Fr Sebastian Kuricheal SDB, Provincial and the retreatants at the end of the Annual Retreat.
The Fourth Annual Retreat of the Province, which began on the evening of 8 December 2025, concluded on the evening of 13 December 2025 with the celebration of the Holy Eucharist presided by Rev. Fr. Sebastian Kuricheal SDB, Provincial. The retreat brought together confreres from across the Province for five days of silence, prayer, reflection, and spiritual renewal, centred on deepening their Salesian vocation and consecrated life.
In his introductory address during the concluding Eucharistic celebration, the Provincial expressed his heartfelt gratitude to Rev. Fr. Roy Antony Parackal SDB for generously accepting the invitation to preach the retreat. He acknowledged the effort, depth, and spiritual richness of the retreat conferences, noting that they had made the retreat a truly meaningful and memorable experience for all the participants. The Provincial shared that many retreatants had personally expressed their appreciation, affirming that the retreat was well organised and that the talks were thoughtfully prepared, touching the very core of Salesian vocation, identity, and consecration.
In his homily, Rev. Fr. Sebastian Kuricheal SDB underlined the importance of renewing one’s commitment to the Lord, emphasising that a retreat is not merely a break from routine but a sacred time to re-root one’s life and mission in God. He stressed that the days of prayer and reflection should inspire every Salesian to recommit himself wholeheartedly to the charism of Don Bosco and to grow in a deeper, more personal love for the father and founder, St John Bosco.
Reflecting on the saint of the day, St Lucy, the Provincial drew a powerful parallel between her total self-offering to God and the call of every Salesian religious. Just as St Lucy courageously offered her life in complete fidelity to the Lord, every Salesian, he said, is invited to renew his own total self-gift to God and to the young, living out his vocation with renewed zeal, faithfulness, and joy.
At the end of the celebration, Rev. Fr. Francis Kalariparampil SDB expressed words of sincere gratitude on behalf of all the retreatants. He thanked the retreat preacher, Rev. Fr. Roy Antony Parackal SDB, for his inspiring guidance, profound reflections, and pastoral sensitivity, which helped the confreres to journey inwardly and rediscover the joy and responsibility of their Salesian calling.
