Pope Francis says “The greatest gift the [Catholic Charismatic] Renewal has to offer is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.” Before he was Pope, Cardinal Bergoglio’s initial impression of charismatic Catholics was that he thought they had confused the Holy Scriptures with a school of samba. As he worked with these people in Argentina, he found a new appreciation for their gifts, worship and faith.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal. In 1967, at Duquesne University in Pennsylvania (founded by members of the Congregation
of the Holy Spirit), gifts of prophecy and speaking in tongues were poured out on a group of students who had prayed faithfully for a year for each other, and for the spiritual gifts.

A new wave of blessings and gifts is being poured out on young Christians today, with prophecy and tongues being the new norm.

Diana Ingle, the national chairperson of the CCR in New Zealand and also the head of the CCR regional sub-committee of Asia and Oceania said many Christian youth in New
Zealand are operating in, and are naturally incorporating into ministry, the charismatic gifts.

Dunedin Bishop Colin Campbell, Fr Rick Loughnan, VG, Fr John Rea, SM, and Fr Jack O’Connor joined the Golden Jubilee Catholic Charismatic Renewal retreat in Christchurch on February 25.

Fr Rea gave an account of his journey, leading to the Marist order and an international healing ministry. In the early part of his journey, people prayed over him several
times that he receive the gifts of the Spirit. Firstly, he received extraordinary
peace but no gifts, next a confirming of his calling to the priesthood, and finally the gift of tongues – which is usually the first gift received.

Fr Rea prayed with people for a deepening of expectant faith. Expectant faith is a gift from the Holy Spirit, and strengthens other gifts.

He said “The road to miracles is expectant faith”. Jesus had expectant faith. He believed in his heart that what he asked the Father would give. “Whatever you ask for, believe
you will get it. Jesus said and did only what the Father was saying and being.” John 5:19.

International CCR leader Michelle Moran and leaders of the Catholic fraternities have been asked to start preparing for the establishment of a new Roman dicastery,
potentially called “Current of Faith”, in the Vatican for the work of the Holy Spirit through Catholic Charismatic Renewal groups, ministries and communities. Pope
Francis is expected to make a public announcement at the CCR 50th Jubilee in Rome, from May 31 to June 4, clarifying the name, intentions and his possible oversight of
this new dicastery. He has asked all charismatics and all who would like to, to come and join him. A number of tours have been organised from Australia.

A National Catholic Charismatic Conference is to be held in Palmerston North, on September 22-24.

This will feature international speaker Bob Canton, who has a healing gift. A healing rally will be held. All are welcome. See www.ccrnz.org for more information.

Belgian Cardinal Suenens, the key person to maintain the Charismatic
renewal in the Church, described it as a” Flow of Grace”.

In a homily he said “May the charismatic renewal disappear as such and be transformed into a pentecostal grace for the whole Church. To be faithful to its origins
the river must lose itself in the ocean. If the river comes to a halt the water becomes stagnant, should the renewal, this ‘current of grace’ not end in the ocean of God, in the
love of God, it would work for itself, and this is not of Jesus Christ. This is your identity, to be a current of grace.”

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A shortage of priests to serve the Dunedin diocese has led to the possibility of merging the four parishes to a base at St Mary’s in central Invercargill.echo $variable;

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In what appeared to be a clash of emotions, the formal closing of St Bernadette’s church in Forbury, Dunedin took place on Gaudete Sunday, the third Sunday in Advent.

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With a seemingly endless round of birthday celebrations which threatened to equal in number his actual years, the Bishop of Dunedin, Bishop Colin Campbell marked a major milestone recently in reaching his 75th birthday.

As he moved around the Dunedin diocese in September fulfilling his episcopal functions he found himself ambushed on many occasions with pre-birthday celebrations.

He had to confess that he found the celebrations put on by parishioners on each occasion to be “quite delightful”.

Bishop Campbell was born in the Southland town of Otautau on September 22, 1941.

At the tender age of two weeks his parents moved the family back to North Invercargill and it was in that suburb that he started school at St Theresa’s School.

The month of September and into October has seen Bishop Campbell moving around the diocese for meetings here and there and officiating at Confirmations at Alexandra, Georgetown parish in Invercargill and at North Invercargill and into October at Bluff and Ranfurly. Every stop led to a birthday ambush.

The day before his actual birthday he was at his old alma mater, St Theresa’s in North Invercargill for Confirmation. There, as had happened at other schools, the children had prepared birthday cards and put on a special welcome. In this case the bishop had a decorated school chair to sit in and a “feather” cloak was draped around his shoulders.

Principal Julian Ineson noted that 75 years was a long time in world history and he began a PowerPoint slide show depicting many major events throughout the last 75 years. These included events like man landing on the moon, Martin Luther King’s famous speech, the fall of the Berlin wall and so on. In every scene there was a figure with Bishop Campbell’s face. A little clever Photo-shopping had Bishop Campbell at the centre of many famous historic moments. The doctored pictures hit the mark with everyone there including the pupils, who were delirious with laughter.

The next day, on his actual birthday, Bishop Campbell had a much quieter celebration with family in Invercargill. Bishop Campbell has already marked the 50th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood this year. It is also just over 12 years since he was ordained Bishop of Dunedin on July 9, 2004.

Now with him turning 75 he has followed the request in canon law to tender his resignation to the Pope and will await further instructions. With the vacant position of the Bishop of Christchurch diocese yet to be determined he expects that his resignation will be acknowledged but he will be asked to remain as bishop in the interim.

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Programme:

Plenary Sessions will cover the following;

· Australian Immigration Policy and Detention Centres. Bishop Eugene Hurley with input from Archbishop Douglas Young and CBC PNG&SI representatives about the Manus Island centre, information from Bishop Mea about Nauru Island centre.

· Pastoral Planning and Earthquakes. Bishop Barry Jones and Mr Mike Stopforth, Director of the Pastoral Office, Diocese of Christchurch

· Reading the Signs of the Fiji Times: Archbishop Peter Loy Chong of Suva

· Conference Responses to the Preparatory Document for the III Extraordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops. Representatives from each Conference.

There are also three workshops:

· Developing young people with Catholic hearts and minds

Mrs Rachel Pitcaithly is Ministry Team Coordinator at St Bede’s College in Christchurch, which caters for young men aged between 13 and 18 years. Rachel has introduced innovative and very effective ways of helping the students to pray and to practise their faith, including using Catholic practices such as the Rosary and Benediction. This workshop will look at how young men can develop habits of prayer and service at a very formative time of their lives.

· Faith amid secularity

Dr Chris Duthie-Jung is the Director of the National Centre for Religious Studies, which is part of the Catholic Institute of Aotearoa New Zealand. In Western countries the Generation Y age group (born 1981-1995) is largely absent from Catholic parish life and their Catholic identity seems increasingly tenuous. This workshop will consider recent research into the Catholic identity of a sample of young adult Catholic New Zealanders, and how it affects their participation in the life of the Church.

· Living no longer for ourselves but for others

Father Mark Chamberlain is the parish priest of Holy Name Parish in Dunedin. He is a member of the ecumenical chaplaincy team at Otago University, a hospital chaplain, spiritual director and psychotherapist. He integrates these ministries through reflection and the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius. In this workshop he will reflect on how our parish communities, and especially the Sunday Mass, can be formative for our young people in deepening their relationship with Jesus and desire to serve others.

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