Our Story

The Xavier Retreat House is a spirituality center of the Goa Province Jesuits situated in a serene location in Baga, Calangute, Goa. Its picturesque location on a hillock overlooking the sea, with the light house in Candolim, creates a magical effect of nature that leaves visitors spellbound. The Retreat House has been providing a peaceful and tranquil environment for the past seventy-two years to people from all walks of life, be it the young or the old, laity or religious. It is this aura of serenity that has made the Retreat House a popular place for Retreats, Recollections, Workshops, Holidays, and Family Reunions.

The idea of the Retreat House was conceived by Fr. Adrian Le Tellier S.J of Belgium, who wanted to create a spiritual center that would provide a peaceful and tranquil environment for people seeking solace and inner peace. The Retreat House was built on a plot donated by Dr. Joãn Crisostomo de Souza Egipsy of Calangute and dedicated to St Francis Xavier. The construction of the Retreat House started when Fr. Le Tellier's niece in Belgium joined the Carmelites and donated the money that had been assigned for her dowry for the building of the Retreat House. She was later permitted to visit Goa to see the fruit of her gift when it was in the process of coming up. The Xavier Retreat House stands as a testament to the wonderful community spirit of those times, with the local residents actively participating in the endeavor. Parishioners voluntarily carried a stone each time they came up to attend daily mass in response to Fr. Le Tellier's pleas. By 1951, the Retreat House stood complete - a true labor of love and participation. The skills and materials used at that time have made it a timeless structure, with an aura of prayer surrounding the place.

Xavier Retreat House has proven to be a wonderful and inclusive space for people of all walks of life. The retreats and programs conducted have benefitted a diverse group of individuals, including religious, diocesan priests, women, families, youth, young professionals, lay adults, and even brethren of other faiths. However, over the years, the Xavier Retreat House suffered significant damage due to its proximity to the sea. The constant exposure to the salty air caused deep cracks to develop in the building, making it unsafe for habitation. The cost of maintaining the building also continued to rise every year, making it a financial burden.

In addition to structural issues, the rooms at the retreat house were cramped and poorly ventilated. Retreatants had expressed a desire for more spacious and self-contained rooms, but the 16 rooms on the first floor were not soundproof and the window frames were in a precarious condition.

To address these issues, a decision was made in 2019 to renovate or reconstruct the Xavier Retreat House. After the COVID pandemic delayed the project, work finally began in the following years. Thanks to the hard work of the Jesuits and generous donors, the renovation has been completed and the retreat house is now ready for use.

The new Xavier Retreat House offers large and soundproof rooms with modern amenities, providing a comfortable and safe environment for retreatants. The building has been carefully constructed to withstand the harsh seaside environment, ensuring that it will remain a peaceful and tranquil spiritual space for years to come. The chapel, once repurposed into cubicle rooms for retreatants, has been given a new lease of life as a spacious and beautifully designed chapel.

The official inauguration and blessing of the renovated retreat house and chapel took place on April 16th, 2023, with His Eminence Filipe Neri Cardinal Ferrão presiding the ceremony. The occasion was a joyous one, marking the culmination of years of hard work and dedication of the Jesuits and generous donors who made this project a reality. It is an important milestone in the history of the retreat house, and it is will provide a more comfortable and peaceful stay for all visitors for many years to come.