Administration

St. Xavier Region- Administration

St. Xavier’s Region is a dependant Region under St. Joseph Province of Vincentian Congregation. The Congregation starts its first Mission in Tamilnadu at Adaikalapuram in the year 1962. The late Bishop of Salem Rt. Rev. Dr. V.S. Selvanathan was happy enough to invite us to his Diocese to look after a Catholic village, Adikalapuram, 160 km north of Salem. It was an underdeveloped area near the border of Karnataka State. Rev. Fr. Joseph Pampackal was the pioneer to our mission of Adaikalapuram. Gradually, the missionary activities of Vincentians spread to other parts of the state of Tamilnadu and the neighboring states of Karnataka and Goa. For the effective co-ordination and development of the mission centres in these states, they were organized under a Mission Superior on 19 March 2003. This mission was raised to the status of a dependant region under St. Joseph Province and named St. Xavier’s Region on 1 May 2007. Now there are 10 Houses and Centers in this region. The following are the houses and centers under this Region:

1. Adaikalapuram - Vincentian House, Denkanikotta, 635107, Krishnagiri Dt., Tamil Nadu.

Other than the parish at Adaikalapuram, we have a Tamil Medium Primary School, Unaided High School, Boys Home and 20 acres land, with stable crops. We normally conduct medical camps in the village.

2. Ambattur - Vincentian Ashram, 347 M.T.H. Road, 600053, Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

A Syro-Malabar parish is functioning here. There are about 120 families and 8 Family units with parish Council, Trustees, etc. There is regular Sunday catechism too. Pious Associations like Vincent de Paul Society, Mathru Jyothis, CYM and Mission League are established and are functioning well. Every day, intercessory prayers are being conducted. One day Conventions in Tamil (on Fridays), in English (on Saturday afternoons) and in Malayalam (on Sunday evenings) and Full day Malayalam Convention on first Sundays of every month are being conducted here. Special Programs like Pongal Bible convention for 4 full days, Prayer day for children on January 26th, Feeding the people from the streets every day evening (for about 50-60 people) are also the ministries of Vincentian House Ambattur.

3. Bengaluru - Vincentian Ashram, 29 Prakruthi Township, 1st Main, P.B. No 4326, Babusahib Palaya, 560043, Karnataka.

The Syro-Malabar Parish here has more than 600 families. On Sundays there are three Malayalam Masses in our premise and there is a Malayalam Mass in a nursing school called Faran. There are two regular English Masses on Sunday at 6 AM and at 5.30 PM and Tamil Mass at 4 PM. In the Logos Retreat Centre, we have regular retreats in English, Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada. 24 hour perpetual adoration and intercessory prayers are conducted every day. About 200 people are given meals on Fridays. There are one day conventions on Fridays in Kannada and on Saturdays in English. There is afternoon Bible convention on Sundays in Malayalam, Tamil and Hindi. The nearby St. Mary’s Syro Malabar Parish Ramamoorthy Nagar of around 160 families is also entrusted to us.

4. Chengam - Vincentian House, Thukkapet, 606709, Thiruvannamalai Dt., Tamil Nadu.

We have the parish with filial churches and stations, Tamil medium unaided High School, Boys Home and Ashram in Chengam. We are planning to start plus two course in the school. We have bought 3.45 acres of land in Chengam for the purpose of Housing Scheme for the poor. The construction of five houses is completed as the first phase of this project and planning to complete 10 more houses this year. It is a project to settle the scattered homeless Catholics in and around Chengam.

5. Denkanikotta - Vincentian House, 635107, Krishnagiri Dt., Tamil Nadu.

Denkanikotta is one of the flourishing Parishes in the Diocese of Dharmapuri. We have regular residential retreats every second and fourth week of the month. We arrange also Night Vigils and one day retreat programs for the faithful.

6. Elavur - Divine Mercy Retreat Centre, Gummidipoondi, 601201, Thiruvallur Dt., Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

There are Tamil residential retreats in the first three weeks. All the retreats are conducted free of cost. For the Tamil Night Vigil on first Saturdays, a good number of people are attending.  Out-reach programs like parish retreat and conventions are also preached by the Divine Mercy Retreat team. The Vincentian Minor Seminary for the St. Xavier’s Region is functioning here since 24 June 2015.

7. Hubli - Vincentian Ashram, Jnanodaya Retreat Centre, Gopankoppa, Keshwapur P.O., 580 023, Karnataka.

We conduct Kannada residential retreat in the second week of every month and Tamil one day program in the third Saturday of every month. 220 students are studying in the Polytechnic, which is in the path of development. We do our priestly ministries in the Malayalee community as their Chaplain.

8. Pungavadi - Vincentian House, 636141, Attur Taluk, Salem Dt., Tamilnadu.

We have the parish and a Tamil medium aided L.P. School here. The new parish church was constructed and blessed on 28 May 2015.Construction of a grotto is progressing.

9. Ron - De Paul Academy, Basalapur, Hubli Road, Gadag Dt., 582209, Karnataka.

The newly constructed School building was blessed and opened on 1st June 2015. There are around 650 students in our school.

10. Trichy - Vincentian House, Choriyampatti, Muthalwarpatti P.O., Madhurai Main Road, Opp. N.H. Office, Marungapuri (TK), Trichy Dist., 621305, Tamilnadu.

This place was declared as the centre for Tamil Popular Mission Retreat of St. Xavier’s region in January, 2013. Every first week of the month we conduct residential retreat for five days and one day prayer service on every second Saturday. Second and Fourth week of the month we conduct Popular Mission Retreat. We conduct some special retreats on holidays and Bible convention in the month of April/May. The Divine Grace Retreat centre is slowly getting known by the people.

Present Administrative Body

Fr. George Vettaparambil

Regional Superior, St. Xavier's Region [SJ]

Fr. Thomas Thoyalil

Vicar &
Regional Councilor

Fr. Varghese Thakarapillil

Secretary
Regional Councillor