Divine Mercy Retreat Centre, Chennai

Divine Mercy Retreat, Chennai, is a retreat centre run by the Vincentian Congregation. Retreats are conducted in Tamil and English. Retreats for couples, nuns, youth, evangelisers and others are conducted every year. Food and accommodation during these retreats are free. Air-conditioned rooms are available on payment. During the retreat, special accommodation can be provided for bed-ridden retreatants if informed in advance.

The Inner Healing Retreat

The inner healing retreats begin with the message of the everlasting love of the Father, manifested through the Incarnation. “God so loved the world that He gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). The mercy of God is poured out to each human until the last moment of their lives. Salvation in Jesus is to be experienced through a radical turning away from sin and turning to God’s mercy in repentance. Through the reception of the sacraments of reconciliation and the Holy Eucharist, the retreatants are invited to experience a new vitality and spiritual vigour.

The charism of healing is exercised through the preaching of the Word of God and the worthy reception of the sacraments. There is an inner healing session in the presence of the Eucharistic Jesus, through which the Lord heals many. The retreat ends with the fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit as experienced in the Sacrament of Confirmation. This all-transforming experience of the baptism of the Holy Spirit is the fulfilment of the promise of Jesus. This outpouring of the Holy Spirit is accepted as a special grace, to withstand the temptations of the evil one and to defend and spread the faith by word and action, confessing Jesus Christ as the only saviour of mankind.

History

The Vincentian Provincial Council intended to start a retreat centre for the people of Tamil Nadu. About 36 acres was purchased at Elavur, Gummudipoondi, about 50 km from Chennai. The property abounded with teak and eucalyptus trees, of which six acres were cleared to make way for the centre and the residential blocks. The foundation stone for Divine Mercy Retreat, Chennai, was laid on 27 April 2005 by Very Rev Fr Varghese Puthussery, Superior General, and blessed by Rt Rev Dr Lawrence Pius, the Administrator, Madras-Mylapore Archdiocese, and opened by Rev Fr Jose Vettiyankal, the Provincial Superior, on 20 May 2005.

The Vincentian Minor Seminary for the St Xavier’s Region was started on 24 June 2015. In the first batch there were 16 seminarians. A beautiful Adoration Chapel was blessed by Archbishop Rt Rev Dr George Antonysamy and opened by Rev Fr George Arackal, the Provincial Superior, on 1 April 2016.

Retreats Today

Divine Mercy Retreat, Chennai, conducts residential retreats and one-day programmes at present. In the first and second week of each month there are Tamil residential retreats, and in the third week there is a weekend retreat. English residential retreats are conducted during alternate months. Every year a Divine Mercy Convention is conducted along with the Feast of the Divine Mercy.