Below is a description of the 3-day retreat held at a Jesuit retreat center, organized by our team from the St. Dominic Bible Study. Our Bible study group meets monthly to explore Scripture, following the Church’s liturgical reading plan. This year, being Year B, we have been focusing on the Gospel of Mark.
Twice a year, however, we step beyond our usual gatherings for an ecumenical retreat, immersing ourselves in the Charismatic life of the Church. These retreats offer a unique opportunity to pray, reflect, and experience the dynamic, Spirit-filled dimension of the Gospel that we study throughout the year. The retreat from November 8 to 10, 2024, was one such occasion—a powerful time of renewal, intercession, and an outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
The testimony below is true to the best of my recollection. Others who were there will in due time share how they have experienced this retreat from their respective vantage point.
"Modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses." - Pope Paul VI
...
FRIDAY
We were off to a great start for the 3-day retreat organized by the Dominican bible study team, Rwanda; the evening was promising. It ended with an impromptu moment of ministry. Dr. Thierry, our guest-speaker from South Africa, was hard at work.
One of the people he prayed for caught my attention as she was on her way back. Nothing seemed to visibly happen when she was prayed for, but a thought lingered in my mind—perhaps I should try to speak with her and, if possible, pray with her again. So, I did.
For the first time, I took the risk of interpreting the strange sensation I felt on part of my head. I interpreted it as her mind being attacked, causing her to struggle with doubt. When I shared this with her, she became quite emotional and briefly shared her story: she had been a Christian in the past but was no longer practicing and wasn’t sure if God still wanted her.
I prayed for her in light of her confession, and she became visibly agitated. Michel saw me struggling with her and quickly joined me. As we prayed, she collapsed to the ground in a seated position, doing strange things as if she were fighting against a suffocating and overwhelming sensation. Dr. Thierry came over, joined by Shenge, and I believe Ruti and Joelle were there too.
It was unclear what exactly she was fighting against, but Michel and Shenge pointed out that it could have been both an evil spirit and a strong sense of emotional shame. Dr. Thierry also suggested a possible evil spirit, and he encouraged her to come back for the remaining days of the retreat to experience full freedom.
This is how we ended Day 1.
I was left wondering: This is interesting—our first spiritual and tangible manifestation on someone else, without the immediate input of our guest trainers.
Was this just a one-time anomaly, or is this the beginning of what we’ve been seeking in God’s presence since 2020?
Only the remaining two days of the retreat will tell us.
SATURDAY
It wasn't their fault, but Les couples jumeaux were about to have their minds blown on this 2nd day of the Centre Christus retreat. The night was growing late, and I was worried we wouldn't have enough time to pray. I had already suggested to Dr. Thierry that I wanted to bring my There is more team to support with prayers, even though they were not part of the retreat organizing team. From the organizing team, I only wanted Teta on board for today since she has been with us the longest, ever since October 2023 at our last retreat at the Dominican sister convent. Hence she had some level of familiarity of what was about to transpire.
Dr. Thierry agreed that he and Br. Nesbert would lay their hands on them to join the ministry time. I had suggested this model because I had noticed during the week registration that there would be many people and only two speakers wouldn’t be enough, especially since Br. Valerio couldn't come. But there was a problem.
Br. Nesbert was feeling unwell and had retired to his bedroom. Dr. Thierry kept leading people in a long, ongoing prayer session of surrendering to the Lord, hoping that Br. Nesbert would recover quickly to rejoin us. It was 8:30 PM, and we were supposed to vacate the room by 9 PM. We couldn’t wait any longer; Dr. Thierry was alone, facing 62 people wanting to experience the touch of God. We signaled Tigana, who was seated at the "Command Post" (our organizing team table at the far back), to check one last time on Br. Nesbert. He returned quickly, shaking his head from the doorway, indicating that Br. Nesbert wasn’t coming.
