Alverna Ashram, Sulthan Bathery

The Provincial Chapter of 1975 requested the Council to extend Capuchin presence to the Malabar region. The Pro- vincial, Br. Hippolytus, entrusted the work of finding out a suitable place to Br. Alphonse. Br. K. T. James and Br. Thom- as Thumpeparampil helped him in this task.

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The foundation stone of the Ashram was laid by Rev. Fr. Joseph Plathottam, on 17th September 1975. The Ashram and the Chapel were blessed on 12th March 1978 by Rt. Rev. Dr. Jacob Thoomkuzhy, Bishop of Mananthavady, as a memo- rial of the 750th anniversary of the death of our Holy Father Francis. The initiation course started here in the year 1981 and was shifted to Portiuncula Ashram Kattappana, in the year 1986

 

In 1992, A1vema Ashram became the centre of Orientation Course. A new building was erected for this purpose under the supervision of Br. George Mekkara and it was blessed on 18th June 1992. It was reconstructed again under the supervision of Br. Kurian Chirapurath in order to provide better facilities to the students. The work began in 2002 and the ground floor was blessed in 2003. The construction of the first floor was completed and blessed in 2004. The 2nd and 3rd years of pre-postulancy also were shifted to Alvema Ashram from Bharananganam in June 2005. Later in 2008, the seminary was bifurcated and the first year of formation was shifted to Amalagiri Minor Seminary, Payyannur.