Catholic charismatic renewal is an ecclesial movement recognized by the Vatican. It was born from the experience of the stirrings of the Holy Spirit, a revival of the fire of Pentecost, the same that called to Pope John XXIII to convoke his brother bishops to renew the church through Vatican II. The Council completed its work in 1965 under the leadership of Pope Paul VI.

Upon the conclusion of the Council, the bishops entered a period of discernment about how to implement the renewal program proposed by Vatican II. Then in 1967 a group of students and two priests, members of Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, got together to pray and meditate on the Acts of the Apostles.

They made their retreat on the day of Pentecost, and they prayed in the same manner as the first disciples. They experienced an outpouring of the Holy Spirit and began to speak in tongues, to prophesize the Word of God and to feel the gift of healing.

The charismatic movement grew rapidly in the late 1960s and 1970s as a spiritual revival movement within Catholic and mainline Protestant churches. The movement was generally characterized by a close sense of community and by an openness to emotional expressiveness in worship and community prayer. Charismatic Catholics welcome gifts of the Spirit such as speaking in tongues and spiritual healing, but the presence of such extraordinary gifts is not considered an essential part of a charismatic community. It is estimated that more than 100 million Catholics participate in the charismatic renewal movement.

SCRC Convention to take place Sept. 2-4

Southern California Renewal Communities (SCRC) will host the 34th annual Catholic Renewal Convention, Labor Day Weekend Sept. 2-4 at the Anaheim Convention Center.

Well-known speaker and author Franciscan Friar of the Renewal Father Benedict Groeschel, who has been recovering from a serious car accident since last year, returns to the West Coast and to the SCRC convention with several talks, including "There are No Accidents --- In All Things Trust God."

"We Give You Thanks" is the theme of the convention, which ties in with the Catholic Year of the Eucharist.

"The Greek word for Eucharist means thanksgiving," said Jesuit Father William Delaney, pastoral coordinator of the SCRC. "Our focus will be on the Eucharist and on thanksgiving in the broader context of our lives."

The convention includes specific workshops for adults, young adults, teenagers, children and a young family's program. Among them are "Eucharist, the Eternal Thanksgiving," "Thanksgiving as a Lifestyle," "Bringing Christ's Peace into Family Conflicts" and many more. The convention also includes healing Masses, reconciliation services and Christian entertainment for the 10,000 people expected to participate in the convention.

"A growing young adult conference, teen conference and new format for the children's program make this a major Catholic event for all ages," said Dominic Berardino, SCRC president.

For more information or to register, see www.scrc.org or call (818) 771-1361.