On the 27th April 2018 to 29th April 2018, Maduduza Zwane’s family were on a two-day spiritual retreat at the catholic St. Lucia Retreat and Training Centre in KZN. The Retreat Centre was inaugurated by our Diocese of Swaziland Bishop Jose Luis Ponce De Leon when he was the bishop of Ingwavuma. The family each year goes outside the country a spiritual retreat to pray, meditate and listen to spiritual talks. In the previous years the family had its retreats at Ngome. This year the family decided to change and went to St. Lucia for their 2 days retreat.
The theme for the retreat was Anchored in Hope (Suffering and Hope), which was facilitated by Fr. Doherty who resides at Mtubatuba assisted by Sister Elizabeth. The retreat was designed in an inclusive manner where the children and adults were accommodated. The purpose of the retreat was to unite the family in prayer and also help them to listen and understand their relationship with God as a family.
Fr. Doherty gave talks about the life of the catholic family and the importance of the Sacrament of Matrimony. Through his presentations he told the family that God is in charge of our daily lives, and that God is the One in charge of the church. Father Doherty remarked that for his 58 years as a priest in South Africa has never ever had a retreat which was conducted just for one family. He encouraged our family to come back again next year and to keep this culture of praying together to go for generations.
The St. Lucia Retreat and Training Centre was a lovely experience and it is one place that every Catholic family in our diocese needs to visit, as it helps to sit back and reflect on the relationship to which a family has with God.
“A family that prays together, stays together”
by Maduduza Zwane
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