By:  Smitha George

Palakkad,Kerala: A unique 6-day residential conference attended by 15 bishops and around 1360 priests, including world renowned evangelists has started at the Sehion Retreat centre in Attapady near Palakkad.

Sehion Retreat centre is the official retreat centre for the diocese of Palghat under the patronage of Bishop Jacob Manathodath .

The official inauguration of the conference was done at a mass celebrated by Bishop Joseph Srampickal, head of Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Great Britain  on July 30.  The program will be led by Fr.Xavier Khan Vattayil , founder-director of Sehion Ministries and world renowned charismatic preacher.

Participants of the Priests’ Grand Conference of 2017

Cardinal George Alencherry, Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church; Archbishop Baselios Cleemis, head of Syro-Malankara Catholic Church and President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India; Jacob Manathodath, Bishop of Palghat diocese; Varghese Chakkalakkal, Bishop of Calicut diocese;  Samuel Mar Irenios, Auxillary Bishop of the Major Arch Eparchy of Trivandrum; Raphael Thattil, Auxiliary Bishop of Trichur diocese are among the prelates attending the priests’ grand conference.

Along with Fr. Vattayil, the services will be lead by  Fr. Mathew Naickomparambil, founder of Divine Retreat Centre, Potta ; Fr Binoy Karimaruthinkal, director of Sehion Retreat Centre, Attapady; Fr Soji Olikkal, director  of Sehion Ministries,UK; Fr Reny Pullukalayil of Sehion Retreat Centre Attapady and Brother Benny Punnathara, director of Shalom Media Ministries.

The Priests’ Grand Conference was started in the year 2008 as a continuation program for priests who have previously participated in the retreats run by Sehion Ministries. So far more than 13,000 priests from all over the world have attended the Grand Conference.

The Priests’ Grand Conference of 2017 will conclude on August 4.