Archdiocese of Lahore | 30 April – 3 May 2025
The Archdiocesan Fraternity Committee, under the guidance of His Grace Benny Mario Travas, Apostolic Administrator of the Archdiocese of Lahore, organized the Annual Retreat for the diocesan clergy from 30th April to 3rd May 2025 at Arooj-e-Mariam Renewal Centre, Lahore. The retreat was preached by Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Asi, centered on the theme “Believers of Hope and Heralds of Hope”, inspired by the Catholic Church’s Jubilee Year focus, “Pilgrimage of Hope.”
Throughout the retreat, Fr. Emmanuel Asi led the clergy in profound reflections on hope as the sustaining virtue in Christian life and priestly ministry:
In the opening session, priests were invited to admire, reflect, and bless God through the example of Christ, entering the Easter mystery by becoming pastors of hope. In Visionary Hope, Fr. Emmanul Asi used Abraham’s calling to demonstrate how God’s promises transcend our personal calendars, strengthening the bond between hope and faith.
He emphasized Prophetic Hope by inviting priests to condemn evil, proclaim the good, and trust in the restoration God promises through scriptures like Isaiah 35. Other sessions deepened reflections on hope amid suffering, the Beatitudes as seeds of hope, resurrection of the dead, and the need for renewed hope in Christ through patience, faith, and steadfast trust.
In his homily during the concluding Eucharistic celebration, His Grace Benny Mario Travas highlighted the core mission of every apostolic life: to help people see Jesus and experience Him divinely. He emphasized three key pillars for priests to become true heralds of hope:
1. Encounter with Jesus – A priest cannot offer Christ to others unless he himself abides in Him. The encounter shapes the priest into a man of humility, mercy, forgiveness, and thanksgiving.
2. Death Experience – Like St. Paul, priests must embrace the Cross, which reveals life’s true priorities. Only through inner brokenness and surrender can one fully become a messenger of hope.
3. Doing God’s Will – The Bishop reminded the clergy that heaven is for all, but our task is to do God’s will here and now, bringing hope to people in their real-life struggles.
The retreat concluded with a solemn Eucharistic celebration presided over by His Grace Benny Mario Travas, concelebrated by Rev. Fr. Asif Sardar, Vicar General, Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Asi, and the diocesan clergy.
This retreat was a sacred time of reflection, renewal, and recommitment for the priests, empowering them to return to their parishes as true believers and bold heralds of hope.
