The Annual Retreat of staff of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN) and agencies of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) kicked off today under the theme "Lessons from the Jubilee Year of Hope: Application of Dilexi te in the CSN".
Facilitated by Most Rev. Gerald Mamman Musa, Bishop of Katsina, the retreat's first session provided insights into Pontifex "Dilexi te". He emphasized the primacy of God's love, the dangers of spiritual activism, and the necessity of a conversion of heart. He urged the staff to reflect and find their purpose and God's love, seeing the new year as a gift and an opportunity for new chapters.
The second session highlighted practical ways of applying the encyclical to the CBCN agencies, with Bishop Musa encouraging staff to replace competition with collaboration, peace, focus, and fulfilment in their daily tasks and duty posts. The session concluded with questions, answers, and comments from the attendees.
The spiritual exercise also featured the Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, recitation of the Holy Rosary and the Divine Mercy Prayer, consultations, and the Mass, with over 320 staff members from various CBCN agencies and the CSN.
