Novitiate House & Maria Bhavan

Nirmala Bhavan Novitiate House is a Formation (Novitiate) House of the Society of Nirmala Dasi Sisters where the candidates are guided in the canonical novitiate for one year. It is situated in Thrissur District, Thrissur Taluk, Nadathara Gramapanchayat at Mulayam Village. Mulayam is a small village, 10 kilometers away from Thrissur town, on the way to Palakkad. This house is situated on a hill area where there are several quarries surrounded. Important institutions near by are Mount Calvary Convent, Nirmala Generalate, Mulayam Parish Church and Major Seminary.

HeavenlyPatroness:

Our Lady of Lourdes, the feast day is February 11.

Strength:

There are 7 sisters as the permanent members in the house. There will be additional members where there are courses, seminars retreats classes for juniors are conducted. Week by week sisters come and stay in the perpetual adoration centre. This house is also an adoration house of the society.

Activity Details:

1.Canonical novitiate:

Candidates are formed according to the Charism of SNDS and the teaching of church for one year.

2.Perpetual Adoration:

Sisters are taken turns in order to get one week per sister for adoration. They take a leave from their scheduled work at their Centres in Kerala only and come and stay in the adoration centre.

3.Retreats Courses and Seminars:

Annual retreats are conducted thrice a year for different group of sister. Juniors classed and their monthly group recollection, Renewal courses for Jubilarions is conducted here.

4.Library:

A Library of the society with 2000 various books, Magazines, weeklies and periodicals are kept here.

5.Parish Ministry:

Our services are extended in the parish to the families ministries by availing ourselves for family visits, teaching catechism, conducting awareness Classes for women, and children etc.

Convent History

Starting In the beginning of the Society, the members obtained formation under the supervision of the Carmelite sisters. Early years, the novitiate house was at Athani where the society has a home and 3 acres of land near Thrissur Govt. medical College. Gradually society found the necessity to give formation by the sisters from community itself.

On 8th December 1981 we started novice formation in the newly constructed home at Mulayam named ‘Nirmala Bhavan Novitiate House’. In 1984 Society of Nirmala Dasi Sisters had given 2 acres of land freely to the diocese of Thrissur belong to the old novitiate House at Athani. In 1986 when Pope John Paul II visited Kerala, this place become the historical memory of His visit to Thrissur, and in this plot now a home is functioning namely Pope John Paul peace Home where 130 physically challenged (bedridden) patients are taken care of.

Society found that the real source and strength for the various apostolates should be gained from the power station of Blessed Sacrament. So we started a Home for perpetual adoration which started functioning on 19th March 1984 in this Novitiate campus. Initially sisters from different communities come for the daily Adoration. We started construction on 24th September 1985 for another building for accommodating sisters within the campus and started functioning in the year 1987. Now it is scheduled that each sister will get one week for adoration. Those who are in Kerala will come and stay in the adoration house and the sisters in the mission, find themselves a centre for adoration in our different communities. Maria Bhavan is a convent for old and sick sisters.

Source of Income:

Our main source of income is from the land cultivation and the financial support from Novice subsidy of CNEWA and CRI.

 Administration:

1976-1981 Sr. Cicily Vadakkan

1986-1988 Sr. Ruby Thanickal

1988-1991 Sr. Kochuthressia Muttamthottil

1992-1993 Sr. Celine Cheruvathur

1993-1999 Sr. Rosily Pidiyath

2000-2001 Sr. Rosily Theethai

2001-2004 Sr. Kochuthressia Puthur

2004-2009 Sr. Elsy Illickal

2009-2009 Sr. Elsy Kuthur

2010-2010 Sr. Lilly Kanatt

2010 May Sr. Elsy Moonjely

2011-2013 Sr. Alice Porathur

2015-2018 Sr. Elsy Chowallur

2018-2019 Sr. Liby Kalaty

2019-2020 Sr. Alphonsa Chirayath

2020-2021 Sr. Silvy Chakkalackal

2021- Sr. Sheeba Thekkumpuram