Thursday, 23 January 2025 15:28

Province Our Lady of Africa Senegal - Guinea Bissau: Echo from the Novitiate

The inter-African novitiate, the "Cenacle" in the year 2024-2025, is a community made up of 23 members, including 20 novices and 3 formators (Father César Da Cruz José sss: master of novices, Father Martin Ochola sss: vice master and Father Ernest Faye sss: spiritual father). The inter-African novitiate is also an intercultural and international community that brings together 6 African countries: Cameroon, Mozambique, Uganda, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo and Senegal.

In preparation for this year that has just begun, the novitiate organised a five-day retreat from 02 to 06 December 2024 with the aim of putting down roots and drawing new strength for this year 2024-2025. "My religious vocation: a path of love and truth" was the theme of our five-day retreat, led by Father Ernest Faye.

On 08 December 2024, in a joyful atmosphere, ten brothers entered the novitiate, and ten other brothers entered the second year.

Father César, Master of Novices, presided at the Mass marking the beginning of the novitiate. In his homily, he recalled what the novitiate is and its objectives in these words: "the novitiate is a profound break under the responsibility of a master of novices and his collaborators; it is also an extension and deepening of baptismal catechesis. It is during the novitiate that the novice is initiated into the lifestyle of a sss religious. He acquires maturity through a deep and careful reflection on the experience of the Holy Founder, the historical and living tradition of the Congregation and the spirit of the Rule of Life".

With this in mind, Father César organised a community meeting on 9 December 2024, the feast of the 62nd anniversary of the canonisation of the Holy Founder. The aim of the meeting was to explain the objectives of the novitiate and to set out the community timetable to the novices.

It was a beautiful opening to the year 2024-2025 at the novitiate and we pray to Jesus in the Eucharist through the intersession of Saint Peter-Julian Eymard that the year will also end on a high note.

 

Father César Da Cruz José, sss
Master of novices

Last modified on Thursday, 23 January 2025 15:34