RETREAT FOR THE DAUGHTERS OF MARY HELP OF CHRISTIANS

Fr. Jose Parappully, director of Sumedha Centre was invited to facilitate the Spiritual Retreat of the Superiors of the Daughters of Marcy Help Christians (Salesian sisters) of the Province of Kolkata.

This retreat was held from March 5 to 11 at the Auxilium Centre at Kurseong, Darjeeling. Twenty eights sisters, including the Provincial and members of her Council participated.

Fr. Parappully organized the retreat around the theme “Retreat as a Lenten Desert Journey.” Participants had ample time to pray with the Word of God on the themes explored each day.

Participants expressed great satisfaction with the way the retreat was conducted. A general sentiment expressed was, “This retreat was very different from ones we are used to. It really helped to go deep into ourselves and also experience God deeply.”   

     

Sumedha Outreach - Retreats.

Director of Sumedha Sadhana, Jose Parappully, facilitated two spiritual retreats recently.

The first from December 4-9, 2016, was for another group (he had done a group earlier in October) priests of the archdiocese of Bhopal. This time there were 34 priests. The theme of the retreat was “Priest: Mystagogue & Doctor of the Soul.” This retreat was held at Jesu Ashram, on the outskirts of Bhopal City.

The second retreat from December 29, 2016 to January 2017, was for 54 sisters of the congregations of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (Salesian sisters) of the Province of Guwahati.

This spiritual retreat was designed as a desert journey modeled on the experience of Jesus in the desert (Mark 1, 12-13). It  provided the participants an opportunity to spend time in the metaphorical desert around the Word of God to experience “Wilderness & Paradise,” to encounter their “inner demons” and their “ministering angels”, to renew the love, the enthusiasm and the passion they had at the beginning of their vocational journey (Rev. 2, 4 ), to recognise their helplessness and surrender in faith and trust to a loving God who calls them to deep intimacy with him (Hosea 2, 16-17) which in turn leads to transformation of their self and their ministry in powerful ways (1Kings 19, 1-8).

Participants of both retreats described these retreats as “different” from what they had been used to and found them very useful. What they found most helpful was the atmosphere of silence and solitude that was created and the time they were able to spend in personal prayer around the Word of God, according to the themes of each day.

A similar retreat is offered at Sumedha Centre in May 2017. Registration is open. Contact sumedhacentre@gmail.com