(Training for Human Empowerment and Developing Affective Leadership)
It has been our long-cherished dream to start a spirituality centre in our South-East India province as our Superior General Rev. Dr. Abraham Vettuvelil, MSFS himself personally encouraged each province to have one such a centre. The provincial administration under the leadership of Fr. K. Ingnaci Muthu, MSFS discussed and looked for a right place to start the spirituality centre and finally the administration decided to use the land at our substation our Lady of Lourdes Church, Ammayayakkanur in Ammapatti parish. Fr. A. Santhiyagu, MSFS who was then the councillor in-charge of formation, was appointed to start the spirituality centre. He stayed in the beginning at the priest’s rectory in Ammapatti parish and from there he was doing the preliminary work for starting the centre. First, he dug two bore wells and planted various fruit trees like mango, guava, jack fruit, banana, etc.
The province raised the funds needed with much difficulty and constructed the first phase of the construction which consisted of 5 rooms, one dining hall accommodating around 50 people, a kitchen, and a storeroom. Later, the first floor of that structure was completed with another 8 rooms, a conference hall and a library room. Mr. Antony Thobias was the engineer, and he did a wonderful job in constructing the house. The goal of our province to start the spirituality centre is to organize formation programs and spiritual renewal courses for the priests and religious and thus prepare them for effective pastoral ministry under various challenging situations. The work was supervised by Fr. A. Santhiyagu, MSFS who was the director and superior, and Fr. A. Michael, MSFS who was the procurator who rendered his wholehearted support.
The First Thedal Community
The first Thedal community was formed on June 20, 2020 – Oct 1, 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic to prepare the Novices for their canonical initiation into Novitiate. There were 13 of them and they had their preparation for three months. One of them left during this period on his own decision. The community consisted of Fr. A. Santhiyagu, MSFS was the superior and interim Novice master and Fr. A. Michael, MSFS was the procurator. After three months of initiation and preparation, the brothers went to Salesianum, Vizag on the first week of October 2020 to continue their Novitiate formation. After the Novices left for their Novitiate program in Vizag, Fr. A. Santhiyagu, MSFS and Fr. A. Michael, MSFS continued their ministry at Thedal, organizing various programs and helping the neighbouring parishes. As a community, we had morning prayer and mass in the morning and adoration or prayed the Rosary in the evening.
The Focus of the Spirituality Centre
The focus and the primary purpose of the centre is to offer formator’s course for priests and religious, organizing family animation and youth motivational programs. We also aim at creating a safe and prayerful atmosphere for those priests and religious facing vocational crisis and various addiction problems to have personal healing and spiritual renewal that they could resume their ministry and live their lives meaningfully with renewed spirit, vigor and commitment.
Programs offered at Thedal
As the goal of Thedal Institute is to focus on the needs of three groups, namely, the priests, the religious, and the laity, the following are the various programs organized: Formator’s Course, spiritual renewal course and on-going formation programs for Priests and Religious, family animation seminar cum retreats every month and conducting youth motivational seminars. The Thedal community also had organized the following programs from 2020 – 2025 as the needs arise:
1. Retreat and Monthly Recollection for Priests / Religious
2. Women’s motivational Seminar
3. Youth motivational and career-guidance Seminar
4. Leadership workshop seminars
5. Psychosexual and spiritual Integration seminars
6. Spiritual renewal programs for the religious
7. Preaching Parish missions / retreats for faith renewal
8. The fathers also go out to offer courses and seminars on spirituality, psychology and retreats.
Developments at Thedal
After completing the ground floor of Thedal, an inverter was installed in the year 2021, which was sponsored by one of the friends of Fr. A. Santhiyagu, MSFS. As the electricity in the house was irregular, installing an extra water tank to store more water became an essential need and so Fr. A. Santhiyagu, MSFS requested Fr. John Peter Arul, MSFS, serving in the US Vice-Province and he generously supported this project. He also sponsored an amplifier to have a better public audio system in the church. Similarly, an inverter for the church was sponsored by Fr. John Peter Ambrose, MSFS with the support of his friends, and As there were no public washrooms for the use of people who come to church and for the retreats, we made efforts and built six public washrooms behind the church with the support of a project from the diocese of Passau, Germany and partial help from the friends of Fr. A. Patrick Jayaraj, MSFS. During this period, a new gate at the entrance of the Thedal, a car shed, and poultry shed also were built in the year 2022.
