The New Evangelization: How it is being served by the Catholic charismatic Renewal

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1 The New Evangelization: How it is being served by the Catholic charismatic Renewal How can we not give thanks for the precious spiritual fruits that the Renewal has produced in the life of the Church and in the lives of so many people? How many lay faithful men and women, young people, adults and the elderly have been able to experience in their own lives the amazing power of the Spirit and his gifts! How many people have rediscovered faith, the joy of prayer, the power and beauty of the Word of God, translating all this into generous service in the Church s mission! How many lives have been profoundly changed! (John Paul II) How is the Catholic Charismatic Renewal serving the new evangelization? This question was discussed at the April 2012 meeting of the national service committee, Catholic Charismatic Renewal Services of Canada. As a move of the Holy Spirit in the Church, we are serving the new evangelization in many varied ways as developed in the sections below. 1- Prayer meetings are the best-known evangelistic event of the renewal. Through praise in song and vocal expressions of praise and sharing of the Word of God in Scripture and prophetic messages, prayer meetings lead people to open their hearts to the heart of God. Often people will have a personal encounter and experience of the Lord Jesus Christ during a time of praise and worship. Out of that experience they will have their faith activated and come alive in the active practice of their faith and in service to their local faith community. 2- The Life in the Spirit Seminars continue to be a basic evangelistic activity through which participants are led into the basic truths of our faith and brought into a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and into a personal experience of the Holy Spirit the baptism in the Holy Spirit or the effusion of the Holy Spirit. This experience changes lives in many positive ways and inspires the participants to continue to deepen their faith journey. 3- Holy Spirit Retreats for Catholic Parishes: were developed to bring the benefits of the Life in the Spirit Seminars to parishioners who might not attend prayer meetings. The program is a modified version of the Life in the Spirit Seminar and is intended to appeal to a wide cross section of the parish community. It focuses on the Holy Spirit and the important role He plays in our spiritual life. Through inspired teachings, daily prayer and scripture reading and the action of the Holy Spirit, parishioners are drawn closer to Jesus and experience "new life" in Christ. The program is fully Catholic, rooted in Holy Scripture and supported by teachings from the Catechism of the Catholic Church. These retreats are conducted with the oversight of the parish priest and his parish team with the support of an experienced coordinator who arranges

2 for speakers for each of the talks. They have had great effect in British Columbia, Ontario, and in many other provinces. Further information is available at: 4- Holy Spirit Parish Missions are another way in which the renewal reaches out to fellow Catholics to share what we have experienced of our gracious loving God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Individuals are encouraged to continue in prayer, scripture, fellowship and the teaching of the Church as ways to keep growing in joyful expectant faith. 5- Masses and Services with healing prayer attract many people. For many people this may be the first encounter with the power of God bringing healing to spirit, soul and body, and having encountered the steadfast love of God they often go on to deepen their faith journey with Him. The Little Servants of Christ the King in Sudbury, Ontario are one example: As host parish for the semi-annual mass for those living with cancer, their caregivers and family members, which is sponsored by the little servants of Christ The King prayer community, Our Lady of Hope Parish on Brennan Road in Sudbury welcomed an estimated 350 individuals on Sunday, April 22 nd, Main celebrant and homilist Bishop Jean-Louis Plouffe was assisted by Deacon Victor Vere, who proclaimed the Gospel. In his homily the Bishop suggested that those who have been diagnosed with cancer, including himself, can be powerful witnesses to others when they realize that the Lord is present in all of this and if they can go through it with their hearts filled with peace, trust, confidence and hope. Plans are already underway for the Mass in the autumn, the date of which will be announced. 6- Parish Missions lead by priests and deacons from the renewal expose people to teaching and to witness of the acts of the Holy Spirit in the lives of people today. This in turn helps develop expectant faith in the lives of the participants. Group exercises are helpful as the participants experience simple ways of praying with and ministering to others. In this way participants are empowered in their turn to serve others. 7- Conferences and Days of Renewal provide teaching on many important topics, as well as ministry and the opportunity to fellowship with other Catholics. These all help participants to grow in their faith and in active service in the Church. 8- The CCSO Bread of Life Renewal Centre - The Power of the Holy Spirit in Your Life: The Bread of Life is a growing community of Catholic Christians around the world who promote a deeper understanding of the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. It is a healing ministry that believes in the power of the Holy Spirit to reduce and eliminate our pain and suffering in all its forms and thereby change lives. Founded by Rev. Dr. Peter B. Coughlin in 1975, still our spiritual leader, it was an early part of Catholic Charismatic Services of Ontario (CCSO). Today we have grown to include members around the world and produce two major conferences annually Our Day of Renewal each

