Emmaus Center

The Emmaus Center in Katikamu, Uganda, is a rare oasis in a world increasingly covered with darkness. When we arrived, it was a beehive of activity. They were running a retreat for renewal leaders, two formation programs, and private retreats for a priest suffering from substance abuse, a sister wounded by her community who was struggling to forgive, and a priest suffering from mental trauma. They also offered daily Mass, Adoration, and beautiful sessions of praise and worship each evening. It is a little slice of heaven on earth! Renewal Ministries’ support for so many years has made a difference far beyond our outreaches.

We taught Unbound (which features the Five Keys of repentance and faith, forgiveness, renunciation, taking authority, and the Father’s blessing) to 104 students in the Catholic Charismatic Leaders Formation Program and those from the Emmaus Vocational Institute. The program was intense, but the students enjoyed it thoroughly. Lives were touched by the Lord. They renewed their faith in Jesus, rejected sin, and recommitted themselves to Christ afresh. Others testified to being freed from oppressive spirits and equipped with tools for self-deliverance.

Archdiocese of Tororo

Our seven-hour journey to the Archdiocese of Tororo was a terrifying drive with much traffic. In addition to the many cars on the two-lane highway, there were huge semis, people, and motorcycles. The road is lined with stands selling just about everything and has no forgiving shoulders, middle-turn lanes, or red lights. There are only rumble strips to slow traffic in small towns.

Once in Tororo, we went to the Parish of Butiru, where over 250 participants attended an Unbound session. They were very open, thirsty, hungry, and committed to receiving all the Lord had to offer. The Holy Spirit touched them deeply! Participants repented, renounced, forgave those who hurt them, and received true freedom in Christ. Many people testified to being freed from the oppression of evil spirits. One couple, who was not married in the Church, began working with the parish priest to organize their wedding.

Later, we were supposed to have one group of thirty-five formation students, but they decided to combine both groups, so we taught over eighty-five students who were primarily in their late twenties and early thirties. We spoke on the call to holiness through personal evangelization, the Five Keys to Freedom, and Catholic apologetics.

It was a delight to share the Gospel with these young people. They were attentive and took many notes. Lloyd taught the Universal Call to Holiness and the imperative of evangelization. The young people’s formation is thorough, but we were able to challenge them with a radical perspective on what true discipleship is and the consequences of sin. This teaching really hit home! Many struggled to accept Church teachings in the areas of sexuality and forgiveness—so we added some lessons on Theology of the Body. The testimonies they later shared confirmed that these lessons were powerfully received.

Testimonies

From Scholastica, the diocesan director of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal in Tororo: “The program was so good . . . because of the Five Keys, many attended a second program. Thanks so much! God bless you! There is great change in people’s lives, and I am organizing a program for leadership formation next month. Please pray for us.”

. . . . .

“Before this ministry, I was a very fearful person and a liar. I renounced the spirit of fear, and now I’m not a fearful person.”

. . . . .

“I have been helped to forgive someone who has been very hard for me to forgive. Nancy (told us that once when) Lloyd would not forgive, God the Father could not bless him. I thought of that and thought that maybe there was some place where I was blocking myself from blessings by not forgiving a person in my life. After going to adoration, I told the Lord that I decided to forgive, because Nancy said that it’s a decision, not a feeling. I feel free that I don’t have that stuff in my heart.”

. . . . .

“We went through the prayer for the Five Keys, and then I forgave people. . . . By the end of the prayer, I felt kindness in my heart. I give the glory to God.”

. . . . .

“I now have the opportunity to minister to others. This program has given me more, and I can offer more.”

. . . . .

“I’m a religious sister. I’m very sure that God has done a healing in my heart. I have forgiven people, I’m at peace, and I give all the glory to God.”

This article originally appeared in Renewal Ministries’ October 2025 newsletter.