Dr. Thierry and I exchanged looks, and he asked, " What do we do? " I glanced at my watch—8:35 PM. There was no time to waste. I replied, " What does the Holy Spirit say to you? " Dr. Thierry began a quick song with the help of Shenge and Manu, then went into what seemed a deep inner prayer. Shortly after, he told me, "Tell your team to come."
There they were: Tigana, Lisette, Teta, myself, and le couple jumeaux, aka Ruti-Joelle and Michel-Shenge. Someone joked that we should pair up since we were in couples, and some of us did, but not all. Dr. Thierry liked the idea. So, we had the Alpha Team (Dr. Thierry - Teta), Delta-Force (Michel-Shenge), Bravo Team (Ruti-Joelle), Charlie Team (Eric-Lisette), and the Lone Star Sigma agent (Tigana Birasa).
Dr. Thierry quickly gave us instructions and asked the audience to approach any team for prayers. I wanted to remind him that he was supposed to lay hands on us first for the N-ieme time, but he said it wasn’t needed anymore. Apparently, He had received during his brief prayer that no laying on of hands was necessary, I tried to justify the unconventional move. He just lovingly threw us violently to the “sharks”!
Delta-Force Team looked understandably anxious, and I could see Bravo Team smiling nervously too. But we had no time to think nor panic; people were already coming up for prayers. I positioned myself with Lisette for our first person, an elderly mother. Following the instructions received, I asked, " Have you surrendered your life totally to the Lord? " She replied convincingly, " Yes. " So, I informed her that we would pray for her to receive the Holy Spirit. As I was explaining what could happen when the Holy Spirit comes upon a person, I heard a soft BANG on my left. Quickly glancing over, I saw someone lying on the ground. Delta Team had their first “win” and it was fast. I wanted to be shocked—Michel-Shenge? Impossible, I thought. But I quickly refocused on our own “patient.”
Lisette and I called upon the Holy Spirit on her, and as I was praying, Delta Team was already on their third person down, and Bravo Team on my left on their second person shaking like a leaf and out of balance. Ruti-Michel, also? This is not normal, I worried. Meanwhile, our first customer was still standing with her feet firmly rooted on the ground. I wondered, this is not working. On my left again, but this time a man was crying hard from the eyes and the nose. Everything was coming out. No way, this is the Sigma Agent at work. Now, Tigana also? Unacceptable!
I briefly stopped praying to regroup my wandering thoughts, every team seemed to be moving in power except ours. A thought intruded my mind, it was John Wimber famous " clinic time ". In his 'Clinic Time' he had spoken about the visible sign of the Spirit presence and work on someone during ministry time. That is when I saw it. It was there since the beginning but I had overlooked it. As we called upon the Holy Spirit again, her face began to show small spasms which varied in intensity. I asked her if she was feeling something, " Yes, my face is moving, and my teeth is also moving inside.". She looked at me, puzzled, and asked Lisette and I, "Esce que c'est la magie?"
I then realized, the Spirit was moving in her but like the patriarch Jacob, I had not recognized his presence. Now, Lisette and I became more fervent recognizing that the Master was there and hard at work, just in a different manner.
With the 2nd person we prayed for, we noticed different reactions popping up. He started with tears coming down within what seems less than 60 second, he was visibly moved. I asked him why he was crying, " I do not know ". We continued praying for him and now he started losing balance, Lisette and I caught him to prevent him to go down. He was heavy but we managed to keep standing as he kept crying. By the time we reached our third person, Alpha team, Delta-Force, Bravo team and Sigma had already piled up body count in excess.