3 September and new spring Healing Program in May. The Bread of Life was incorporated in the province of Ontario, Canada in 1995 and is a registered charitable organization ( ) in good standing. Their website is: 9- Our Lady of Pentecost Summer Institute: This annual event, held at St. Elizabeth Seton House of Prayer and St. Charles Garnier parish in Kelowna, aims at Discipleship and Leader Formation for Catholic charismatic leaders and the entire Catholic Community. Our theme in 2012 is Do Whatever He tells you. Our hope is to gather with Mary as disciples of the Lord, waiting upon the Spirit of God. It is here that we listen anew to Mary s challenging words, Do Whatever He tells you. Our positive response to those words promises to lead us from the sterile waters of our insufficiency into a life of intoxication with the new wine of the Holy Spirit. This year's institute will be held Aug , with Teresa van Kampen of the Alberta renewal and Fr. Gerald Sekanga, Fr. Cerlouie Jimenez and Fr. Bart van Roijen all priests of the Nelson diocese as speakers. The institute is sponsored by the Nelson diocesan service committee and endorsed by the B.C. service committee and all five B.C. bishops. For details: Prayer Breakfasts are held in Edmonton, Red Deer and Calgary. Edmonton holds Prayer Breakfasts every month on the second Saturday, Red Deer holds one per year, and Calgary holds one three times per year. Prayer Breakfasts follow a general format of lively praise music, a hot breakfast, guest speaker, and prayer ministry. The Prayer Breakfast usually lasts a whole Saturday morning. The guest speaker most often gives his or her own story witnessing to the transforming power of God in their own lives, but may also give a strong teaching or evangelizing message. The purpose of the Prayer breakfasts is conversion, encouragement, development of Catholic prayer communities, and fostering a personal encounter with Christ Jesus. 11- Light the Fire: offered at Our Lady of Victory Camp in Bentley Alberta. This weekend allows for parents and children to celebrate their faith together, to grow, and to be evangelized. Care is taken to keep costs very low so that even the large families can attend. The music ministry, speakers, and workers all volunteer their time and talents to make this weekend a success. Teenagers are welcomed to participate along with the adults in meaningful ways that validate their emergence into the Body as men and women. Light the Fire has been a program offered in May for the past 4 years. There is not one planned for 2012 because of the date of Pentecost this year but Light the Fire is hoped for in the year of Raising up an Army: A youth weekend for up to 140 young people (aged 14+) and chaperones to celebrate their faith together with sound teaching on the Church and everyday life issues. It is a time to celebrate the sacraments especially Eucharist and Reconciliation and to enjoy Adoration of The Blessed Sacrament.

