EUROPEAN CHARISMATIC LEADERS CALL FOR PRAYER
FOR EUROPE
The chairman of the European ICCRS (International Catholic Charismatic
Renewal Services) sub committee, Nicol Baldacchino (from Malta) and
fellow members Charles Whitehead and Kees Slijkerman (from Holland)
are calling on the members of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal in
Europe to encourage prayer for Europe in preparation for the autumn
gathering in Czestochowa, Poland, which they believe will be a very
significant event.
During the meeting, which will take place 24th-29th September, participants
will say a prayer of repentance on behalf of their countries for the
historical sins of Europe and pray for God’s plan to come about
on the continent. The committee suggest people might pray the following
prayer: “Lord we confess, the sins of our continent, the wars
between people, divisions in your Church. We ask your forgiveness,
we ask for your Spirit, make us bridge-builders, give Europe new life.”
The theme of the conference is “Put out into the Deep”.
The conference is open to all leaders of ministries, prayer groups
and communities. Participants are requested to prepare by prayer and
reflection of the papal document, Novo Millennio Ineunte. The speakers
will include Bishop Joseph Grech from Australia, Bishop Stanislaw
Rylko from the Vatican, Kim Kollins from Germany, Charles Whitehead
from England, Nikol Baldacchino from Malta, Sr Hudo Dufour from France
and Matteo Calisi from Italy. Further details including registration
forms and prices are on the web: http://www.isidordata.se/akks/europe
and www.iccrs.org (different languages) and in a leaflet that can
be ordered from the Registration Office, ul.Sienkiewicza 60, 90-058
Lodz, Poland tel/fax 00 48 42 637 04 25
NEW ICCRS EUROPEAN NEWSLETTER AVAILABLE
Kees Slijkerman, is responsible for the European information newsletter,
which is available on-line free. If you are interested in receiving
it, go to http://www.iccrs.org/newsletter.htm.
If you wish to send him information for the newsletter or speak to
him, his address is Birkastraat 29, 3962 BM Wijk Bij Duurstede, The
Netherlands, tel: 00 31 343 578814 (office)
NEW CENTRE FOR MOTHERS’ PRAYERS IN SEVENOAKS,
KENT
Mothers’ Prayers, the prayer movement encouraging mothers to
pray for their children which was begun by Veronica and Sandra Williams,
two English sisters in law six years ago has now spread to 70 countries
world wide.
The Solace Community, which was formed a couple of years ago to help
run the movement, have recently acquired a new HQ in Sevenoaks, Kent.
Veronica, who had a warehouse business felt called to sell this to
acquire the property, which is a large seven bedroomed house with
6 ½ acres of garden. She comments, “Mothers’ Prayers
itself is run on donations and had no funds to buy the house and as
we prayed about it I realised the Lord was asking me to sell my own
commercial property. At this decision I felt such a flood of joy and
peace spread over me that I knew it was the right thing to do. It
would be the last part of my total surrender to the Lord”.
The key to Mothers’ Prayers spirituality is this stress on complete
surrender to the Lord and it is this trust in God which Veronica believes
is the cause of the rapid growth of the movement that begin with a
small group of mothers simply praying for their children.
The property needs some changes to renovate the house and the community
are appealing for anyone with practical skills who might be able to
help with the project.
An international Mothers’ Prayers Day has been arranged at Aylesford
Priory, Kent for Sunday 27th October 10 am to 6 pm. Day will include
Mass, prayer, praise and sharing. For more details of this and Mothers
Prayers generally write to Mothers Prayers, Star House, Star Hill
Sevenoaks, Kent IN14 6HA
TRUMPET CALL
The Maranatha Community are also behind a small campaigning ministry
called Trumpet Call, which encourages Christians to write to their
MPs and others to ensure that the Christian voice is heard in our
society by alerting people to issues that concern the Christian community.
The current information sheet has news about blocks to Christian broadcasting,
the rise in occult healing, an ongoing campaign against pornography,
and a call to speak out against continuing atrocities in Sudan and
Turkmenistan.
