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News News from the British Isles and around the world
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English News YOUNG PEOPLE FROM OTHER COUNTRIES BRINGING LIFE TO THE CCR IN LONDON Twenty people, leaders of some of the main foreign language prayer groups and communities in London, met with Michelle Moran and members of the English National Service Committee at St Joseph’s Church in Highgate on Saturday, 3rd March this year. Over the last few years due to increased immigration from Eastern Europe, India and Latin America, there has been a huge rise in the number of practising Catholics coming to the capital, particularly catholic charismatics and new groups and communities have been springing up all over the city. The day was an opportunity to find out what people are doing. It was remarkable that many of those present were young and bursting with ideas and energy particularly in the area of the mass media. Jorge Negrete from the Spanish speaking Latin American community who belongs to the missionerios de Jesus, has already successfully been using local Spanish speaking community radio programmes to advertise the events he has been organising. The last of these attracted 1000 people and he plans to bring a well known Charismatic couple from Latin America to Britain this June. For further details contact Goodnews Office Other projects included setting up a TV station on the internet to broadcast Catholic programmes in different languages. This is the brain child of Dominik Tarczynski from Poland, who is already co-operating with a Polish language internet commercial radio station where he presents a Christian gospel show. Shalom, one of the biggest and best known of the Brazilian covenant communities also has an embryonic community in London which meets at St Patrick’s, Soho Square on Saturday afternoons after the 4pm Brazilian Mass. About 70, mainly young people, gather each week. At the moment the prayer is in Portuguese but they are planning to open an English speaking group shortly so they can reach out to locals. Already there are some foreigners attending Shalom, as the community provides translation for visitors. Simon Maduekewe the leader of a mainly African group based at Christ the King at Thornton Heath in South London, has just completed the Life in the Spirit seminars for about 50 people. This has been a great success. In East London the Mallyallam speaking community from Kerala in India are organising a popular all night monthly vigil which regularly attracts about 70 people says Joseph Dasan, part of the organising team. He is also involved in Prayer for London, an intercession mission which has its own web site and is based at Our Lady of Assumption Church in Warwick Street. CCR 40th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS IN THE NORTH Over 500 people, 200 more than expected, crammed the chapel at Trinity and All Saints College for the celebration day held in the north of England to mark the 40th anniversary of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal. The date was exactly 40 years since the Duquesne weekend which is generally acknowledged as one of the key events launching CCR into the Roman Catholic church, when a group of Roman Catholic university students were baptised in the spirit during a retreat. The day was a time of celebration and meeting up with old friends, people who maybe hadn’t seen each other for years, coming as they did from all parts of the north of England. There were groups from as far as Hexham and Newcastle, Preston and Southport who had organised coaches. Input was from Archie Cameron and Fr Jim McManus CSsR, Fr Chris Thomas and Pat Kennedy. The music ministry was led by Chris Power, Gerry Markland and Fiona Hendy. There were also testimonies by Pauline McDougal from Southport, Mike Davies from Rochdale and Anna Cowell, who works for the Leeds diocese. They shared how Baptism in the Spirit had changed their lives. WESTMINSTER 40TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS FOR CCR
The Westminster Day will feature inputs by Fr Raniero Cantalamessa OFM Cap, the papal preacher, Dorothy and Kevin Ranaghan from the “People of Praise” community in the USA who have been leaders of the CCR since the beginning. There will also be other short testimonies and inputs as well as Mass celebrated at 12.30 by Cardinal Cormac Murphy O’Connor. The day begins at 11.30 and finishes at 4.30. Tea, coffee and snacks will be available at Westminster Cathedral Hall. 40TH ANNIVERSARY of CCR LONDON YOUTH EVENT In the evening of May 5th to complement the anniversary celebrations during the day there will be a special youth event at the Emmanuel Centre in Masham street with praise and worship and drama, organised by Neal Hughes, from the Sion Community, who has just been elected onto the English National Service Committee. Please contact Sion Community on (01277) 215011. NEW MEMBERS OF THE ENGLISH NSC Three new members have been elected to the English National Service Committee this year. They are Emily Davis who works for CASE, the Catholic Agency to Support Evangelisation, Dominique Ferry, the leader of the Chemin Neuf Community in England, who is French, and as youth representative, Neil Hughes from the Sion Community. In future issues of Goodnews we will feature interviews with them so you will know more about them. They replace Peter Moran, Alice Hall (who is currently in the United States studying at Steubenville) and Simon Penhaligan, who is studying for the priesthood at Oscott. Thank you Peter, Alice and Simon for all your hard work and welcome Emily, Dominique and Neil. (you can read about the Chemin Neuf community on page 22). GLOBAL DAY OF PRAYER ON PENTECOST SUNDAY at WEST HAM FOOTBALL STADIUM – ALL INVITED Ex Muslim Pentecostal leader, Dr Jonathan Oloyede