Moreover, the first phase of constructing Thedal Institute of Spirituality with two floors was completed and it was inaugurated by Fr. K. Ignacimuthu, MSFS the Provincial, and blessed by Rev. Dr. Antony Pappusamy, the archbishop of Madurai on January 13, 2023. The project was supported by the SE province, MDO of the MSFS and mission appeal by Fr. A. Santhiyagu, MSFS in the diocese of Lansing. In the same year to create a spiritual environment at Thedal campus, a grotto dedicated to our Lady of Lourdes was built with the initiative of Fr. A. Santhiyagu, MSFS. He raised the funds from his friends in the US, our Fransalian priests working in the US, Germany and Brazil. The people of our substation Our Lady of Lourdes generously supported the project by way of contribution, sponsoring things, and statues like the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Our Blessed Mother. The grotto was inaugurated by Fr. A. Patrick Jayaraj, MSFS the provincial and blessed by Fr. Abraham Vettivellil, MSFS the Superior General on October 23, 2023, and officiated the Holy Eucharist. Fr. C. Arockiyasamy, MSFS, doing pastoral ministry in the US, sponsored in 2024 some flower plants to enhance the natural environment at Thedal. We are very grateful to Fr. Gus Tharapil, MSFS, the director of Wellspring serving in the US Vice Province, who sponsored two computers for the library at Thedal, and Mr. Yesu Belavendiran the nephew of Fr. A. Santhiyagu, MSFS sponsored the projector for the hall 2024. Fr. A. Santhiyagu, MSFS during his visit to his former parishes and friends in the US raised funds and installed air conditioners in four rooms in the year 2024. Fr. A. Santhiyagu, MSFS, with the support of Mr. Albert Fernandez, the secretary of the minority commission at the collectorate in Dindigual, took the initiative and deposited one lakh rupees as the initial amount to receive the government loan of three lakhs through minority commission. The purpose is to promote the economic welfare of the Catholic women in the parish. The superior along with the members of Thedal community follows up this scheme till now in identifying the beneficiaries and preparing the necessary documents. The fourth batch of Thedal community, under the leadership of Fr. P. Johnson Jayapal, MSFS, made efforts and installed solar lights on the campus of Thedal and built a small shed over house with the support of the province in 2024. As the number of people who come for the monthly family retreat increased, the community took the initiative to raise funds and bought some sixty chairs in the year 2024.
Succession of Superiors / Directors / Procurators
Fr. A. Santhiyagu, MSFS was staying at Ammapatti parish, and the preparation work needed to start the spirituality centre. He was looking after the construction work as director from 2018 2020.
First Batch of Thedal Community: Fr. A. Santhiyagu, MSFS – superior and director; Fr. A. Michael, MSFS was the procurator and the Novices (June – Oct 2020) from 2020 – 2021.
Second Batch of Thedal Community: Fr. A. Santhiyagu, MSFS was the superior and director, Fr. A. Michael, MSFS was the procurator, and Fr. A. Justin Dhiraviam, MSFS was residing at the community from 2021 – 2023.
Third Batch of Thedal Community: Fr. A. Santhiyagu, MSFS was the superior and director, Fr. A. Justin Dhiraviam, MSFS was the community member, and Br. Marshal Joseph, MSFS was the Regent from 2023 – 2024.
Fourth Batch of Thedal Community: Fr. P. Johnson Jayapal, MSFS was the superior and procurator, Fr. Chinnasamy Yesuraja, MSFS was the director, Fr. A. Jayakumar, MSFS was the retreat preacher, Fr. A. Justin Dhiraviam, MSFS was the community member, and Br. J. Joy Winny, MSFS was the Regent from 2024-2025.
Fifth Batch of Thedal Community: Fr. P. Johnson Jayapal, MSFS was the superior and procurator, Fr. Chinnasamy Yesuraja, MSFS was the director, Fr. A. Jayakumar, MSFS was the retreat preacher, Fr. A. Justin Dhiraviam, MSFS was the community member, and Br. P. Arnold, MSFS was the Regent from 2025 – 2026.