAUFA SMM was celebrating 30 years of religious life and 25 years of Priesthood, Fr Charlie BEIRNE SMM was celebrating 50 years of religious life and Fr Eugenio CUCCHI SMM was celebrating 60 years of religious life. The Eucharistic celebration was led by Fr Paul Lonely MASHONGA SMM, the General Councillor, thereafter, a meal was shared in gratitude. We thank the Lord for all His goodness. God Alone.