Vincentian House, Berlin, Germany (Retreat Centre)

Established. 2006
Patron: Divine Mercy
AD: Berlin

Address:
Exerzitienzentrum Der GoettlichenBarmherzigkeit, St. Clemens
Kirche, Stresemann Str.66 a,10963, Berlin, Germany
0049-30 51656664
0049-3026367698 (Fax)
vinzentiner@yahoo.com
www.vinzentinerberlin.com

• Fr. Peruvelil Kurian - Director, Retreat Centre, Priest in charge of a Parish
• Fr. Ouseparampil Thomas - Finance Officer of the House, Asst. Coordinator and Finance Officer of Vincentian Missions of the Province in Europe
• Fr. Thazhathuveetil Jose - Superior

• Retreat Centre (2007)

The Divine Mercy Retreat Centre in the Arch Diocese of Berlin started in the year 2006 with the intention of a city evangelization. This retreat centre is the fruit of the many retreats, that had been conducted before in the different parts of Germany, especially in Berlin, by Fr Jose Vettiyankal VC. To begin a centre in Berlin, His Excellency Cardinal George Sterzinsky, the former Archbishop of Berlin, was so happy to give permission to the Provincial Superior. The Archbishop inaugurated the centre in the presence of Rev. Fr. Varghese Puthussery, the then Superior General of the Vincentian Congregation and Rev. Fr. Jose Vettiyankal, the Provincial Superior of the St. Joseph Province, on the 3rd July, 2006. Fr. George Vadakkekara was the first director of the centre together with Frs. Thomas Ouseparambil, Varghese Chiraparamben and Tom Mulanjanany.

The highlight of this retreat centre is that the church is kept open seven days a week around the clock with perpetual adoration. Focussing on the city evangelization, the priests are always available for confession and counselling. The centre offers yearly, monthly, weekly and daily programs. Every year there is the 'Berlin Bible Convention', which takes five days and is associated with the feast of Pentecost. The Divine Mercy feast is also celebrated in due solemnity with nine days of Novena and the preaching of the Word of God.

On every first Saturday of the month there is a night vigil. Every third Sunday of the month a family retreat takes place focussing on couples and their children. Every second and fourth Saturday there is a Prayer Breakfast for the people who are living alone. It is a program of having breakfast together while sharing the Word of God with testimonies. Every fourth Sunday morning there is a Malayalam Syro-Malabar Qurbana and a good number of Malayalies are regularly attending that service. Every Weekend there is a regular evening retreat with mass, adoration and preaching of the Word of God. The centre is proud to have a vibrant association of the youth called 'Fiat'. Every Thursday they gather together for an adoration and mass.

Every day there are two masses and each hour the Divine Mercy Chaplet is being recited. The first mass is at noon and the evening mass is with preaching of the Word of God, followed by adoration. One of the fruits of this centre is that there are a good number of adult baptisms every year. Therefore we have an adult catechism centre with qualified teachers. The centre also undertakes outreach programs, where the priests go out and conduct retreats all over Germany. The priests here also help the nearby parishes for the masses and confessions. Hopefully the centre shall open a residential retreat centre, as an extension of this house, in the month of December, 2016, where at least 30 people shall be able to accommodate.