March 12, 2024 – Midway through Lent, the faithful of St. Charles Lwanga Parish took a pause from the bustle of life to refocus on God during a parish-wide Lenten Recollection. Held on a Saturday from morning till afternoon, the recollection drew about 120 participants, hungry to deepen their spiritual lives in preparation for Easter.
The theme for the day was inspired by Psalm 51: “Create in me a clean heart, O God.” It kicked off at 9:00 AM with a rousing praise and worship session led by the youth choir – an unusual start for a recollection, but one that set a joyful tone of surrender to God. Then, Fr. Deshi Ramadhani, S.J. (our visiting Jesuit with expertise in spirituality) gave the first talk, focusing on “Inner Freedom and God’s Mercy.” He guided us through an Ignatian-style examination of conscience, inviting everyone to reflect on what habits or attachments were chaining our hearts, and how God lovingly calls us to freedom through repentance. As he spoke, you could see heads nodding and even some tears – his gentle yet profound words touched many.
We were then given time for silent personal prayer. Stations were set up around the church compound for those who wanted prompts – one station had scripture verses on cards, another had a simple cross where people could kneel and touch it, another had a poster of Rembrandt’s Prodigal Son to meditate on God’s forgiveness. Seeing parishioners – youth, elders, mothers with babies – all in silence, scattered under trees or in corners of the church, was moving. In our often noisy world, this silence was a true luxury for the soul.
Midday, the recollection resumed with a second input by Sr. Mary Nzisa, FSA. She shared on “Healing and Reconciliation in Families.” Using examples from her counseling experience, she addressed common wounds – unforgiveness between spouses, generational hurts, sibling conflicts. She tied this to Lent by urging everyone to make concrete steps in reconciling with at least one person before Easter. Her practical approach (like suggesting we write a letter to someone we hurt or vice versa) gave people tangible ideas.
The Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) was then made available. We had invited two extra priests from the deanery, so with Fr. Sossy and Fr. Damas, four confessors were stationed in different areas – one in the confessional, one under the grotto, one in a classroom, one in the sacristy. This allowed many to go to confession unhurriedly. The lines moved steadily for an hour and a half. “I haven’t been to confession in 10 years; today I felt God pulling me,” one middle-aged man admitted, beaming with relief afterwards. Indeed, there were multiple “prodigal son” moments as lapsed Catholics returned to the sacrament that day.
At 2 PM, we concluded with Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. As the Tantum Ergo hymn echoed, there was a palpable peace in the church. Fr. Sossy, holding the monstrance, blessed the people – a fitting culmination, as if Jesus himself was sealing all the graces received and imparting strength to carry on.
Participants then shared a simple Lenten lunch of soup and bread (organized by CWA – they purposely kept it modest as a sign of fasting). Many lingered after, sharing quietly in groups about their experience. “I’ve never spent such a long quiet time in prayer – it was hard but good,” a young professional said. “I realized how distracted I usually am.” An elderly lady commented, “Nilisikia sauti ya Mungu ndani ya moyo wangu leo.” (“I heard God’s voice in my heart today.”)
This Lenten recollection has now become a cherished annual tradition in our parish (we also do one in Advent). It’s not an overstatement to say spiritual renewal was evident. Parishioners left with lighter hearts, many having made firm resolutions to change or to go mend a relationship. The timing was perfect – the following week, we held our Lenten Penitential service and those who missed recollection got a taste through that, but those who came to the recollection said they went into Holy Week with a much deeper connection to the Lord’s Passion and Resurrection.
Truly, taking time away with the Lord yields abundant fruit. As we continue our Lenten journey, we pray that what was received in this recollection – forgiveness, inner peace, and zeal – may continue to grow.
If you missed the recollection, don’t worry – Advent will have another! And remember, any day you can come by the church for your own little “mini-recollection” – the Lord is always waiting.
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