PSDP Annual Retreat 2023

Cagayan de Oro City: The religious priests, brothers, and sisters of the Poor Servants of Divine Providence Congregation (Calabrians) gathered together for their annual retreat at Fr. Luigi Pedrollo Formation House, San Isidro, Brgy. Lumbia Cagayan de Oro City. Starting from June 26-July 02, 2023, they had moments of solitude and contemplation away from a noisy and busy world and ponder on their lives side by side with the realities where they are from.

Their retreat facilitator is Br. Olinto Bet, PSDP, the delegation treasurer of St. John Calabria Delegation, Italy. Br. Olinto was the first Calabrian missionary to come to the Philippines way back in the 1990’s. He was one of the three who first started the mission of ministering to the spiritual needs of San Juan Resettlement, Taytay, Rizal which later became San Lorenzo Ruiz parish. He was also there when Nazareth Formation House (NFH) was constructed in Calbayog City in the year 1994. Dear to the aspirants and lay collaborators of NFH, he served NFH in various capacities; mainly as a formator but as well as the treasurer and rector of NFH. After leaving the Mary, Mother of the Poor Delegation (then Mission) in the year 2014, the Calabrians in the Philippines are happy and blessed to welcome him back as their retreat facilitator.

The theme of this year’s retreat is: “Weaving Maturity in Christ.” Drawing mainly from the “Theology of Garment” of the Syriac Fathers, Br. Olinto spoke of the unique task of the PSDP to continue weaving Christ in their identity. This can only be possible, he said, if they are fully abandoned to the Divine Providence and committed to weave Christ in them using the threads of interiority, contemplation, mercy, incarnation, discipleship, listening to the Word, filial prayer, and the Eucharistic way.