MANILA, Philippines – For those who want to go on a retreat but cannot leave their house or workplace, Jesuits in the Philippines boosted their online Holy Week retreat, which they host every year. 

“This year’s online Holy Week retreat will feature a team of Jesuit and lay spiritual directors. Their services have been recruited to respond to the sharings posted by our online retreatants,” the organizers said.

The online Holy Week Retreat runs from Maundy Thursday to Holy Saturday, March 24 to 26, on www.pinsoflight.net.

It is mounted by Filipino members of the Society of Jesus, better known as the Jesuits, the biggest male religious order in the Catholic Church.

The online Holy Week retreat was organized by Father Johnny Go, former president of Xavier School and former director of Jesuit Communications. 

Go, who goes by the online name “Fr J,” has held online Holy Week retreats for the past 9 years.

In line with Jubilee Year 

The theme of this year’s Holy Week Retreat is “The Three Doors to Mercy: The Upper Room, the City, and Hell.” 

The theme was set in line with the Jubilee Year of Mercy, a special period declared by Pope Francis, which runs from December 8, 2015, to November 20 this year. 

The Catholic Church encourages more acts of mercy during this Jubilee Year. (READ: Cardinal Tagle opens Holy Door, hits ‘merciless’ corruption)

“This Holy Week, 3 special doors lead to God’s mercy. They are found in the Upper Room, the City of Jerusalem, and Hell,” the organizers said. 

They added in the introduction: “Each of these doors will open on Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Black Saturday. Learn about these virtual doors of mercy. Find the key to each of them, and walk through them.”

The online Holy Week retreat may be accessed by clicking this link. – Rappler.com