NEWS

 

 

News from the National Service Committee for Charismatic Renewal in Ireland

See updates below

At the 50 years Jubilee celebrations for Charismatic Renewal in Rome last year our Holy Father Pope Francis had this to say to us:

“Fifty years is a good moment in life to stop and reflect. And I would say to you: it is the moment to go ahead with greater strength, leaving behind the dust of time that we have allowed to accumulate, being thankful for what we have received and facing the new with trust in the action of the Holy Spirit.”

He has asked Charismatic Renewal to work towards establishing one new international service. At international level for the last number of years we have had ICCRS (International Catholic Charismatic Renewal Services) and the Catholic Fraternity of Covenant Communities. At times they have worked together, but as separate entities. Now they are asked to form one service. This process has already started, and the new service will be called CHARIS (Catholic Charismatic Renewal International Service). It will begin officially at Pentecost 2019.

If you would like to know more, visit the ICCRS website: http://www.iccrs.org/en/

Now this also means that in each of the regions of the world we are asked to look at our structures and reflect and discern to see what is needed for us to grow and develop so that we can serve more effectively today and in to the future.

Michelle Moran, who has just finished her term of office as president of ICCRS, together with Pino Scafuro, of the Catholic Fraternity, have been appointed by the Pope to see this transition process through, to enable the vision to become a reality. Michelle wrote in an issue of Goodnews: “Following our Jubilee we need courage to allow the Lord to renew everything. Let all of us play our part and do all that we can to herald in this new time of the Spirit. Let us welcome this new chapter in the history of Charismatic Renewal.”

For a long time now, we have had a National Service Committee for Charismatic Renewal. This has been composed of diocesan representatives and others who have represented an area of service. Now we are asked to form a new National Service of Communion to include all the different charismatic expressions – prayer groups, communities, ministries, activities, etc. – all the expressions of the current of grace that is Charismatic Renewal.

We share the same fundamental experience and espouse the same general goals. The common thread for the Renewal is the “Baptism in the Holy Spirit”, a life-transforming experience, often through a “Life in the Spirit Seminar”.

At the Olympic stadium, in Rome June 2014, Pope Francis made it clear what he expects of us. Among other things, he asked us to “share with everyone in the Church the grace of baptism in the Holy Spirit”.

So, we are organising meetings to pray, discern and share how we are to move ahead.

The first meeting was on Saturday, 10th November. This was an information day and leaders/representatives of many different charismatic realities that there are in the land attended. Michelle Moran joined us that day and spoke to us about what is happening.

It was a huge opportunity for us to come together as a unified community and pray though these changes, listening to the Spirit for the way ahead. We have heard for a while now that he is doing a new thing and we have been waiting for it – now is the time! Now is the time to build closer relationships and foster unity in diversity within the Charismatic family at the international, national and local levels.

We are holding further meetings for prayer and discernment.

We are now moving towards setting up a new “National Service of Communion”.

Our next meeting is on 19th October 2019. A number of Charismatic realities will be present  and we will be taking the next step in our discernment.

UPDATE

At the meeting on 19th October we appointed an Interim Group to discern the next step to take. This group is composed of four representatives of realities and four members of the National Service Committee. We will be meeting on Friday, 13th March, to pray and plan the next step towards setting up a National Service of Communion.