Catholic charismatic movement to be explored

After four decades of the Catholic charismatic renewal, those involved often wonder where the movement is heading. A teaching day on Oct. 13 at St. Edward's Church in Clifton Park will explore that question.

"Celebrating 40 Years of Catholic Charismatic Renewal: Where Do We Go From Here?" will be facilitated by Ralph Martin, a leader in renewal movements in the Catholic Church for many years and a professor at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in the Archdiocese of Detroit, where he is also director of graduate theology programs in evangelization.

In an email exchange, The Evangelist asked Mr. Martin about the teaching day and his larger work with the Catholic charismatic renewal.

Q: You deal with people all over the country who come to the Catholic charismatic renewal from different backgrounds and experiences. What's been your experience with Catholic charismatics in the Northeast?

Mr. Martin: The blessings and challenges are pretty much the same around the country. This renewal has been strong, certainly, in the Northeast, and it's safe to say that many hundreds of thousands of Catholics in this region have been significantly impacted.

Worldwide, more than 120 million Catholics have been impacted directly by this renewal. The blessing is a renewed encounter with Christ and the power of the Spirit, which often leads to a deeper prayer life and a desire to be of service in evangelization and works of mercy and charity. The challenge is to keep on growing and not "plateau out."

Q: After 40 years of the Catholic charismatic renewal, what gives you hope for the future? You've said before that "the Lord wants us to go forward." How do you envision the movement going forward in the 21st century?

Mr. Martin: Besides the many individuals that have experienced profound renewal in their Christian lives, the Church as a whole is beginning to see that there are aspects of the charismatic renewal that are intended for the whole Church. Obviously, the Holy Spirit and His gifts are not the property of a particular movement but something for the whole Church.

Cardinal [Leo Jozef] Suenens [of Belgium, now deceased], one of the early leaders in the integration of the renewal and the wider Church, used to say that,...as the Church awakened to a more significant embrace of the work of the Holy Spirit, there would no longer be a need for a particular movement with this as its aim, since the whole Church is intended in its very foundation to be charismatic.

Q: What does it mean to you to offer a teaching day like the one at St. Edward's? What would you like to see result from it?

Mr. Martin: I am looking forward very much to my time in the Diocese of Albany. There are some really wonderful things about the spiritual life and evangelization that I look forward to sharing about.

I would hope that those able to attend would feel themselves encouraged, equipped and made more ready to follow Christ and serve Him.

(Registration is $25; beverages are provided; bring bag lunch or eat out. For information, call 371-7911 or 785-1984, or email [email protected].)

(10/04/07)