Friday, July 3, 2015

Sion Capuchin Ashram, Palakaad

 This is a friary and the church....in this area the Catholic presence is very small....the Capuchins were called to evangelizing work....the friars began preaching here....conducting retreats and charismatic preaching....today there are more thousand people coming only on every Friday....about 10 friars and priests sit for confession and counseling....45% of the participants are non-christians....who have changed their lives after hearing the preaching....many come because they find peach and love in the Word of God....
 Two weeks in a month they had a residential retreat....there are 220 rooms for the participants....so every month they have about 450 people making retreat....this place is beautiful and surrounded by greenery....the friars came about 25 years ago and now this centre is well known among all the religions...

 There are small halls where the priests sit for confessions and counseling....there are lay people who are trained counsellors who lend a hand to the friars.....there are about 120 volunteers again among them about 40% are non christians,,,,who serve here without any remuneration....poor people come here for spiritual solace and healing....most of them go back praising and thanking the Lord

 This Ashram is spread out on a 4 acre of land.....it is cultivated too....they have about 200 rubber plants....you can see below....this year they have stopped tapping the rubber plants as the rubber prices are very low and labour is very expensive....

 This is hall where they conduct preaching and celebrate the eucharist.....all around are the statutes of various saints....every devotee will find his or her saint.....

 There are two congregations who are helping the friars....they are decorating the entrance for tomorrow as the guardian celebrates his birthday....
 This friar had met an serious accident two years ago.....now he is alright and staying in close by friary.....
 The friars here are very happy ....it is a quite place....ideal place for reflection.....prayer and retreat....

 The director of the centre.....
 Calvary mount...people do penance here during the retreat....they kneel and walk up to the crucifix on knees....

 the office of the director.....he show me some items which people surrender to him after the retreat....these items are part of the superstition....once they hear the word of God ...they are moved to give up all bad practices....here is  one ring but it has many satanic symbols....

 The friary and the friars in the refectory......

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