PilgrimstaysThe Popular Mission Retreat Centre, Thuvarankurichi, Trichy was established in 2011. It is situated at Choriyampatty, Thuvarankurichi about 48 kms away from Trichy and 79 kms from Madurai in Tamil Nadu. The Popular Mission Retreat Centre, Thuvarankurichi, Trichy was declared as the centre for Tamil Popular Mission Retreat in January, 2013. New residential block was blessed by Most Rev Dr Antony Devotta, Bishop of Trichy and opened by the Provincial Superior Very Rev Dr George Arackal VC on 5th April 2014. The Vincentian House was inaugurated by the Superior General of the Vincentian Congregation Very Rev Fr Varghese Parapuram on 24 September 2011 and blessed by Most Rev Dr Antony Devotta, Bishop of Trichy. Fr Xavier Anthony Samy and Fr George Kunnampurath were appointed here as Priest in Charge and Procurator. Fr Thomas Thoyalil took charge as the first Superior and Director of this place on 21 May 2012. It is a spacious establishment built on 11 acres of land with coconut and mango trees in abundance. On the first week of each month a residential retreat is conducted for five days and one day prayer service on every second Saturday. Second and Fourth week of the month we conduct Popular Mission Retreat. Special retreats are conducted on holidays and Bible convention in the month of April/May. The Popular Mission Retreat Centre also known as the Divine Grace Retreat Centre is gradually gaining popularity amongst the people of this region. The Vincentian Congregation established the Popular Mission Retreat Centre to renew the spiritual ambience in the parishes through the rays of the word of God. Following the footsteps of that great Saint, the Vincentian Congregation has undertaken popular mission retreats in various languages. By the grace of God and by the powerful intercession of St Vincent De Paul, Vincentian fathers were able to conduct more than 250 retreats, between 2005 and 2018, covering most of the dioceses in Tamil Nadu. The Popular Mission Retreat Centre encourages the faithful to the love, mercy and the forgiveness of our loving Lord. Through the spreading of the word of God and through various sessions, people are drawn to the presence of the Lord and to the sacramental life. May the Lord pour His heavenly graces upon you to experience the power and blessings of the Word in your parishes.
The Popular Mission Retreat Centre, Thuvarankurichi, Trichy was established in 2011
Fr Thomas Thoyalil took charge as the first Superior and Director of this place on 21 May 2012
It is a spacious establishment built on 11 acres of land with coconut and mango trees in abundance
On the first week of each month a residential retreat is conducted for five days and one day prayer service on every second Saturday
The Popular Mission Retreat Centre also known as the Divine Grace Retreat Centre is gradually gaining popularity amongst the people of this region
The Popular Mission tradition — going out to people rather than waiting for them to come — is expressed at Thuvarankurichi in the outgoing parish mission work that radiates from the centre. The residential retreatants often encounter Claretian missionaries returning from or preparing for parish missions — the missionary energy of the centre is tangible.
The chapel at Thuvarankurichi has a particular quality of proclamation — the Word proclaimed, the Eucharist celebrated, the mission preached. The Claretian tradition emphasises that prayer and proclamation are inseparable: the missionary is fed by prayer and goes out to preach; the retreat is the feeding.
The Tamil retreatants who gather at Thuvarankurichi represent the ordinary Catholic community of central Tamil Nadu — agricultural workers, teachers, nurses, factory workers, and homemakers who have come for renewal. The Tamil language retreats create an atmosphere of cultural homogeneity and depth that is different from multilingual retreat centres.
The Tiruchirappalli area — in the Cauvery River delta, with its irrigated paddy fields, riverside temples, and the distinctive Rock Fort on the horizon — is one of the most beautiful landscapes in Tamil Nadu. The retreat centre exists in this landscape, drawing the natural beauty of the Cauvery Delta into the retreat context.
St Anthony Mary Claret — bishop, preacher, confessor of Queen Isabella II of Spain, and founder of the Claretians — was one of the great missionary figures of the 19th century. His image and his burning heart symbol are present throughout the Thuvarankurichi centre. His biography — a poor weaver's son who became an archbishop and founded a missionary congregation — resonates with the agricultural Tamil community the centre serves.
St Anthony Mary Claret used to preach missions that lasted weeks — in parishes that had not had a preacher for years. He would arrive in a village and the whole population would come. His preaching was direct, personal, and effective: people confessed sins they had not confessed for decades. His heart, preserved after his death, was taken to Vic in Spain, where it rests today. The Claretians take their name from that heart. The Popular Mission Retreat Centre at Thuvarankurichi works in the same tradition: go to the people, preach the Word, set the heart on fire.
“But if I say, I will not mention his word or speak anymore in his name, his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.”
Read in full on Bible Gateway →The Popular Mission Retreat Centre, Thuvarankurichi, Trichy was established in 2011. It is situated at Choriyampatty, Thuvarankurichi, about 48 km away from Trichy and 79 km from Madurai in Tamil Nadu. It was declared the centre for the Tamil Popular Mission Retreat in January 2013.
The Vincentian House was inaugurated by the Superior General of the Vincentian Congregation, Very Rev Fr Varghese Parapuram, on 24 September 2011 and blessed by Most Rev Dr Antony Devotta, Bishop of Trichy. Fr Xavier Anthony Samy and Fr George Kunnampurath were appointed here as Priest in Charge and Procurator. Fr Thomas Thoyalil took charge as the first Superior and Director of this place on 21 May 2012. The new residential block was blessed by Most Rev Dr Antony Devotta and opened by the Provincial Superior, Very Rev Dr George Arackal VC, on 5 April 2014.
It is a spacious establishment built on 11 acres of land, with coconut and mango trees in abundance. In the first week of each month a residential retreat is conducted for five days, and there is a one-day prayer service on every second Saturday. In the second and fourth weeks of the month, the Popular Mission Retreat is conducted. Special retreats are conducted on holidays, and a Bible convention is held in the month of April or May.
The Popular Mission Retreat Centre, also known as the Divine Grace Retreat Centre, is gradually gaining popularity amongst the people of this region. The Vincentian Congregation established the Centre to renew the spiritual ambience in the parishes through the rays of the word of God. Following in the footsteps of that great saint, the Congregation has undertaken popular mission retreats in various languages. By the grace of God and by the powerful intercession of St Vincent de Paul, the Vincentian fathers were able to conduct more than 250 retreats between 2005 and 2018, covering most of the dioceses in Tamil Nadu.
The Popular Mission Retreat Centre encourages the faithful towards the love, mercy and forgiveness of our loving Lord. Through the spreading of the word of God and through various sessions, people are drawn to the presence of the Lord and to the sacramental life. May the Lord pour His heavenly graces upon you to experience the power and blessings of the Word in your parishes.
