Bread of Life Eucharistic Youth Retreat in Isohe

One of the hills surrounding Ishoe.

Our team arrived in Isohe on Thursday 27 May. We were very grateful that once again the Lord blessed us with safe and relatively smooth travel on roads that can sometimes be very difficult. We were glad to discover that despite ongoing food shortages, both schools had reopened and most students had returned. That evening we had a preparatory Eucharistic Holy Hour for some of the students.

Br. John Baptist's portable cell.

Isohe is a small community and the parish has not had many large groups of visitors. We quickly filled up the two or three guestrooms and overflowed into the parish meeting room and even outdoors. Fortunately we were able to find enough sleeping mats and mosquito nets to provide everyone with a decent place to sleep at night.

Evening adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

There are two Catholic schools in Isohe: St. Kizito Primary School, which has 1,000 boarders and another local 300 students, and St. Augustine Secondary School, with about 100 students. Because we were not certain whether the schools would reopen and the students would return, other local youth had been provisionally invited to the retreat. Unfortunatlely that pushed us beyond capacity, both in terms of managing the youth and language challenges. By Saturday morning, though, the number had naturally reduced to about 150 youth, most of whom understood English reasonable well.

Br. Diego at St. Theresa Mission Hospital, Ishoe.

Peter Acheri Lidu sharing his personal testimony on Saturday morning.

We followed the same schedule of activities that we used in Narus, which included talks about Jesus, the Eucharist, following Christ, the Blessed Virgin Mary, forgiveness and healing and daily Christian living. There were also skits and testimonies, small group sharing and of course plenty of praise and worship of the Blessed Sacrament. The high point for many participants is the Saturday evening healing procession.

Local youth enacting a skit on the Passion of Christ.

Br. John Baptist explaining the skit.

Angela Cruciano leading a young women's discussion group.

Fr. Lawrence hearing confessions.

A heavy Saturday afternoon downpour at St. Augustine's school.

Praise and worship after Saturday evening Eucharistic healing procession.

Br. John Baptist and Br. Diego with St. Kizito dancers at Sunday Mass.

We joined the entire local parish community for Mass on Sunday, which happened to be the solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. There were three additional visiting priests and the church was filled to overflowing. The local youth choir sang most of the music and the young St. Kizito children performed customary dances during the different processions of the Mass.

Sr. Paskwina, head teacher of St. Kizito Primary School, Isohe.

Before leaving on Monday 1 June we posed for a group photo with St. Theresa Pastor, Fr. Anthony Ubeo in the shadow of the Cross of the parish church and with the majestic Dongatona Mountains in the background.

Mission team with Fr. Anthony Ubeo, pastor of St. Theresa Parish, Isohe.

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