We were slow as each person took a long time to pray for as I was trying to understand what was also happening to them. The 3rd person was a woman who felt nothing initially. She stood motionless while Lisette and I prayed for what seemed to me 10 to 20 min. She then started crying but for no specific reason, then it stopped. At a loss for what else to say, I continued in tongues, hoping for guidance. Nothing was coming, so I wanted to let her go back to her seat but she continued standing there her eyes closed. I had no choice, I stood there with Lisette trying to murmur all type of prayers we could think of. Suddenly, I had an impression of a curse. I then ventured to say, "I break this curse in Jesus ' name," she reacted violently, clutching her right side in pain. I asked what is happening, " It is hurting " she complained. Does this happened to you sometimes? "No" she said with her eyes half closed as she grimaced with pain. Lisette and I now were revived in our enthusiasm and prayed for her fervently and BANG ... She was thrown down, and strange noises came from her, accompanied by unusual facial expressions. Her eyes started bulging out of her eye socket. She gasped for air as if she was suffocating in real time, while letting out a terrible sound.
Dr. Thierry, sensing the situation turning into a real drama, quickly joined us after the person he was praying for fell down. Bruno also joined us from the back, and so did Father Raphael, Michel and Ruti. We were facing our first case of exorcism of the day.
As the Avenger team assembled for this final battle with my 3rd case, the ladies from Delta-force and Bravo team walked away and went to attend the last person Dr. Thierry had prayed for and who was still on the ground being prayed for by Teta. This part I did not see it but I heard it. As we focused on customer no. 3, I overheard an explosive laughter coming from the side of the ladies. I didn't at first wondered about it since the voice was totally unfamiliar to me. In addition we had a serious case of exorcism going on. After a while, I realized that people in the room were converging toward the source of the explosive laughter. I stood up to see what was going on, and I realized someone was being powerfully visited by the Holy Spirit, but this time again in a manner totally different from everything he had done so far in the night. I later learned that Joelle from Bravo Team joined Teta, and innocently said "More Holy Spirit " to the person who was lying down, and the person exploded in an eternal laughter of the highest possible decibel. I knew with all my heart that it was not natural because he laughed at the same level of strength for a good 20 minute as per my estimation. Father Raphael even closed the 2nd day session of the retreat in Prayer and I gave a communiqué while his laughter was still resonating throughout the vast auditorium. Tigana finally approached the person since no one was able to control him, laid his hand on his head and kept calling the peace of God to come upon him. He repeated that same prayer incessantly until the person suddenly stopped laughing - 1 to 2 minutes after.
As we ended Day 2 , we looked at each other, wondering exactly what had just happened. We were talking to and over each other, with no one able to finish a sentence or provide a coherent account of their emotions or experiences. We kept stumbling over each other’s words, dans la joie, truly, shaking our heads in absolute astonishment and amazement. It felt as if we were in the twilight zone.
Was today’s event an exception because our Master-Chief, Dr. Thierry, needed help, and God took some of the Spirit that was in him and spread it on us? Or was it the beginning of something new for us, independently of Dr. Thierry and Br. Nesbert?
I knew that I would find out for sure on Day 3 - the last day of the retreat. On day 3, there was no formal plan to pray specifically for the Holy Spirit to fall on people, only for physical healings and other needs (which could have included the baptism of the Holy Spirit on a case by case basis) . So if a power encounter occurred then as well, I’d know with a high degree of confidence that this grace was to stay with us, beyond Centre Christus. So I anxiously looked forward to Sunday, the Lord's Day!
SUNDAY
It was quickly becoming an agitated environment, reminiscent of the Wild West. Father Raphael had just dismissed the assembly and concluding the 3rd Day of the Retreat , but participants lingered in the conference room, waiting for the rain to pass. At the front, prayer ministry was underway, drawing the amazed attention of onlookers. I had invited those in need of prayer—for illness or personal issues—to approach the ministry team. Dr. Thierry and Michel were busy ministering at the front, while Br. Nesbert was attending to people at the back.