One of the most chilling pieces of information they talk about is
a consultation document which has been produced by the Lord Chancellor’s
Department entitled, “Making Decisions: Helping people who have
Difficulty Deciding for Themselves”. This has been heavily influenced
by the Voluntary Euthanasia Society which campaigns for euthanasia
and assisted suicide to be legalised for the elderly and sick people.
It specifically recommends the use of the so called “living will”
designed by the Voluntary Euthanasia Society to allow the starvation
and dehydration of people who are incapacitated. For full details
contact Trumpet Call, PO Box 29, Moston, Manchester M40 5AB
THE MEN’S WEEKENDS
A total of two hundred and sixty men attended this year’s annual
men’s retreats held at Woldingham School in Surrey (12th-14th
July), and Stonyhurst in Lancashire (19th-21st July). The eighty men
at Stonyhurst were so inspired by Fr Ernest Sievers, the main speaker,
a German missionary from Uganda, who spoke at both events, that almost
every single participant went forward for prayer and a new anointing.
At Woldingham too, participants were equally touched by Fr Sievers’s
passion for Christ, and his preaching on the Fatherhood of God. His
experiences of the power of God working in Uganda, gave the men fresh
heart to proclaim the gospel.
As a spin off of the annual retreats, men’s groups meet locally
on a regular basis for fellowship, prayer and support and in some
areas, men’s days are organised. In Edinburgh they have had monthly
prayer breakfasts for three years. Roy Hendy from the House of the
Open Door, last year went to Kenya and Uganda, to speak at men’s
conferences there. For further details and copy of the newsletter
contact The Men’s Weekends, The Open House, 4 Bulstrode Way,
Gerrard’s Cross, SL9 7QU.
CURSILLO NATIONAL MEETING IN BIRMINGHAM
One hundred and twenty members of Cursillo met at Selly Park in Birmingham
on July 7th for their national meeting. Speakers included the Archbishop
of Birmingham, Vincent Nichols, Mgr Keith Barltrop director of the
shortly to be formed National Agency of Evangelisation and Mrs Frances
Ruppert from Germany, the immediate past World Co-ordinator of Cursillo
worldwide.
Cursillo is one of the new ecclesial movements of the Catholic Church
aiming to form leaders in Christian living who grow through prayer,
study, and action to evangelise others for Christ. Cursillo is a Spanish
word meaning a short course, in this case a three-day course in Christianity,
after which small local groups meet regularly for mutual support.
An estimated eight million Catholics worldwide have now been on a
Cursillo course.
Steve Clark and Ralph Martin two of the early leaders in the Catholic
Charismatic Renewal came from a Cursillo background and in Britain
there have been growing close relations between Cursillo and Catholic
Charismatic Renewal and cooperation on projects. Stephen Fox, the
national secretary of Cursillo, is also on the organising committee
of the annual Men’s weekends, and there is a cross fertilisation
of speakers, at different events.
In Birmingham Mgr Keith Barltrop challenged Cursillo to use its
special gifts and expertise for the benefit of the wider Church and
help parishes find new ways of sharing the gospel and perhaps adapt
some of their programmes for parish use or for other communities.
WORSHIP AND MUSIC FORUM
The Worship For u m i s a n i n i t i a t i v e o f Catholic Charismatic
R e n e w a l to create a place of meeting for encouragement, worship,
sharing and the development of music ministry for the Glory of God.
It began a year or so ago as a result of informal conversation among
several musicians and those who lead worship to form some kind of
fellowship to help each other in their ministries. The first Worship
Forum met in May 2002 and was attended by 25 musicians, singers and
worship leaders from around the country. A small steering committee
was formed of Eamonn Pugh, Salv Lomanto, Marianna Baccelliere, Mike
Mulroy and Peter Moran to facilitate people coming together three
times a year. Over the year the group has put together a list of seventy
people involved in the music ministry in some way. The group are in
the process of identifying the gifts they have among them and what
needs they could serve in the wider body of the Church. They now have
a list of those who are able to help others. The Worship Forum is
still in the process of development as the musicians listen to God,
the Church and each other.
