Divine Mercy Retreat Centre
Mangalagiri, Pudukottai

Vision: living the kingdom values and propagating them orally through Good News  workers are the two main aims of the centre.
The aim of the Mission is first of all to imbibe deeply those values of the kingdom and through their lives communicate those values witnesses.  Thus the message is getting deeply rooted in the heart of Catholics and in the society they live in and could bring about an effective transformation through those values to bring about a change of Heart by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Mission that was realized in the past by the pioneers of the diocese are

• Rev.Fr. Xavier Arulraj (2006-2011)
• Rev.Fr. C. Xavier  (2011 – 2016)
• Rev.Fr. Kumar Raja  (2016- 2019)
• Rev.Fr. Michael Magizhan (2019 onwards)

Facilitating Moments of this Vision and Mission are

• Every Thursday fasting cum retreat 
• To celebrate meaningfully the feast of Divine Mercy Sunday: Jesus I Trust in you
• To conduct an imploring of the graces of the Holy Spirit in the context of a retreat thus prepare them for receiving the Holy Spirit.
• During Christmas time they plan and execute some welfare programmes for the deserving  cases
• During Lenten celebrate a three days’ retreat as a great feast of the Gospel.
• Conducting penitential services, prayers, retreats and healing services in the parishes on special occasions and feasts.
• In the near future the 4th week of every month during Friday, Saturday and Sunday a residential retreat would be conducted.

The Contribution of the Past Directors
Realizing the pivot importance of such charismatic retreats in a continuous way the then Bishop Yvon Ambroise allocated 3 arcs of land about 18 Km from Tuticorin with a lot of bus facilities stopping very closed to the center. To create this land as an important center of the diocese it was first made to attract the eyes of people.

Rev. Fr. Xavier Arulraj (2006-2011)

• The place was an unequal surface, full of thorns. It was a great chalange for him to take up the work and make it a home for retreat. He made the place with the help of the Gospel workers a smooth place and built a thatched roofing for the regular prayer services.
• He also built his residential place.
• He took the gospel workers to different areas of Tamil Nadu and trained them for such work
• Usually the Cathedral Parish used to conduct in the Sacred Heart Church premises a Lenten retreat for three days for the Town parishes.
• It was Fr. Xavier Arulraj who took that responsibility, promising  that the Divine Mercy Centre would conduct it in the future. Till today this is followed.

           
Rev. Fr. C. Xavier (2011-2016)

• He also built the residence for the Director.
• He built inside the campus some signs of visibility to identify the center.
• He built at the very entrance in a half circle arcade in iron inscribing on it Divine Retreat Center as a welcome sign. At the right side to the entrance he made a scene of Calvary and those who were at Calvary, and at the left side a beautiful grotto for Our Lady of Good Health.
• He built a very big church of our Lady of Miracles that could contain for about 800 persons.
• Every Thursday from 9.30 am to 3.00 pm. he conducted a retreat.  One particular prayer group would take the responsibility to conduct it in turn. The tradition that he started continues even today.
• Every month a night vigil prayer ending with mass in the morning was conducted. Further once in three months priests were invited from outside to give a retreat for 3 days. During the Pentecost a special retreat for three days was conducted.
• The Catholics may individually and personally adore the Lord and benefit by the graces showered on them he built an adoration chapel. Devotees use it for Intercessory prayers.
• He created collectively for the prayer groups a President, a Secretary and a Treasurer. Till today this tradition is followed.
• Every week relevant and soul-stirring sermons were preached. This attracted every week more groups and persons.

Rev. Fr. Kumar Raja (2016-2019)

• Along with the normal programmes he organized special retreats during Saturday and Sunday and other holidays for special groups. In three years he conducted more than forty such retreats each year.
• Keeping the culture of Divine Retreat Center as well as the other apostolate of gospel preaching the formation of the laity he created a structure called Divine Mercy volunteers till today all these apostolate are continuing.
• In three years the team went to 13 villages, visited them and preached the good news. In Tuticorin town itself he identified 22 prayer groups and created the solidarity among them and conducted the quarterly Retreats and for the Catholics.
• He visited several prayer groups and encourage them.
• He gathered all the prayer groups and in order to guide them in their work as well as to give them formation he made 25 recommendations (first draft).
• To create volunteers for formation of Charismatic groups he took some priests to the Retreat Center at Chalakudy to understand the ways they could be inspired by the Holy Spirit in their responsibility.
• He organized an intercessory adoration every month which would take place in the Divine Mercy Center.
• He circulated leaflets through which he informed the activities of   Divine Mercy monthly report.
• Every year he conducted more than 100 formative retreats  within and outside the Diocese. 

 
Rev. Fr. Micheal Mahizhan (2019 onwards)

• As soon as he took charge of the center he continued the tradition of conducting every Thursday fasting retreat but when it was concluded, a meal was arranged at the end as a new practice. This is to take in to consideration those sickly, aged and with specific problems like diabetes.
• Catholics coming from several parishes in Thoothukudi town could participate in the retreat.  Vans were organized both for the up and down trip.
• Through You Tube the retreats were made available for people from several corners of the world.
• Around the property he extended 450 feet to the existing compound wall which was constructed around the property. Near the water collection area in order to safeguard the land at the backside of the compound a strong steel hedge was made.
• There was a tradition of obtaining free electricity earlier but it was not followed up but he regained it and used to cultivate the land.
• As Pope Francis recommended an extraordinary missionary month of the gospel in October 2019, this was realized by the gospel volunteers who were sent to 50 villages to visit houses to conduct gospel meetings and thereby create a renewal through the gospel message in their lives.
• He conducted for Rev. Brothers and Rev. Sisters who were teachers some special retreats.
• In the Parishes the confession was well prepared to participate in it to renew their lives and become partners to spread the gospel message to every creature.
• During the centenary of the Diocese, to increase and facilitate retreats, a residential retreat center is being constructed with the help of the Gospel workers. So far Rs. Eighty Lakhs of work were down and it is on the process of completion depending on the generous donation of the faithful.

The purpose of this residential retreat center is to realize the dream and vision of the Diocese to be inspired by the Holy Spirit and to make the whole Diocese of anew which will function with the dynamism at work in and  through the soul-stirring activities of the Holy Spirit in the life of the faithful.

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New Text prepared by : Rev.Fr. Micheal Mahizhan
updated on May 22nd 2023