PilgrimstaysThe Divine Retreat Centre Potta is the largest Catholic retreat centre in the world. Over 10 million pilgrims from all over the world have attended retreats here since 1990. It is an achievement possible only through the grace of God. The centre which started as a preaching ministry, has now evolved into a home of love by the providence of God. It was founded by the Vincentian Congregation from Kerala. The Potta Ashram was founded in 1977 as the centre to direct and to co-ordinate popular mission retreats. It functioned as the headquarters and residences of the directors of the Center, Frs. George Panackal V.C. and Romulus Nedumchalil, etc., who used to conduct mission retreats and visitations from here. A few years later, Fr. Mathew Naickomparambil was transferred to Potta. Fr. Naickomparambil was involved with propagating the Charismatic Renewal. The Renewal movement that began in 1966 at the Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, U.S.A. was brought to India in February 1972. Fr. George Panackal became impressed by Fr. Naickomparambil’s sermons which were the result of his involvement in the Charismatic Renewal. Fr. Naickomparambil’s propagation of the Charismatic Renewal drew in thousands of people. After a few years, a three-storey building was put up to conduct the retreats, primarily intended for the people coming to the Ashram for further consultations from places where the Vincentians’ Popular Mission Retreats were being conducted. But as Fr. Naickomparambil’s Charismatic Renewal retreats grew in popularity, the Potta Ashram itself became a center for numerous retreats. As the Potta Ashram was inadequate for the increased numbers, under Fr. George Vempilly, the new director, a sprawling new site was acquired at Muringoor, on the banks of the Chalakudy River, six kilometers away from Potta, and Fr. Jacob Athickal was tasked with preparing a new and more extensive facility which was to be called Divine Retreat Center Potta. At this new site, retreats were begun in six other languages besides Malayalam including English, Konkani, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil and Hindi. Since 1990, over 10 million pilgrims from all over the world have attended retreats here. Weekly retreats are held throughout the year. The Divine Retreat Centre Potta has 2 large campuses along both sides of the NH47 – one for the Malayalam retreats and the other for the English and other language retreats. The Divine Nagar Railway halt was opened in 1996. Divine Nagar Railway Station The retreat centre also houses several homes attending to the sick and the marginalised section of society. These include:- The Divine Mercy Home for the aged St Mary’s Home for destitute women (also has a crèche for abandoned children) Samaritan Home, for school-going children aged of 3 to 17 Shantipuram Care Centre, a home for the mentally challenged, was started in 2001. De-addiction centre. St Vincent Aids Home, that looks after the HIV positive and AIDS patients.
The Divine Retreat Centre Potta is the largest Catholic retreat centre in the world
Over 10 million pilgrims from all over the world have attended retreats here since 1990
It was founded by the Vincentian Congregation from Kerala
The Potta Ashram was founded in 1977 as the centre to direct and to co-ordinate popular mission retreats
Naickomparambil’s propagation of the Charismatic Renewal drew in thousands of people
The Blessed Sacrament Chapel at Potta maintains perpetual adoration — the consecrated Host is exposed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and the chapel is never empty. For retreatants, this chapel is often the most significant space — many describe hours of silent prayer before the Blessed Sacrament as the turning point of their retreat.
The main auditorium, capable of holding thousands of retreatants for the daily teaching sessions and praise and worship, is one of the largest religious assembly spaces in Kerala. The teaching sessions — delivered by the Vincentian fathers on Scripture, healing, and the spiritual life — are consistently described by retreatants as transformative.
The outdoor Stations of the Cross walk on the Potta grounds offers a meditative physical prayer — retreatants walk the 14 stations in groups, praying at each one. The combination of physical movement, outdoor air, and meditative focus on the passion narrative is one of the classical Catholic pilgrimage practices, here embedded in the retreat experience.
The Divine Retreat Centre is set along the banks of the Chalakudy River — one of Kerala's cleanest rivers, originating in the Western Ghats. The combination of the river, the coconut palms, the paddy fields, and the extraordinary scale of the retreat complex is distinctive and beautiful. Walking the grounds in the early morning is a restorative experience.
The community of 2,000–5,000 retreatants at any given Potta retreat — from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, the Gulf states, the USA, and Australia — is itself one of the most remarkable aspects of the centre. Hearing testimonials of healing, meeting people from every background and profession who have been brought to the same place by the same need, is part of what makes Potta transformative.
Half a million people come to Potta each year. That is more than Lourdes. More than Fatima. It is one of the largest voluntary religious gatherings in the world. The people who come are not tourists — they are people in crisis, people who have tried everything else, people who have been told they have three months to live, people whose marriages are ending, people whose children are lost. They come to a retreat centre in the Kerala hills and they spend six days in prayer, Mass, adoration, and teaching. Many of them leave changed. That is the whole story.
“When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, Do you want to get well?”
Read in full on Bible Gateway →The Divine Retreat Centre, Potta, is the largest Catholic retreat centre in the world. Over 10 million pilgrims from all over the world have attended retreats here since 1990. It is an achievement possible only through the grace of God. The centre, which started as a preaching ministry, has now evolved into a home of love by the providence of God. It was founded by the Vincentian Congregation from Kerala.
The Potta Ashram was founded in 1977 as the centre to direct and co-ordinate popular mission retreats. It functioned as the headquarters and residence of the directors of the centre, Frs George Panackal V.C. and Romulus Nedumchalil, among others, who used to conduct mission retreats and visitations from here. A few years later, Fr Mathew Naickomparambil was transferred to Potta. Fr Naickomparambil was involved with propagating the Charismatic Renewal.
The Renewal movement that began in 1966 at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, U.S.A., was brought to India in February 1972. Fr George Panackal became impressed by Fr Naickomparambil’s sermons, which were the result of his involvement in the Charismatic Renewal. Fr Naickomparambil’s propagation of the Charismatic Renewal drew in thousands of people.
After a few years, a three-storey building was put up to conduct the retreats, primarily intended for the people coming to the ashram for further consultation from places where the Vincentians’ Popular Mission Retreats were being conducted. But as Fr Naickomparambil’s Charismatic Renewal retreats grew in popularity, the Potta Ashram itself became a centre for numerous retreats.
As the Potta Ashram was inadequate for the increased numbers, under Fr George Vempilly, the new director, a sprawling new site was acquired at Muringoor, on the banks of the Chalakudy River, six kilometres away from Potta, and Fr Jacob Athickal was tasked with preparing a new and more extensive facility, to be called the Divine Retreat Centre, Potta. At this new site, retreats were begun in six other languages besides Malayalam, including English, Konkani, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil and Hindi.
Since 1990, over 10 million pilgrims from all over the world have attended retreats here. Weekly retreats are held throughout the year. The Divine Retreat Centre, Potta, has two large campuses along both sides of the NH47 — one for the Malayalam retreats and the other for the English and other-language retreats. The Divine Nagar Railway halt was opened in 1996.
The retreat centre also houses several homes attending to the sick and the marginalised sections of society. These include the Divine Mercy Home for the aged; St Mary’s Home for destitute women, which also has a crèche for abandoned children; Samaritan Home, for school-going children aged 3 to 17; Shantipuram Care Centre, a home for the mentally challenged, started in 2001; a de-addiction centre; and St Vincent Aids Home, which looks after HIV-positive and AIDS patients.