4 13- Women of Grace weekends: Women of Grace is a Catholic apostolate whose mission is to transform the world one woman at a time by affirming women in their dignity and vocation as daughters of God and in their gift of authentic femininity. The website is: Men of Grace weekends: The website is: Between The Hearts Renewal Center: The Between The Hearts Renewal Center has been serving the Catholic Church from its location just west of Amherst, N.S.. It is centrally located at Highway #2, Fort Lawrence, one kilometre east of the N.S./N.B. border. The mandate of the Center is to serve as a center of spiritual growth for the Catholic Charismatic Renewal of Atlantic Canada, and for other groups who wish to use its facilities for similar purposes. It can accommodate up to 39 overnight guests in 13 motel style rooms, each with full bath. Other facilities include a small kitchen for continental breakfasts and break time snacks, a small chapel, 2 large classrooms, and 2 meeting rooms that can accommodate groups of 20 to 250 people. Website: Healing ministry: Many groups and individuals in the renewal provide healing ministry including inner healing, both formally and informally. This may take the form of prayer ministry after prayer meetings, prayer teams after special masses, healing services, and one on one ministry as the opportunities present themselves. 17- Unbound: Freedom in Christ is a calm, balanced approach to deliverance that arose out of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal. Neal and Janet Lozano, a lay Catholic couple, developed the methodology. They have been to Oakville, Ontario and other places in Canada to present the training and an Unbound Conference. The response and the results have been most positive. Also, numerous groups have taken the training and conference on DVD s. The resource materials are available from the Bread of Life Renewal Centre: Spiritual Growth Seminars and Spiritual Growth Weekends are proving to be valuable in the ongoing growth of those who take part. They also challenge the facilitators and speakers in their personal spiritual growth and maturity. 19- Bible teaching: The Great Adventure has been successfully implemented in a number of areas. Hundreds of thousands of Catholics have learned to read the bible through this system, which provides a solid foundation for all Scripture reading and study. The Great Adventure is a Catholic Bible learning system that makes the complex simple by teaching the story (the narrative) of the Bible. Every day, more and more people are encountering God's Word through the methods taught in The Great Adventure. Jeff Cavins developed The Great Adventure in 1984 when he realized that most people,

5 despite their strong faith, did not grasp the big picture of the Bible. Though they knew selected stories, they were not able to connect them into a full narrative. His answer was to identify the books of the Bible that tell the story from beginning to end. By reading just these 14 narrative books, a chronological story emerges. The Great Adventure Catholic Bible study system provides related materials that include video DVDs, audio CDs, and workbooks. Also available are Live Seminars hosted by our Bible study Teachers. Their web-site is: Couples for Christ: The best way to describe Couples for Christ is through our mission statement: We believe that God wants us to rise up in defense of His work. We believe that the family is a creation of God and no one else has any right to change it, its structure and its purpose. We believe that God s plan for all creation continues to operate, namely, to bring all things in the heavens and on earth into one under Christ s headship (Eph 1:10). Couples for Christ is a creation of God distinctly called to bring families back to the plan of God. Couples for Christ is called to bring the Lord s strength and light to those who are struggling to be truly Christian families in the modern world. In submission to God s will, Couples for Christ commits itself to this mission. Couples for Christ will serve wherever God brings it to serve, trusting only in His guidance and His power. Their Canadian website is: Public Stations of the Cross have been presented by the renewal in a number of cities Days of Prayer also involves many members of the renewal as the March for Life rallies. 23- Food for Life is a Catholic television ministry that reaches many people across Canada and beyond. Food For Life is a weekly Catholic and Canadian television program founded on Matthew 6:33: "Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you." The weekly telecast proclaims and teaches the Good News of Jesus Christ. Founded in 1984 by Fr. Bob MacDougall, (who ministered for many years with David Mainse and 100 Huntley Street) Food For Life is now hosted by Fr. Mark Goring and Kathy Ovcjak and features many regular contributors including Fr. Terry Donohue, Fr. Roger Vandenakker, Chris Keyes, and members of the Companions of the Cross. The program ministers to Catholics within their church traditions and culture, preaching the Gospel message using an easily understood "layman's" phraseology. Basic terminologies are explained and the program's focus is upon the Christian life from a biblical and Catholic perspective. 24- La Victoire de l Amour: La Victoire de l'amour est une œuvre d'inspiration catholique qui a comme but principal la proclamation de l'évangile au moyen des médias. La Victoire de l'amour produit et diffuse des émissions dont le contenu porte sur les valeurs humaines et spirituelles. Nos

