From the 3rd to the 6th of February 2026, the Redemptorist Vice Province of Nigeria organized the 2026 Transition to Ministry programme for confreres ordained between 2021 and 2024. The gathering, held at the Redemptorist Renewal and Spirituality Centre, brought together eleven Redemptorist priests and four facilitators for a period of reflection on “Transition to Ministry and Apostolic Community.” The programme provided an opportunity for fraternal sharing, prayer, bonding, and evaluation of the transition from initial formation to active apostolic and community life.
The program started on Tuesday evening, 3rd of February, with a welcome address by Very Rev. Fr. Noel Eshikena, CSsR, Vice Provincial Vicar and programme coordinator. Other facilitators included Rev. Frs. Jude Anyaegbu, CSsR; Godfrey Udeh, CSsR; and Raphael Koleade, CSsR. Each day began with Holy Mass combined with Lauds and included sessions of facilitation, group discussions, recreation, rest, sharing, interventions, and Vespers.
On Wednesday morning, Fr. Noel Eshikena, CSsR led a session during which participants shared their ministerial experiences across various apostolates. Discussions focused on personal welfare and health, community life, apostolic challenges, and coping mechanisms. Those who had been transferred to new apostolates reflected on the adjustments required in their new assignments. The sharing revealed both graced moments and struggles encountered in pastoral ministry.
During the afternoon session, Fr. Noel facilitated a session on “Trust: An Aid to Ministry and Community Living.” He emphasized trust as essential to religious life and missionary effectiveness. Participants reflected in groups on how trust may have been broken, the factors that make trust difficult, and the path toward rebuilding trust. While acknowledging experiences of “mutual distrust” arising from certain behaviours within community and ministry, the brothers agreed that trust, though it involves vulnerability, is indispensable for authentic witnessing. They stressed the need for discernment and prudence while striving to maintain a trusting disposition.
On Thursday morning, Fr. Jude Anyaegbu, CSsR, facilitated a session on “Prayer: Common and Private.” He explained that prayer is the foundation of Redemptorist life and mission, warning that its absence leads to confusion, spiritual, personal and pastoral ineffectiveness, and misplaced priorities. Through group discussions, participants affirmed that personal prayer sustains community prayer and that authentic witnessing at personal and community levels depends on a vibrant relationship with God nurtured in an atmosphere of love, peace, and genuine sharing.
The evening session featured a presentation by Rev. Fr. Dr. Godfrey Udeh, CSsR, on “Pastoral Burnout: Meaning, Causes, Consequences, and the Panacea.” He defined pastoral burnout as a season of deep dissatisfaction and exhaustion characterized by energy depletion, negative attitudes toward ministry, and professional fatigue. Causes identified included excessive workload, family and parishioners’ expectations, emotionally demanding duties, lack of boundaries, financial stress, conflict, isolation, and social media pressures. He highlighted grave consequences such as anxiety, depression, suicide, stroke, and other medical conditions. Drawing from Mark 6:31, he proposed the “Three Rs”: Rest, Respite, and Recreation, as remedies, alongside practical measures such as adequate sleep, prayer, retreats, delegation, healthy boundaries, and structured spiritual discipline.
The programme concluded with an evaluation session where strengths, shortcomings, and suggestions for improvement were discussed. After Vespers, the brothers celebrated the fifth anniversary of the 2021 ordination class with a cake-cutting ceremony. The gathering ended on Friday, 6th February 2026, with Holy Mass, after which participants returned to their respective apostolates. The programme was widely regarded as a fruitful moment of renewal, fraternity, and recommitment to mission.
Onyeno, Peter Chijioke, CSsR.
Director of Media and Comms,
Redemptorist Vice Province of Nigeria