from Glory House in East London (see page 8 for his interview and vision) has spearheaded an ecumenical coalition which includes all the main denominations in London, who have hired West Ham Football Stadium for Pentecost Sunday for a huge celebration afternoon of praise, worship and prayer. Mgr John Armitage the Vicar General of the Brentwood diocese, is part of the organising committee which is being headed up by the Anglican bishop of Barking. It promises to be a wonderful event and a perfect way of celebrating Pentecost. Tickets for the event are ?3 each and can be obtained by ringing the hotline 0870 1122700, or by booking online at www.gdoplondon.com WOMEN HEALED OF DEAFNESS AT CHARISM SCHOOL Over 200 people from all over the UK and even a priest from Poland, attended the Cor et Lumen Christi Charism school in their home parish in Chertsey in March this year. Due to a double booking the miracle healing service, which is part of the school, was held in the parish church of St Anne’s. Here over 400 people packed the church, overflowing into the aisles and even onto the sanctuary. Forty people filled in forms to say they had received some sort of physical healing. Among these was one lady who was a participant of the charism school. She had been wearing a big hearing aid on both ears for the last ten years but on a word of command during the healing service, she was healed. She gave witness during the evening service to prove this and followed the rest of the course without using her hearing aids. Parish priest Fr Peter Beardsley and his assistant priest both attended the evening service and commented on how moving they found it. Damian commented, “It was a marvellous evening and even more special because it was in our own backyard.” TV producer, Roger Bolton, is in the process of making a television documentary about the healing ministry of Damian and the community and will be filming the Catholic Miracle Rally that will take place over the last weekend of June a the Friends Meeting House (23rd-24th June 2007). See Noticeboard for contact details. MOTORWAY PRAYER In recent years a novel way of praying for our cities has emerged – people travelling in their cars round the perimeters of a particular city praying for it. In London every so often, the London Day of Renewal hires a coach, and up to 50 people from the London Day of Renewal travel round the M25 for 5 hours or so praying for the capital. The idea has spread to the north of England and 7 times a year Pat Ferry and a group from the Manchester area travel in cars round the motorway round the city there. The idea it seems has spread to both Carlisle and Glasgow and Swansea. For further details contact Goodnews Office.
Irish News TOTAL BEGINNERS PRAY FOR HEALING IN GALWAY About 180 people attended a charism training weekend in Galway Town, held at St Enda’s College 9th-11th March 2007. This idea of body ministry - teaching and encouraging people to practically minister the charisms was first done in the early days of the CCR by Fr Bob de Grandis in the 1970s and in more recent years Damian Stayne from the Cor et Lumen Christi community has popularised the idea of charism schools. The Galway charism weekend was led by Fr Francis Cotter and Fr Damian Ryan. The music was provided by the music ministry from Sligo. “They were wonderful,” said Breda McDonagh, the chairwoman of the organising committee. There was teaching on all the gifts of the Holy Spirit but a particular emphasis on the healing ministry. Fr Damian emphasised the importance of getting back to the integrity of the healing ministry. This was followed by a time of questions when people could ask about any of their dilemmas or difficulties with this ministry. Breda was delighted at the day. She commented, “Over 100 of the 180 people who attended had never prayed with anyone before, and thus it was truly a school for them. Fr Francis Cotter in his presentation underlined that it was God who heals and that helped take away people’s fear. They realised all they had to do was to lay hands and intercede and let God do the rest.” The participants were divided into groups of 5, with one experienced member in each group. Then the participants would take it in turns in groups of four praying over the fifth person. This helped give people confidence that the onus wasn’t all on them as individuals, particularly if they had never prayed with anyone before. At the end of the school, participants were invited to share with everyone what had happened. Breda commented, “Almost half the conference had had life changing experiences that day. One person in particular who had been prayed with by many well known people for her particular situation, found that for the first time in her whole life things lifting for her and this was through the prayers of total beginners.” LEARN TO SAIL AND GROW IN FAITH
Scottish News About 400 people packed St Stephen’s church in Dalmuir to celebrate 40 years of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal. The mass was celebrated by Fr Laurence Brassil OSA and after the Mass there was a buffet and caelidhi. Grace McBride, the chairperson of the Glasgow DST said the event was a great success. She commented, “It seems to have really revived things in Glasgow. People who hadn’t come to anything for years and who had lost touch a bit with the CCR turned up, and wanted to be connected again.” Some of these people showed up at their weekend in March with Fr Sean Conaty and Pat Kennedy. The Glasgow team are planning to run This Promise is for You over the weekend before Pentecost 18th-19th May. There will also be a Signs and Wonders Conference 7th-8th July at St Mungo’s Academy in Glasgow, led by Damian Stayne and Cor et Lumen Christi, with a Catholic Miracle Rally outreach on the Saturday evening at St Mary’s in Abercrombie Street,Glasgow.
