An expected crowd of close to 10,000 spent the Labor Day weekend at the Anaheim Convention Center celebrating their "Trust in the Lord," the theme for the three-day, 36th annual SCRC Catholic Renewal Convention.
Catholics and those of other faiths, from all age groups and all over country, attended 40 workshops, liturgies, prayer services and a school of healing prayer. Keynote speakers included Walter Matthews, executive director for the National Service Committee of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal of the United States; Francis and Judith MacNutt, who conducted the School of Healing Prayer during the convention; and singer/songwriter John Michael Talbot, founder of the Brothers and Sisters of Charity.
In tracing the 40 years of Catholic Charismatic Renewal, Matthews also spoke of his own personal journey of faith and how he had wandered as a young student. His life changed in college when he attended a five-week charismatic renewal workshop. He prayed simply, "Lord, I have made a mess of my life," and joined the renewal movement; life, he said, has never been the same.
Matthews called on everyone in the movement to be "men and women of hope" and he spoke of the many changes in renewal today. Over 65 percent of those in renewal today are in Latin America, he said, and estimates indicates that 56 percent of Hispanic Catholics in the United States as charismatic.
Pointing to the positive signs of growth in charismatic renewal, Matthews said, "We are on the threshold of a new Christianity." Quoting Pope John Paul II, he said charismatic renewal is "co-essential to the life of the Church."
"We are called to build a culture of the Pentecost," Matthews concluded. "Let us be bold and let us be strong, for the Lord our God is with us."
Asked why she feels charismatic renewal is so important in her life, Renee Luna, from Claremont, said, "For me personally it is just a change of heart and a change of my whole being. It is reaching out to others and hoping we can touch their hearts and keep that fire inflamed."
Among the many young adults in attendance a large group from the Household of Faith Community, St. Columban Church, Los Angeles, was vocal about their involvement in renewal and its importance in their expression of faith. Declared RJ Salazar, 20: "It brings me closer to God and helps me choose the right decisions, and brings meaning to my life. I like the music and learning more about my faith, growing deeper in my relationship with God."
Attendee Mark Tolentino, 23, said that his grandmother founded the renewal group at St. Columban and he has been a member his whole life. "It's been a place where I could find sanctuary, get closer to God and even teach children to stay away from gangs, drugs, drinking," said Tolentino. "It's a place where we can have fun praising God, getting to know him, and make friends in a great atmosphere."
Noted Dominic Berardino, SCRC president: "We stay faithful to our mission of evangelization, and every year we hear wonderful reports of people reconciling with God, returning to the Church, and that's one of our key missions. It's the work of evangelization and so we've stayed faithful for our 36th year and God keeps us going."
Attendees Rufino Rodriguez, his wife Vicky, and their three daughters have attended the SCRC Convention from Temecula for over 20 years --- "since my youngest was a year and a half," said Rufino. "I live a good life and without the help of this, and someone who loves me upstairs, I wouldn't be able to make it. I can't ask for anything more than that." |