Saint Ignatius Still Ministers to Youth in Africa
“What if the ordinary things in my life are also gifts?”
By Ms. Teresia Muia
This question captures the spirit of three days of virtual reflection hosted by the Loyola Centre for Media and Communications (LCMC), where about 80 young people from across Africa joined online for one-hour sessions from September 20–22 for a Youth Triduum.
Guided by Jesuit facilitators, the young people spent the three days looking at life through the lens of gratitude, discernment, hope and generosity.
It was not simply a retreat where young people sat and listened. Conversations were open, reflective and often personal, as participants shared how they encounter God in family, friendships, education, work, uncertainty and even the smallest moments of everyday life.
One participant shares “I am grateful for hope. Without it so much would be lost to me – and I have not lost hope; especially in my time of transition from school to work.”
Drawing from the spirituality of St. Ignatius, the sessions encouraged participants to notice God’s presence, pay attention to their inner movements and discern their decisions. The question was not only “What do I want?” but “What is God inviting me to?”
The number of participants varied across the three days, with many remaining consistent throughout. Yet, the invitation remained the same: pause, reflect, and discern.
LCMC offers similar Triduums at different seasons of the year, creating opportunities for young people to step away from the noise of everyday life and return to reflection at different moments in their journey. So far, three Triduums have been held, with one more—the Christmas Triduum—still to come.
And perhaps that is where the centuries-old spirituality of St. Ignatius meets today’s young African: in ordinary moments where faith is lived, decisions are made and hope becomes action.