6 invités sont bien le reflet de notre société; des personnes qui parfois sont tombées très bas et se sont blessées et d'autres qui ont été préservées des grandes turbulences et qui ont approfondi leur relation à un Dieu d'amour et de Tendresse. Tous ces témoins nous apprennent à bâtir une communauté véritable, là où règnent le respect, l'entraide, la tolérance et la solidarité. Notre programmation vise à rejoindre les gens de tout âge, des gens qui ont à cœur ces valeurs fondamentales. L'accueil réservé aux invités vous garantit des témoignages de qualité, de générosité et d'authenticité. Site web: The Companions of the Cross are a Roman Catholic community of priests and seminarians based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Our charism is Evangelization. The Companions of the Cross is a Society of Apostolic Life based in Ottawa, Ontario. It is a community of Roman Catholic priests, which is Eucharistic, Charismatic, Marian and Magisterial. It was founded by Father Robert Bedard and was approved in 2002 by Vatican City as a Society of Apostolic Life. The companions minister in various parishes in Canada and the USA and as university chaplains. 26- Servants of the Cross: Our Mission & Objective: We are a community of consecrated women called to spread the message of the Gospel through a dynamic evangelization. Akin in spirituality to the Companions of the Cross, we live this message in our everyday life as Fr. Bob Bedard, our Spiritual Father envisions. We stand on four pillars: being faithful to the Eucharist, being open to the Holy Spirit, being devoted to Our Lady, and being loyal to the Church s Magisterium. THE HEART OF OUR MISSION EVANGELIZATION: What is Evangelization? The challenge of a dynamic evangelization is two-fold. First, it requires our decision to say yes to being in relationship with Jesus. The second challenge flows from the first. When we say yes the decision must be to commit daily to a relationship that is personal. 27- YEO Youth Evangelizing Others: YEO (Youth Evangelizing Others) is a Charismatic Youth Group involving high school and post-secondary students. They meet weekly at the local Catholic High School for games, chit chats and praise and worship. Their out-reach is called ROCC (Rebuilding Our Catholic Church). It involves giving retreats to elementary and secondary students. Their outreach involves giving retreats to elementary and secondary students. These retreats are organized into grade levels and are loosely based on the Life in the Spirit Seminars but use the religious education curriculum for each grade to set the theme. The activity during the retreat includes skits, witness talks, games, small group activities, songs and four small talks related to the theme. YEO has also developed a very successful Confirmation program called R2R (Ritual to Relationship) that involves a weekend retreat followed by a number of weekly sessions. The focus of the program is to help those preparing for the Sacrament of Confirmation to do more than go through the

7 motions and to use the opportunity and the grace of the sacrament to deepen their relationship with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Again it is an activity - based program with older faith filled youth leading younger youth. 28- ROCC Rebuilding Our Catholic Church as noted above under YEO. 29- CCO Catholic Christian Outreach: We are a young and dynamic movement of university students and lay missionaries present on university campuses across Canada. Every day on university campuses we proclaim the message of Jesus Christ in a clear and simple way, with a constant emphasis on building leaders for the renewal of our world! Website: NET: NET stands for National Evangelization Teams. We are Catholic Missionaries who share Jesus' gospel message with young people in a team format. NET Ministries of Canada challenge young Catholics to love Christ and embrace the life of the Church. NET Canada recruits and trains teams to evangelize to over 28,000 youth every year in churches, and schools. NET's mission, to challenge young Catholics to love Christ and embrace the life of the Church, is accomplished by: a. Proclaiming the Gospel of Christ through a personal witness of faith b. Inviting young people to live for Christ c. Forming young people in Christian character through the study and practice of our faith d. Equipping young adults and youth workers with the ministry skills needed for evangelization e. Website: f. See also: 8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a 31- Abundant Life Seminars, also known as Growth in the Spirit Seminars: They help us continue to grow and mature spiritually. The nine seminars in this series cover the topics: Expecting More of the Fire of the Spirit; More Love Through Prayer; More Love Through Purification; More Power Through Charisms; More Power Through Community; More Power Through Service; More Wisdom Through Discernment; More Wisdom Through Vision; More Wisdom Through Hope. 32- Pentecost Vigils/Rallies: presented in many areas these rallies aim to make the Holy Spirit known and experienced personally by those attending so that in turn they may be more effective in living their lives as Christians and as witnesses to the Lord Jesus Christ. Some examples: a. Pentecost Vigil, May 26, 2012 at St. James Church, Calgary, Alberta. 7:30 PM praise and worship, speaker Peter van Kampen, New Pentecost Praise, Holy Mass, prayer ministry, coffee and social in the parish hall. Close at 11:00. Come for a very special evening of charismatic praise

