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What is the Catholic Charismatic Renewal:
The Catholic Charismatic Renewal (CCR), a work of the Holy Spirit, is a network of individuals, Prayer Groups and Communities sharing the same fundamental experience of the Holy Spirit. In 1996 Cardinal Suenen (Belgium) wrote: “The Catholic Charismatic Renewal is a movement of the Holy Spirit offered to the entire Church and destined to rejuvenate every part of the Church’s life.” He also described the Renewal as a ”moving of the Holy Spirit” as “a high voltage current of grace which is coursing through the Church”.
Who is the Holy Spirit:
The Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Blessed Trinity; that is, three co-equal Persons in one God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit).
The Mission of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal:
Through deepening our relationship with Jesus Christ our mission is to witness to the power of the Holy Spirit. The goals are:
1. That the members be inspired with the spirit of Vatican II (Lumen Gentium) (Acts 10:44-46)
2. That a “New Pentecost” be brought to life in the Church (Acts 2:1-4)
3. That the CCR witnesses to the Holy Spirit through exercising the Gifts of the Spirit (Rom 12:6-8), (Eph 4:7), (1 Cor 12:14)
4. That the Baptism in the Holy Spirit be a way through which people come into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ as Lord
(Acts 1:5)
5. That, through Evangelisation, the CCR proclaims the Good News by entering into dialogue, witnessing to Jesus Christ, and being committed to “setting people free” (Luke 4:18)
History of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal:
The Catholic Charismatic Renewal began in 1967 with a few university students in the USA who had a deep experience of the Holy Spirit whilst on a weekend retreat. They experienced the power of the Spirit and a new personal relationship with Jesus. They also began to use the spiritual gifts (see 1 Cor.12:27-31) as a reality in their lives as ordinary Catholics.
The Catholic Charismatic Renewal spread rapidly throughout the world, coming to Australia in 1969. The number of people baptised in the Holy Spirit has grown steadily from a world total of 1% of all Catholics in 1973 to over 11% in 2000, or almost 120,000,000 Catholics.
New South Wales CCR State Service Team
Each State in Australia has a CCR State Service Team. There is also the National Service Team as well as an International Catholic Charismatic Renewal Service (ICCRS, Rome).
The NSW CCR State Service Team membership is nominated by NSW Prayer Groups and CCR members. After discernment, the appointees are approved by the NSW Conference of Bishops for a period of three years.
Its goals are:
To present Baptism in the Holy Spirit as a vital means through which one is empowered in the Holy Spirit, and comes into a new and deeper relationship with Jesus;
To foster the work of evangelisation in the power of the Holy Spirit;
To foster the reception and the use of the spiritual gifts (charismata), both in the Renewal and in the broader Church;
To promote ongoing growth in holiness in the people of God through integrating the Charismatic emphases into the full life of the Church.
Its responsibilities are in the areas of Pastoring, Teaching, Prayer Ministries, Unity (ensuring the Gospel is proclaimed with Jesus as the centre of unity, whilst recognising the richness of this unity in diversity), Communication, and fostering the CCR in Parishes.
The State Service Team is accountable to the Bishop appointed by the Bishop’s Conference, and to the body of the CCR in NSW.
The NSW CCR currently operate out of premises in Rozelle
Your current NSW State Service team is
(L to R) Michael van Ommen, Anne Marie Gatenby, Sally Worner, Vince Fitzwilliam
About this website
This website is a new initiative of the NSW State Service Team in 2006. It is intended to be a resource for the Catholic Charismatic Renewal in NSW. It is designed with a distinctly New South Wales flavour. The pictures you see throughout the website are snaps of scenes throughout the state.
We welcome any feedback you might have after visiting this site. As it is a resource for you, please feel free to let us know what else you may like to see or to have available on it. You may even have a typical NSW picture which could be used, as we intend to update the pictures from time to time.
Please direct all correspondence to the CCR Centre and to the attention of the Web Administrator.