By Verghese V Joseph –
Bengaluru: The long-felt need of a dedicated retreat centre under the aegis of Bangalore Archdiocese will finally see the light of the day. Archbishop Most Rev (Dr) Peter Machado will inaugurate the Divine Mercy Retreat Centre at Our Lady of Lourdes Church campus in Cambridge Layout, Halasuru at 5.30 pm on Sunday. In the days to come, prayer meetings will be conducted at the basement and the complete infrastructure will take a while for completion.
It is indeed a proud moment for the Archdiocese of Bangalore as the dream of having its own spiritual retreat centre is being realized. On Sunday at 5.30 pm, the Archbishop will officiate the Holy Mass and bless, inaugurate and dedicate the retreat centre to the people of Bangalore Archdiocese for their spiritual growth.
In his message, Dr. Machado said, “The Divine Mercy Retreat Centre will aim at refreshing and re-energizing people from all walks of life from time to time. The retreats, conventions and different spiritual programs will provide the foundation for the faithful to absorb the various Catholic spiritualties in the practice of their faith.”
“The centre will be instrumental in transforming lives to make them effective witnesses to proclaim the Gospel to others. I am sure that transformed lives bear a powerful testimony to many people to come in personal encounter with Christ and Church. This will enable many faithful to grow in discipleship of Jesus and in providing ongoing spiritual formation,” the prelate added.
Conceptualised during the tenure of Archbishop Emeritus Most Rev Dr Bernard Moras, the foundation stone was blessed in the year 2015 and at that time many bishops had witnessed this program. The Bangalore Catholic Charismatic Renewal Services (BCCRS) of the Archdiocese of Bangalore provided ample support to the initiative.
Located right in the heart of the city and well connected by road and Metro services, the serene surroundings of the church campus amidst the hustle and bustle of city life adds to the beautiful experience.
The Divine Mercy Retreat Centre will help facilitate preachers to minister to the faithful through various programmes such as residential retreats, Bible conventions, Intecessary prayers, etc. The plan is to have a centre with two halls — one with 400 and another with 1,000 people capacity.
Rev. Fr. Arokia swamy, the parish priest of Our lady of Lourdes church, Halasuru and Fr Antony Prasad and Secretary, Archdiocesan proclamation and evangelization have extended a cordial welcome to all faithful.
Built at a cost of Rs 2 crore till now, the centre has been designed by Nikki Thomas Architects and the construction by Edwin Prabhakar. For now, only the ground floor with a seating capacity for 400 will be used for retreats. Accommodation for overnight stay, parking, etc in church grounds will be planned at a later stage.
Future plans include building of first floor which will be the actual hall for retreats and a separate multi floor building for accommodation.
According to architect Nikki Thomas, “The architecture is minimalistic. The plans are for a simple hall with a lower dining hall and an adoration chapel. Office and the residence solely for the Director is part of the first phase. The residential block for the retreatants is for a later stage. Restrooms and preparation room for the speakers and group are provided.”
“The architectural statement is made using plain curved walls transmitting a sense of embrace and welcome. The plain walls convey a sense of simplicity,” Thomas added.
The Bangalore Archdiocese has invited all to be a part of this celebration.