The Worship Forum is open to anyone involved in music, worship or
liturgy and it desires to encourage new expressions of Catholic worship
and liturgical music. The next meeting is November 2nd in Birmingham.
INDEPENDENT CATHOLIC NEWS WEB SITE CROSSES
100,000th HIT THRESHOLD
The Independent Catholic News Web site, which provides news stories
in this country and overseas received its 100,000 hit in July this
year. The web site was set up by Catholic journalist Josephine Siedlecka
in May 2000. The number of visitors logging on to the site have been
steadily rising, and she estimates they should have another 100,000
by the end of the year.
The ICN is run on a voluntary basis and was inspired by Tertio Millennio
Adveniente which called for lay people to become more involved in
the work of the Church. A growing number of contributors from around
the world now send in news and information and the site is often updated
several times a day.
The site is run on only one IMAC computer and over the past two
years running costs have been met by donations from Church organisations
and individuals. Those who work for it receive no pay, fitting their
work for the website round their day jobs. Those who might like to
be involved in the development of the project or make a donation,
visit http://www.indcatholicnews.com/
. You can receive daily news updates e-mailed directly to your mailbox;
the cost is £9 a month (15 euro) to help cover the expenses
of the service.
ANNUAL MEETING LEADERS OF CATHOLIC CHARISMATIC
RENEWAL IN ENGLAND
Sixty
leaders from most of the dioceses in England and representatives from
various communities and ministries met together with the English NSC
for the second year at Newman College in Birmingham 22nd-23rd July.
It was decided after the success of last year’s meeting to
make it an annual event, as it was felt important for leaders to get
together to share and support each other. Eileen O’Kane, vice
chairman of the NSC, who organised the event commented, “There
was wonderful atmosphere and a real sense of this being an oasis of
refreshment and people able to be themselves and relax here”.
One of the participants said she had been thinking of giving up her
leadership position because she was feeling so tired but after this
short time away she had fresh heart to continue and had a new enthusiasm.”
This was underlined by a word shared by Charles Whitehead, the NSC
chairman, who spoke about the Lord providing tables of refreshment
for his people as mentioned in the 23rd Psalm and importance of people
both looking for them and taking advantage of them when they came
their way.
Bishop Ambrose Griffiths, the bishop of Hexham and Newcastle and
the liaison bishop for Catholic Charismatic Renewal, gave the main
input and talked about the importance of ecclesial maturity and the
need for true collaborative ministry between the laity and the clergy,
which involved more than just “helping father” but a change
in attitude of mind and working together as partners. The message
that came through the words and pictures received in the time of quiet
was for people to step out boldly and to use the gifts of the Holy
Spirit that God had given them.
This year instead of people verbally sharing what was happening
in their diocese and groups, they were asked to bring with them short
written reports, which were then circulated among the participants.
One of the fruits of the meeting was a list of gifts and skills that
people or diocesan groups were prepared to offer to serve the renewal
generally. These were:
News from England
FROM GANGLAND TO PROMISED LAND
Those who have read “The Cross and the Switchblade” and
“Run Baby Run” and think powerful conversion stories only
happen to American evangelicals will be pleased to know that they
happen to English Catholics too. “From Gangland to Promised Land”
tells the story of John Pridmore, who full of anger at his parents’
divorce, slid into a life of petty crime and eventually became a full
blown East End thug by the time he was in his 20s. By a miracle of
grace he experienced conversion and later went on to become a tireless
evangelist for Youth2000, travelling up and down the country, speaking
about God and telling young people his story. His story is frank and
gritty as he shares about his experiences as a criminal and the mindless
violence he was involved in, as well as his struggles once he became
a committed Christian. He comments, “The change doesn’t
happen overnight, however. When I first found God, I still carried
on smoking dope, being aggressive and sleeping around. Slowly He changed
my life, but I still struggle, even today.” The book which was
co-written by Greg Watts, is published by DLT price £5.95 plus
£1.20 p&p available from Good News Books, 60 Wickstead Avenue,
Luton. Ideal book to give to young people who think Christianity is
for wimps – one word you would certainly never use about this
man!