8 and worship. This is to be a time of rejoicing in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit who shows us Jesus Christ, renews our faith and heals our souls. Come, Holy Spirit and renew the face of the earth! b. The Pentecost Vigil held at St Thomas More on Saturday May 26 at 7:30 PM with Fr. Stefano Penna, Fr. Andrew Bogdanowicz and Day Spring, C.C.R. Music ministry. For information: Come Holy Spirit. c. Pentecost Celebration, St. Matthew s Church, Saturday May 26, Fr. Augustine Obiwumma will lead us in Eucharistic Adoration, mass and homily with blessing after mass. The day begins at 10:00 AM with praise and worship with El Shaddai Music ministry. Come and bring a friend and join with your friends in Vacouver s Catholic Charismatic Community in celebrating Pentecost th Avenue, Surrey, BC. For info: d. Toronto: Saturday, May 26th 5:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m. St. Andrew Kim Catholic Church (North York) Don Mills Road North York, ON M3C 1W1 33- Houses/Centres of Prayer: Centre de l Amour: Il nous fait plaisir de vous communiquer quelques informations sur notre bel établissement et activités du Centre de l'amour de Plantagenet. Situé en campagne, à une cinquantaine de kilomètres à l'est de la capitale national du Canada (Ottawa), le Centre de l'amour de Plantagenet est un centre de ressourcement spirituel catholique et charismatique, à but non lucratif. Il y a déjà plus de 30 ans que nous accueillons pèlerins, voyageurs, ami(e)s et témoins de l'amour de Jésus et de sa misericorde divine. Il nous serait très agréable de vous recevoir pour célébrer, découvrir et vivre l'amour et la miséricorde du Christ dans une ambiance de partage, de joie et de paix. Site web: Centre de Prière l Alliance: '' Ma maison s'appellera maison de prière pour tous les peuples '' (Isaïe 56,7) L'Alliance est un groupe de personnes qui ont fait la rencontre de Jésus ressuscité et découvert ainsi leur beauté d'enfants de Dieu. En tant que catholiques, nous cheminons dans la vie humaine et spirituelle. Dieu nous manifeste tant de bonté, que nous désirons la partager dans la joie. Au coeur de notre mission, nous accueillons, lors des séjours de prière et de ressourcement, des personnes qui désirent vivre une rencontre personnelle avec ce Dieu vivant. Site web: Steubenville Atlantic: These youth conferences began with bus loads of Atlantic youth being brought to Steubenville, Ohio to participate in the Steubenville youth conference. The next step was to begin having the Steubenville speakers come to the Atlantic Provinces for a conference which has made it possible for many more youth to participate in and benefit from. Franciscan University of Steubenville s Youth Outreach Office (YOO) exists