Welsh News JESUS YOUTH CHOOSE WALES FOR EUROPEAN CONFERENCE Jesus Youth, the international Catholic Charismatic Youth movement founded in India, but now in 22 countries is having its European conference this year in Wales from 7th-11th September 2007. It will be held at the Cefn Lee Camping Village, New Town, Mid Wales. About 450 participants are expected from 7 European countries. Among the speakers will be Mark Nimo from Ghana and Michelle Moran. The Bishop of Wrexham has also been invited to celebrate one of the Masses. See Jesus Youth website www.Jesusyouth.org
International News Vatican recognition for the parish cell system of evangelisation underway The parish cell system of evangelisation, which was initiated in St Boniface's in Florida, over twenty years ago, but which is best known in Europe through the work of Don Pigi Perini and his parish at St Eustorgio's in Milan is in the process of receiving official approval from the Vatican. They have been requested by the Pontifical Council for the Laity to set up a structure that would be able to help support the many parishes world wide that have taken on board the cell system. Part of this involves finding out exactly how many parishes are using the system and their experience of it. Since 2000 St Eustorgio's has run an annual International Forum for sharing testimonies, opinions and experiences. As a result of this an international web site has been set up www.cellworldsystem.ouvaton.org to continue ongoing dialogue. Fr Michael Hurley, one of the first priests in Ireland to introduce the cell system into his parish in Balinteer in Dublin in 1990, and who also wrote a book about his experience, has been asked to act as a co-ordinator for England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Denmark and Sweden and find out how many parish cell systems are operating in these countries. He is aware of the situation in Ireland but would be very grateful for any information about the use of the cells in the other countries. National Seminar Weekend OPERATION UPPER ROOM 2007 Last year ICCRS (International Catholic Charismatic Renewal
Services) asked the worldwide CCR to pray in a special way for the conferences
it was organising over the Pentecost period. The anointing on these
events was tangible, with many people hailing it the best international
conference ICCRS had ever organised and highlighting the power of prayer.
As a result ICCRS is again this year calling on the whole of the Catholic
Charismatic Renewal to form a united world wide prayer net, day and
night for the nine days from the Ascension to Pentecost this year (18th-26th
May 2007) to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Catholic Charismatic The special prayer intentions for this 40th anniversary A - For the CHURCH and POPE BENEDICT XVI Communities, groups or individuals can register directly. Please give dates and times or intended prayer. If prayer times are during another event (ie conference, prayer vigil etc) share what type of event it is and approximate number of participants. Upper Room prayer options include:
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Up
to 2000 people are expected to come to the 40th anniversary celebrations
for CCR being held at Westminster Cathedral on 5th May. Among the participants
will be members of the NSCs of Ireland, Scotland and Wales. this is
a mark of the new relationship between the countries. Tickets are £5
each and are selling fast so to be sure to get in, make sure you get
your ticket. Send a SAE by the 25th of April with a cheque payable to
“CREW TRUST” to: GOODNEWS OFFICE ALLEN HALL 28 BEAUFORT STREET
- LONDON SW3 5AA
Kerygma
Teams, the innovative youth missionary group led by Rob Clarke in Ireland,
are this summer offering young people a great opportunity to grow in
faith while learning to sail. The eight day experience which lasts from
14th-22nd July will take place aboard the beautiful sailing vessel New
Wave. This is a 41 meter schooner, which sleeps 52 people, and is owned
by Youth With a Mission. Each day there will be prayer and praise, and
daily scripture study as well as fun and fellowship. During the week,
as the schooner travels round the ancient Celtic ports of the East Coast
of Ireland, participants will learn teamwork in an atmosphere of Christian
community. Those aged from 17-30 are welcome. The cost is 435 euros
for full board for the week. For further details contact Kerygma Teams,
35 Wyattville Park, Ballybrack, Co Dublin, Ireland tel 00 353 1 282
5647 or visit web site