THE ARC TO OPEN IN THE AUTUMN
Fr David Keniry who has been involved in Charismatic Renewal for
many years in the Birmingham diocese has been released by the Bishop
from parish work to head up a new centre for formation and teaching
in Coventry. The Arc, as it will be called, is to be a place of healing
and refreshment for those involved in ministry and a place where the
charismatic gifts will be used. The former convent in Potters Green,
which used to house the Faith Alive Mission Team, some years ago,
has been totally refurbished and will open sometime in the autumn.
Fr Keniry has had a sabbatical to prepare himself for this new ministry
which has been on his heart for many years.
SR MARIA NATELLA STEPS DOWN FROM ENGLISH NSC
Sr Maria Natella OP, the Dominican sister, who has been on the English
NSC for several years, has stepped down to concentrate more on her
work for her religious community. The Community, the Dominicans of
St Joseph, which is based at St Dominic’s Priory in the New Forest
near Lymington, is a new one seeking to return to a radical living
out of the vision of St Dominic of contemplation and preaching. The
sisters wear a full length traditional habit, pray the full office
and have a common purse relying on divine providence for their needs
rather than having paid jobs outside the community. While many orders
are having difficulty getting vocations, Sr Maria’s community,
despite being very small, like the Franciscan Friarys of the Renewal,
seems to be attracting a lot of new vocations. For further details
contact: St Dominic’s Priory, Shirley Holms Road, Lymington,
Hants SO41 8NH (See coming events for a list of their activities)
FIONA HENDY NEW MEMBER ON ENGLISH NSC
Fiona Hendy, the leader of the House of the Open Door Community in
Worcestershire, has joined the English National Service Committee.
She will be following a family tradition as her father, Roy Hendy,
the founder of the House of the Open Door Community was a member of
the NSC for a decade. Fiona has been one of the organisers of Network,
the network of younger English leaders to have emerged from the communities
and ministries of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal. She is particularly
known for her gifts in leading worship and the prophetic ministry.
YOUTH OUTREACH TO THE EAST END OF LONDON
SPECeast is a new outreach of the SPEC Centre, the Westminster diocese
youth ministry, based at All Saints Pastoral Centre, London Colney.
As well as their ongoing retreat and school mission work, the SPEC
Centre has sent Cleo Jones and Lee Caddick, two of their experienced
full time workers to establish a new base in Tower Hamlets in the
East End. The new community will be based at a former Infant School
which closed down due to the low attendance roll. SPECeast will work
with young people from all backgrounds and help with spiritual and
educational and social needs. Promoting racial tolerance and good
community relations is a priority and Cleo and Lee have spent the
last year in building relationships with the local community. For
more details about this write to 2 Lukin Street, Commercial Road,
London E10
LIFE IN THE SPIRIT SEMINARS FOR A SMALL GROUP
Katy Cobbett from Kent shares her experience of helping run
a Life in the Spirit Seminars for a small group. 
A year or more back Goodnews was asking groups to write about their
Life in the Spirit Seminars. We have just finished a 7 week course
using the Team manual and booklets developed by the Word of God in
Ann Arbor, Michigan. This is the fourth year running that we have
held the course through June and July in place of the weekly afternoon
prayer group at St Thomas of Canturbury parish in Kent. We advertise
it in the parish newsletter and on notice boards around. Our prayer
group averages seven people, and the Life in the Spirit seminars have
brought in several more people who were new to the Charismatic Renewal.
The course is led by our leader who is a parish deacon, and we had
two other local clergy speakers and two lay people. We use music tapes
for the opening 15 minutes of praise, including singing in tongues
for the last two sessions. On week 5 the taped music ran during the
praying-over for the Baptism in the Spirit. As we had up to fourteen
people participating we had two discussion groups, one led by the
deacon and one by myself. There was much daily prayer for all those
who came. I do praise and thank the Lord for the powerful way that
people were touched and for graces and gifts received. I write this
to encourage other small groups to put on a Life in the Spirit course,
trusting that the Lord will work powerfully to bring new people into
a deeper relationship with him.
