Some
weeks ago I drove from Dublin to Omagh, Northern Ireland. It was a
glorious spring day. The splendour and beauty of the countryside was
visible and for the three hours I thanked and praised God. I especially
thanked him for the outpouring of the grace of Charismatic Renewal
in Ireland. It is thirty years ago this year since the Charismatic
Renewal came into the life of the Church here. Praise God! There are
nearly five hundred prayer groups and eleven charismatic communities
to he found throughout Ireland and the grace of Pentecost has touched
and changed the lives of thousands from all walks of life.
During our Jubilee Conference we praised and thanked God and interceded
for the Jubilee Grace to fall upon the people and God answered with
an anointing. It was a precious time, many of you who were there will
remember that moment. You'll remember too the enthusiasm and celebration
that marked the new millennium and yet soon our dreams were shattered
with the onset of the Foot and Mouth disease, resulting in the cancellation
of National Leaders Day, our annual National Conference, the close
down of New Creation, (our Charismatic magazine) Charismatic Renewal
Services, and the loss of our full time administrator, Michael Healy.
All of a sudden our tools of communication with prayer groups had
gone and there was nothing there to replace them. The NSC were and
are aware of the necessity of an effective tool of communication and
that without such there will be fragmentation and low morale.
We rejoiced when we received a generous proposal from Charles Whitehead
offering us space in the Goodncws Charismatic Magazine. We decided
to accept this offer and believed it was a gift from God and a gift
to the Charismatic Renewal in Ireland. God had answered our prayer.
I am confident that the readers will find articles that will strengthen
their faith, renew their prayer life and make them bolder witnesses
of their Catholic Faith. In to-day's world we need to be constantly
learning and updating ourselves so that "we are equipped to live
life to the full and be able to give reason for the hope we have in
Christ."
We in Ireland arc living in a time of great change and challenge.
This often brings great fear but it can also bring new life and hope.
One has only to listen to our national television and radio stations
or to read our national papers, to recognise the cancer that is eating
away at the heart of our people. Ireland is suffocated by materialism,
secularism, consumerism, church and other sex scandals etc. It would
appear that Satan is having a field day, and that those who have remained
faithful have been silenced. It is now time to fall on our knees and
humbly intercede before God once again for the Grace of Pentecost.
Please, please pray for our Church Leaders that they may be bold in
Gospel Proclamation and that forgiveness and reconciliation may take
place. Let us persevere in prayer and not abandon each other in the
hour of need.
Brothers and Sisters while we might say Charismatic Renewal is struggling
with challenges and problems today, it is still indeed vibrant and
fruitful. Our challenge is to stay fully alive in the Spirit, allowing
individuals and groups to continue to mature in their relationship
with God and one another and bringing this experience into the life
of the Church. 1et us rejoice in what the Spirit is doing throughout
these lands and go forth with the courage and boldness of Pentecost
into the market place, remembering the power behind us is greater
than the task ahead of us.
Charismatic Renewal in Ireland owes a debt of gratitude to Ann Gibney
(Managing Editor) Dympna Sheenan (Editor of New Creation) Barbara
Byrnc (Manager of CRS), to the Light of Christ Community and their
many volunteers who gave generously of their time, talents and service
over the last 30 years. We pay tribute to their enthusiasm, dedication
and team spirit, which ensured the successful production of New Creation
each month and the running of CRS. May they receive the love and blessing
of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
During this season let us together pray Come, Holy Spirit, "renew
your wonders in this our day, by a new Pentecost." (Pope John
XXIII).
