The Voluntas Dei Institute came to Kerala in the year 1992 and members of priests and married couples from Tamil Nadu joined in the institute. The leadership of the pioneer missionaries in India gave wider scope of the spread of the Institute and the family apostolate. The early emphasis was laid on the vocation to the families and vocation to the ordained ministers. God had blessed the Institute in manifold ways. In a short span of thirty years the Institute of Voluntas Dei has grown in magnitude and strength consolidating the power of the presence in the world as ordained ministers and married couples. 

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The Tamil Nadu region was erected on March 1, 2017. Fr. Joseph Sengol IVD was appointed as the Regional Director, Fr. John Churchil Bass IVD as the Assistant Director, Fr. Jones Cletus as the Council Member and Mr. Rex Lourdraj and Mrs. Poornama Jaya as the council members. The Tamil Nadu region has its headquarters in Madurai.  At present there are 25 Priests and 27 major seminerians and 77 married couples as members in Tamil Nadu region. The priests and seminerians hail from the states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telungana, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra. The Priests of the Voluntas Dei Institute work in the Dioceses of Chennai Mylapore, Chengalpat, Tiruchirapalli, Sivagangai, Madurai, Kottar, Kuzhithurai in Tamil Nadu; In the diocese of Ellur in Andhra Pradesh, in the diocese of Hyderabad in Telungana and in the diocese of Aisol in Assam. 

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At present there are :

1. 25 Ordained ministers or priests,

2. 77 associate members of married couples in India and

3. 27 major seminarians 

Our service :

The priests of the Voluntas Dei Institute work in the states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telungana and Assam in India. The members of Tamil Nadu Region have been missionaries in Germany, USA, Australia and Papuan New Guniya (PNG). We are engaged in parish ministries and secular ministries; Fisherfolk ministry, education ministry, social work ministry and youth ministry.​
 

Seminary in a rented house

The Regional administration had no place thought about immediately and so we temporarily stayed in a rented house along with the seminary community at Sakkimangalam in Madurai at Tamil Nadu. The rented house at Sakkimangalam serves the purpose of the seminary formation and the administration of the Region of Tamil Nadu, but has lots of difficulties and constraints. As the number of requests from the candidates to join the Voluntas Dei Institute is mounting very high we are not able to respond to them all positively due to space constraints and lack of accommodation for the seminarians.

Our Apostolate:

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The formation of the married members and the family apostolate is very vital to the Voluntas Dei Institute. We are finding it so difficult to arrange the formation programs for them in the rented spaces. We grow in spirituality through our Team Life. All the members of the Institute come together as Team to share and experience our spiritual life. Since the Tamil Nadu Region has no building of its own, it is unable to come together to form and to be formed. God has blessed our Institute with two great events.

 

Considering the importance of formation of its members, we have purchased a piece of land at Karumathur in Madurai district for the purpose of setting up a formation house and the Regional Administration Office and the Office of the Regional Director. Then we have purchased a land in Melur near Madurai district. 

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We have shifted our regional house from Sakimangalam, Madurai to Kazhugarkadai in Sivagangai district for the current activities. 

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Our major seminerians are having their education in Arulananthar college, Karmathur - Madurai, Good Shepherd seminery in Coimbatore, Capuchin Ashramam in Thiruchirapalli St.Joseph seminery in Manglore and Papal seminary in Pune. 

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A new Seminary will be built in Madurai

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Madurai was a center of activities and evangelization works of the Jesuit Missionaries who started the Madurai Mission. A permanent Seminary for our candidates and a place for the Family Apostolate would do immense good to the growth and activity of the Voluntas Dei Institute in Tamil Nadu and in the service of the Church in general.  Therefore, through this project proposed to construct the first phase of the Construction of Seminary and Familiy Apostolate for IVD Fathers at Madurai, Tamil Nadu. We are positive that we will be able to realize our dream through your generous support and prayers.

Financial Plan:

Though the Region of Tamil Nadu has lots of good willed people, self sacrificing ordained and married members and manifold activities witnessing to Christ and the Gospel values in the life situations where we live, we go through lots of financial constraints in meeting our various needs of the Institute. However, placing great importance on the formations of our members and the growth of the Institute in this part of the country, we are making lots of sacrifices and gather some money for this purpose.

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Therefore, we are able to share closer to 28% of the total cost of the construction of the proposed Seminary and Family Apostolate for IVD Fathers at Madurai, Tamil Nadu. We request your generous support in our project proposal and in our mission in the Church.

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