NEW ARUNDEL AND BRIGHTON DAY OF RENEWAL TO START
With the encouragement of Fr Terry Martin, a regular at the Celebrate
Conference, a core team is being formed to plan a Day of Renewal for
the Arundel and Brighton diocese later in the year. More information
from the Goodnews Office.
News from Scotland
THE SCOTTISH MALTA CONNECTION
Forty members of the Maranatha community from Malta came to Scotland
in the 3rd week of July to help the Glasgow diocesan service team
for Catholic C h a r i s m a t i c Renewal launch their first street
outreach in the centre of the city. Eddie McDonald, the chairman of
the DST commented, “Ever since we took part in a street protest
against the Satanic rock singer, Marilyn Manson, we began thinking
about the importance of taking the gospel onto the streets of our
city.” The group, who have been praying about this for a year,
were encouraged by David McGill from the Risen Christ Community, who
used to do street evangelism in the early days of the Charismatic
Renewal. He promised to help with training and support. Eddie comments,
“David told us that the Lord would show us the date when we were
to go out, as he had done for them in those days.”
RESTRICTIONS ON PREACHING
Thus
when they received an email from Dr John Bonnici Malia, the leader
of the Maranatha community, offering to come to Scotland for their
annual evangelistic outreach, they felt that this was the sign they
were looking for and said yes. The planning of the outreach was more
complicated than Eddie expected however. He comments, “Because
we are now a multi-cultural society, there are all kinds of restrictions
about preaching about Jesus.” Eventually, however they were given
permission to hold the event but they were not allowed to hand out
any evangelistic tracts or preach the gospel message. Instead they
concentrated on singing, personal witness and a 30 minute drama, which
told the salvation story from Adam and Eve to the Resurrection. While
one group was out on the streets another group of people stayed behind
in the church praying for the success of the venture. Here the intercessors
received a word of knowledge to pray for the sound equipment in particular,
unaware that at the time the outreach team was having terrible difficulty
and were 30 minutes late starting because they couldn’t get it
to work. Eddie comments, “It was a reminder to me how important
intercession is to underpin all our activities.” The Glasgow
team learnt a lot from the experienced Maltese community and they
hope to go out regularly once a month this autumn. About 130 people
took part, including 25 members of the Risen Christ community. Eddie
comments, “I’m really pleased at this new link and working
together with David McGill and the Risen Christ Community. David was
responsible for bringing Charismatic Renewal to Scotland so it’s
great to learn from his wisdom and experience.”
DRAMATIC HEALING
While Maranatha was there, Dr John, who is very gifted in the healing
ministry, also led a powerful healing service at St Alphonsus Church
on the Friday night. Although it was the traditional Glasgow holiday
fortnight, and the organisers were worried about numbers, 500-600
squeezed into the church. About 25% of the participants were there
for the first time. One of the most dramatic healings of the night
was when a women who had been confined to a wheelchair for a year,
and who couldn’t stand without help, was able to get up and walk
around. Eddie commented, “There were several people in my own
prayer group who were also healed of various ailments, including one
bad case of arthritis in the neck.” On the Sunday, another day
was arranged at Christ the King parish. Here the Maranatha team did
their mime again and Dr John gave a powerful talk on the gift of Faith
and the importance of turning away from idols in one’s life.
Afterwards the entire congregation came forward to be prayed with
for a new release of this gift in their lives. Eddie comments, “I
realised listening to him, that nothing is going to happen without
this gift… and I need more of it.”
LIFE IN SPIRIT SEMINARS FOR DALMALLY
Prior
to the evangelisation outreach a small team from the Glasgow DST were
asked by the community which runs Craig Lodge, the retreat house at
Dalmally to run Life in the Spirit seminars for them. The community
which has a strong marian spirituality, grew out the McFarlane-Barrow
family’s experience at Medjugorje, a decade or so ago. This is
the second time this year that the Glasgow team have been to Dalmally.
