Carmel Retreat Centre

December 3, 2019 Author:

The Carmel Retreat Centre known as CRC at Manjummel was started in 1967 for the spiritual uplift of the Laity in Kerala State (India) by the St Pius X Province of the Order of the Discalced Carmelites of Manjummel. Manjummel is about 12 kms North West of the city of Kochi (formerly known as Cochin city) and comes under Eloor Muncipality.

Programmes at CRC

CRC conducts closed retreats of five-day duration regularly throughout the year for the Youth, married couples, children, religious and priests. Besides these, CRC also organizes prayer experience programmes, parish retreats, school-college retreats, vocation camps etc. CRC also conducts a day of prayer, Bible study and counseling which is opened to all (free of charge) on Wednesdays (between 9:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.) throughout the year.

The Carmel Retreat Centre known as CRC at Manjummel was started in 1967 for the spiritual uplift of the Laity in Kerala State (India) by the St Pius X Province of the Order of the Discalced Carmelites of Manjummel. In the beginning, this centre catered mainly the needs of the people of low income groups, factory workers, agricultural workers, non-organized workers, fishermen, self-employees, office staff etc. Thus, it was known as Carmel Retreat cum Workers’ Centre (CRWC). Irrespective of their religious affiliation people participate in the various spiritual programmes conducted at the Retreat Centre.

Carmel Retreat Centre was the cradle of the Pastoral Orientation Centre (POC) which functions under the auspices of the Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Conference (KCBC). Before it was shifted to Palarivattom, the POC had functioned in CRC for several years. Kerala Catholic Charismatic Retreats on regular basis had its beginnings in CRC under the leadership of late Rev. Fr. Sebastian Mundanchery OCD, the then Director of CRC. And the Retreat Centre has been conducting Charismatic Retreats since 1981. It was in CRC that the first Catholic Convention held and CRC organized a decennial programme of Evangelization which included Bible conventions, prayer experience programmes, closed retreats, parish retreats, leadership training, Bible studies for the people, and mission orientation for the Laity and catechists.

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