The 24th session of the St. John Paul II Sabbatical Program concluded on Friday, May 9, with the graduation of 26 participants in a colorful ceremony held at the Beatitudes Christian Formation Centre, in Kenya’s Catholic Diocese of Murang’a.
Held under the theme “Strengthened and renewed by God’s grace, we pilgrims of hope are ready to take up the mission” (Isaiah 41:10), the celebration marked the end of a four-month residential journey focused on ongoing formation and renewal.
The participants—drawn from one archdiocese, five dioceses, and 14 congregations across nine African countries—graduated with Certificates in Multicultural Psycho-Spiritual Counseling, and Human and Personal Development.
In his keynote address, the Chief Guest Rt. Rev. Peter Adrian Chifukwa, Bishop of Malawi’s Catholic Diocese of Dedza, congratulated the graduates and praised their resilience—evident in their decision to undergo personal transformation through the Program.
That same resilience, he said, would enable them to carry “the Gospel of love, compassion, peace, and reconciliation” into “a world whose main gospel is hate, violence, and pride.”
Speaking on behalf of the graduates, Fr. Harrison Ngigi of the Sons of Divine Providence congregation shared that following their participation in the sabbatical program, they had “been renewed and strengthened to go out as pilgrims of hope.”
“In the four months of the sabbatical program, we have realized the importance of self-care, self-knowledge, relaxation, and inward growth,” Fr. Ngigi said and added,” All these we owe to the expertise of all the facilitators both internal and external, who journeyed with us with a lot of love.”
The 24th cohort included 15 priests, 9 sisters, and 2 brothers from Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Ghana, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Congratulations to the 24th Session participants!
Meanwhile, applications for the 25th session—beginning August 4, 2025—are now open. The Program is available to priests and religious men and women worldwide who have served for at least five years.
To apply, please visit https://stjohnpaul2sabbaticalcenter.com/application/ to apply.