Eddie comments, “With all these new links and bridges being built
with Dalmally and the Risen Christ community, as well as local ecumenical
links, I feel God is calling his people together because he is preparing
us for something. I also feel Ralph Martin coming for the Glasgow
Conference in September (6th-8th) is significant. He is a one of the
most prophetic people in the Catholic Church today. I don’t know
why but I believe he will have a word for us in Scotland that we will
need to take to heart and act on.” The Glasgow conference this
year will take place from 6th-8th September at The Cooper I n s t
i t u t e , C l a r k s t o n R o a d , G l a s g o w starting on
the Friday with an e v e n i n g meeting at 7.30pm and continuing
on Saturday and Sunday from 10.30 am to 5 pm. The conference is non-residential.
(see Coming Events)
CaFÉ HITTING THE SPOT IN DUNOON
The Catholic Faith Exploration process for small groups using teaching
videos conceived by Catholic Evangelisation Services is working well
in the parish of Our Lady and St Muns in Dunoon, Argyll. The organising
team began with the Alpha course in 2001. Then they followed this
with “Exploring the Catholic Church” talks by American,
Marcellino d’Ambrosio, and then a series on the Scriptures by
Australian Mgr Mark Coleridge. The group run Alpha for newcomers and
then for those who have done Alpha, a spiritual growth teaching video
on the same night. Everyone eats together and then the groups separate
into their different rooms to watch the appropriate videos. About
30 people attended the last course. The registration supper evening
for the autumn course is September 4th. See coming events. Mark Nimo
- speaker at Glasgow conference Dr John Bonicci Malia .
News from Ireland
NATIONAL CHARISMATIC RENEWAL CONFERENCE 2002
With last year’s national conference having to be cancelled
because of the foot and mouth epidemic, the loss of the full time
worker at the NSC office and the closing down of New Creation, the
national charismatic magazine, there was an element of doubt as to
what the numbers would be like for this year’s national conference
at the RDS in Dublin 21st-23rd June 2002. But in the event about 1200
people showed for the Saturday, the main day of the conference, and
well over 600 for the Sunday and the atmosphere and the praise was
excellent.
The speakers were Bishop Martin Drennan, the auxiliary bishop in
Dublin, who is the liaison bishop for the Catholic Charismatic Renewal,
Fr Pat Lynch who is the founder of the Sion Community, and now heads
up a new Irish branch called the Ceili Naomh Phadraig based in Knock
and Frances Hogan, a full time Catholic lay missionary and teacher
on the Scriptures, who has set up the Kolbe Trust to spread the Word
of God through video and television.
The theme of the conference was “Launch Out into Deep Waters”,
taken from the Pope’s millennium encyclical “Novo Millennio
Ineunte” which he has asked the whole Church to study and reflect
on. These themes were developed by the speakers in various ways. As
well as the talks there were two personal testimonies by a woman who
experienced an amazing healing and a sister who shared about her call
to the religious life. Goodnews was also officially launched as the
charismatic magazine for the islands and given full backing by the
Irish NSC as Fr Pat Collins CM urged all those present to subscribe
or take back copies for their prayer groups and to use Goodnews as
a way of building up the charismatic network and keeping people in
touch with what is happening both in Ireland and abroad.
NEW DAWN IN IRELAND
The
first New Dawn conference in Ireland took place a week later (4th-7th
June) in terrible weather in a field behind Resurrexit House in Co
Kildare. New Dawn has been taking place annually at the English national
shrine of Our Lady at Walsingham in Norfolk since 1987 where it regularly
attracts 2000–3000 participants. The bad weather and the difficulty
of transportation meant that numbers were not as high as the organisers
had hoped. They had to contend with a whole catalogue of difficulties
that had almost a spiritual dimension to them. It was a miracle that
the conference took place at all, particularly when at the last minute
one of contractors renegued on his contract to provide chairs - the
replacement ones only arriving two hours before the conference began!