I was speaking with a few retreat participants to get their feedback on the now-concluded three-day retreat. Their responses were overwhelmingly positive. As I engaged in conversation, I was distracted by a small commotion at the front. Glancing over, I noticed someone had collapsed near Michel. In Catholic charismatic circles, this phenomenon is referred to as "Resting in the Spirit" (See more the works of Francis McNutt, Overcome by the Spirit). Those who come from a Pentecostal background, might have called it being " Slain in the Spirit. " Given the ecumenical nature of this Catholic retreat, however, a neutral term like " Sacred Swoon ," coined by Harvard laureate Professor Candy G. Brown in her work, "Global Pentecostal and Charismatic Healing" (Oxford University Press, 2011. Page 347), feels most appropriate.
Moments later, another person, being prayed for by Dr. Thierry, gently fell into a sacred swoon, tears streaming down their face. I turned back to my interlocutor, who was visibly captivated by the scene. Her eyes stayed fixed on what was happening at the front as she attempted to speak to me. Recognizing her desire to draw closer to the ministry team, I stepped aside and encouraged her to go forward. Finally, I, too, moved closer to assist with the prayers.
I prayed for five people in turn. Each seemed to have a meaningful encounter with the Spirit of the Lord, though their experiences varied. One case stood out. Michel had finished praying for his group, leaving Dr. Thierry with a growing crowd of people eager for his ministry. As we discussed the situation, I was asked to pray for a few individuals who desired a greater grace for a life of intercession. One of them boldly requested to receive "a greater portion than anyone." Smiling, I invited her forward.
Placing my hand on her shoulder, I prayed for her, asking the Lord to grant her this grace. True to my custom, I did not rush and soaked her in my insistent prayers. After a moment, Her face began to show subtle signs that something was happening. Curious, I asked if she was experiencing anything. Hesitant, she tried to suppress a laugh before admitting, "I feel like laughing." She restrained herself, even as the urge persisted. Romans 8 came to mind, where the Spirit intercedes with "inexpressible groanings". Though often associated with speaking in tongues in Pentecostal traditions, I felt this Scripture might also apply to her sudden eagerness to laugh.
As I continued praying, another woman joined in. The first recipient suddenly exclaimed, "I’m burning! It’s too much!" and began removing her scarf. Her earlier urge to laugh gave way to an overwhelming heat on her upper back. As her discomfort grew, struggling with the sensation, we helped her to her feet, but the burning persisted. Michel joined us, and together we prayed for her. She fanned herself with her scarf, attempting to cool but not no avail. Now the heat was also on her feet. Another lady touched her back and exclaimed, "She’s burning hot!"
This is how the 3rd Day ended for us. We were still moving in the grace and power of the Holy Spirit. Clearly, the grace to collaborate with the Holy Spirit as co-workers was carried from the Saturday explosive night to the Sunday afternoon prayer time. Later that evening, during a closing supper with Br. Nesbert and Dr. Thierry, we shared notes on the retreat. We marveled at God’s grace and the diverse ways people experienced His presence and all sort of visitation including a healing of long term health issue. I confided in Dr. Thierry about the unusual manifestations during my prayers—two cases even pointed to a need for deliverance from evil spirits. I went back to my room both joyful and thinking, wondering if the Lord was calling me to delve deeper into deliverance ministry, as I had done with healing ministries over the past four years. Only time will tell if this intuition is correct, but one thing was certain: God’s grace had been profoundly evident during this retreat.
Nota Bena : I must confess though that the preparation for this retreat was unlike anything we’d done before. Previous retreats had been bathed in prayer and fasting by the immediate L’Équipe St. Dominique organizing committee—Father Raphael, Tigana, and myself—along with our guest speakers: Dr. Thierry, Br. Nesbert, and Sr. Olivia. My close friends from " There is More " also supported us in prayer. But this time around, we tried something new, something different. Though uncertain of what the outcome would look like, I hoped it would yield something extraordinary. The mindset was god big or go home, type of thinking. To fully appreciate what went into this retreat preparation, I’d have to take you few months back to give you an insider look at the spiritual preparation and sacrifices.
"Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them." By this [Jesus] meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive." - John 7:38-39
