“Come, Rest Awhile…” PSDP Religious Held Their Annual Retreat

Cagayan de Oro City – The Poor Servants of Divine Providence (Calabrians) Religious of Mary, Mother of the Poor Delegation held their retreat last June 14-21, 2026, at Fr. Luigi Pedrollo Formation House, Brgy. Lumbia, Cagayan de Oro City. Their retreat facilitator was no other than Rev. Fr. Reynaldo Olan, PSDP, their former delegate superior and is currently serving as novice master of their novitiate.

In one of his talks, Fr. Rey, as he is fondly called, invited his co-religious to go back to the life and mission of the Divine Master, Jesus Christ, and cherish the precious wealth of their religious charism and spirituality as Calabrians. He repeatedly encouraged them to focus always on Jesus: His ministry, passion, death, and resurrection. “His life,” he said, “is a model for us to imitate. His very life sheds light onto our experiences of darkness and challenges us to seek always the will of the Father. We may have doubts, worries and fears, yet ours should be an expression of total trust and abandonment to the Divine Providence, knowing that we have a Loving Father who knows our needs even before we ask Him.”

Joining in this annual retreat via online is their brothers who are now assigned in St. Patrick Parish, Malmal, Papua New Guinea: Fr. John Christopher Acebuche, PSDP, Fr. Alito Cangayo, PSDP, Fr. Ronnie Lapara, PSDP and Fr. Wilson Minj, PSDP. They never missed the sessions of Fr. Rey in the morning and afternoon. They lent their ears with careful attention to the words of their facilitator who assured them of their bond and communion as one congregation though separated by physical distance.

This year’s retreat is a testament that the PSDP religious do give importance to silence and solitude, heedful of the invitation of their loving founder, St. John Calabria, who used to remind them again and again: “Sanctify yourself and you will sanctify the congregation.” Thus, spending this moment of silence and solitude proves to be a concrete avenue towards growing more in holiness and piety, bearing in their heart’s the seeds of faith, hope, and charity that they received through this precious moment of spiritual exercise.