This all helped, however, to create a do-it-yourself spirit as people
joined in to help and the morale of the people was in general very
high despite everything. About 200 - 300 people attended with numbers
rising to between 800-1000 for the final afternoon Mass. The speakers
included Sr Briege McKenna, who spoke on the power of the Eucharist
and warned against the dangers of New Age, and Fr Kevin Scallon who
led a powerful reconciliation service. Other speakers included Charles
Whitehead, the chairman of the English NSC, Canon Jimmy Collins, Fr
Chris O’Donnell O’Carm, Fr Jack Finnegan SDB and Fr Michael
Ross SDB. Fr Pat Lynch, filled in at the last moment when the person
who they had hoped to do concert couldn’t make it. He reprised
the amusing but effective presentation he had done at the National
Conference at the RDS on the papal encyclical Novo Millenio Inuente.
FACILITATORS’
TRAINING COURSE FOR FRANCES HOGAN MATERIAL
The Kolbe Trust who produce videos of Frances Hogan’s scriptural
teaching are running a Facilitators’ Training course this autumn
at the Emmaus retreat centre in Lissenhal, Swords, Co Dublin from
18th- 20th October 2002. “Come Back to Me” is an 8-unit
video course for groups based on the Parable of the Prodigal Son and
is tool for evangelisation and renewal. During the weekend participants
will experience the programme for themselves, learn to set it up and
run it with a group and also learn how to train others to give the
programme.
THE LIMERICK CONFERENCE
Emer Hurley Williams, the chairperson of the Limerick Conference,
encourages people to come and join them for their annual conference
at Crescent College Comprehensive, in Dooradoyle, Limerick from 11th-13th
October 2002.
With the message “Duc in Altum” at the end of his encyclical
Noro Millennio Ineunte, the Holy Father invited us “to go forward
in hope”. Last October we prayed and reflected on the themes
of this document, ably led by Charles and Sue Whitehead. The theme
of this year’s conference is a natural progression of this. How
do we go forward in hope, if not in the conviction that we are “Heirs
of God and coheirs with Christ” from Romans 8.17? We have invited
Fr Tom Forrest CSSR, a former director of ICCRS, who headed up Evangelisation
2000 for a decade in Rome to lead us in our reflection. Like the Pope,
Fr Tom’s advancing years have not dimmed his enthusiasm and zeal
for the gospel, and he always seems to be coming or going to some
corner of the globe to spread the good news. Those who have heard
him speak will remember his famous cry a la John Wayne “Let’s
Move it Out”, as he challenged us in the Church to take up the
call to evangelisation
He is really worth hearing so do come along and be encouraged! The
conference will open on Friday evening, October 11th at 7.30 pm with
a Eucharist celebrated by Bishop Donal Murray. Saturday and Sunday
will begin at 10.45 am and the days will be a mixture of prayer and
praise and teaching. On Saturday night we will have a healing and
reconciliation service (including the sacrament of reconciliation)
between 8 pm and 9.30 pm. This conference needs you to be there so
you can be missioned as “an heir of God and co-heir with Christ”
to live your baptismal call to evangelise.
NAZARETH COMMMUNITY TO HELP WITH GOODNEWS DISTRIBUTION
IN IRELAND
The Nazareth community based in Dun Laoghaire/Killiney area has
agreed to the request of the Irish NSC to help with the distribution
and promotion of Goodnews in Ireland.
The community are members of a worldwide network of covenant communities
existing under the name “Sword of the Spirit” and have a
lot of experience in promoting and forming lay christian communities.
It is hoped that Goodnews will be a means of helping bring together
these involved in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal throughout England,
Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Those in Ireland wishing to order Goodnews
for themselves or their groups should contact 
The Nazareth Community, with it’s sister community, Charis,
in Belfast is also involved in the Power to Change Campaign and appears
on the Power to Change web site as a contact point for those interested
in knowing more about covenant communities. In July the community
initiated a fortnightly prayer and praise meeting in Killiney, open
to all denominations which they hope will become a gathering point
for people in the area. They also plan to run like Life in Spirit
seminars this autumn as part of the Power to Change initiative (see
coming events) and are taking part in an ecumenical evangelistic outreach
in Dun Laoghaire on 29th September to which people are invited to
take part. For details of any of these events or to know more about
the community
News
September/October 2002 