9 to evangelize youth primarily through large conferences and events. Charisms of these events include evangelical preaching, inspired witnessing, and anointed worship all aimed at awakening the gift of faith in Jesus Christ. At the heart of the conference weekend are the sacraments, through which youth can experience the Father s loving mercy, forgiveness, and healing compassion. This experience will enable them to respond to the mission of rebuilding the Church and carrying Christ s love to the world. Franciscan University is also committed to providing resources for teens and youth ministers that will aid in their spiritual life as well as ministry. The 2012 Steubenville Atlantic conference will be held at St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, NS August 3-5, Steve Angrisano will be hosting the event; Mary Bielski is one of the speakers as is Bob Lesnefsky of the Righteous B. Ben Walthers will lead worship. For more information check the website: Books, CD s and DVD s: Clergy and lay members of the renewal have authored many books that appeal to a cross section of Catholics and indeed to Christians of other denominations. Also, excellent teachings are available on CD s and DVD s. These respond to Jesus command, Feed my sheep. 36- Music: The Catholic Charismatic Renewal has contributed a vast collection of anointed music, much of which is solidly based on Holy Scripture. Many of these songs have made their way into regular parish hymn books and congregational singing. 37- Spiritual Gifts Workshop: The Catherine of Siena Institute has developed a solidly Catholic approach to discern one s predominant spiritual gifts. This approach has been used in various settings: the renewal, in parishes, with deacons, with priests, with teachers, and in many other situations. The process tends to be very encouraging for those participating. 38- Compassion Ministry: 39- Jesus in the City: The very first Jesus in the City parade was held on Sept. 11, 1999 in Toronto where those in attendance celebrated 2,000 years of the teachings of Jesus Christ and recognizing the new millennium. 11 years later, Jesus in the City parade continues to be a major success in North America. According to the Festival of Praise Organization s website, the primary purpose is: To mobilize teams of praisers & worshipers to raise up a Godly standard in society. To restore the cultural relevance of music and the arts to the community. To encourage unity, lifting up one voice. To cause people to identify with God s Word drawing them to receive Jesus. Their website is: Schools of Prayer: Each prayer group serves as an informal school of prayer, both in the course of prayer and praise during the prayer meetings and in more formal prayer ministry where leaders teach and demonstrate to and mentor new members in prayer ministry to others. This learn by example and

10 by doing approach continues to work well in teaching and drawing new members into the ministry of prayer for others. 41- Association of Christian Therapists (ACT): The Association of Christian Therapists (ACT) is a Christian, professional, non-profit organization with strong Roman Catholic and Christian healing roots. It is made up of health care professionals and associates in physical, mental and spiritual health care disciplines who are committed to Jesus Christ and are open to integrating the gifts of the Holy Spirit into their lives and work. At this time the majority of the members identify with the Roman Catholic Church, however, the Association invites and encourages members of all Christian identifications to join in its mission. Their Canadian website is: The International site is: Covenant Communities: a. Bukas Loob sa Dios (Open in spirit to God) Bukas Loob Sa Diyos: "The BLD" The Bukas Loob Sa Diyos Covenant Community, normally referred to as simply "BLD", is a communion of families and a community of persons, called together as one people through a moment of encounter and a process of renewal, to a relationship of faith, hope and love with God. BLD's origins: "Bukas Loob Sa Diyos" is a Filipino name; in English, our name is "Open In Spirit To God." Our original name reflects BLD's country of origin, The Philippines. Today, however, members of the Community live throughout the world. A large number of members are to be found in North America, and call Canada and the United States home. The community is Roman Catholic in its essence, charismatic in its activities and faithful to the Magisterium of the Church. Each BLD District is under the ecclesial authority of the local Archdiocese. This ensures that all activities and teachings of BLD Districts are in accordance with official doctrines and dogmas of the Church. Website: A National Speakers List: National and Regional Renewal Service Committees exist at the request of our bishops. The mission of these groups is to promote and participate in the ongoing renewal of the Catholic Church, witnessing to the reality of Jesus Christ and the love of the Father, under the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit, exercising the charisms received through release of the Holy Spirit. 45- Websites: Web Links: Catholic Charismatic Renewal Services of Canada: Catholic Charismatic Renewal Services of Ontario:

11 Catholic Charismatic Renewal Council (Toronto): Saskatchewan Catholic Charismatic Renewal Services Inc.: Catholic Charismatic Renewal Services of Manitoba: Calgary Catholic Charismatic Renewal Society: Catholic Charismatic Renewal Edmonton: The Catholic Charismatic Renewal Services (CCRS) of B.C: Vancouver Catholic Charismatic Renewal Services: Bukas Loob sa Dios (Open in spirit to God):