Renew begins third season

Dr. Katherine Menard, diocesan Renew 2000 coordinator, and Rev. Leo O'Brien, diocesan chairperson for Renew 2000 and pastor of St. Vincent de Paul parish in Albany, just finished a series of visits to different regions of the Diocese where they discussed the upcoming season.

"It's remarkable how high the enthusiasm is still running," Dr. Menard told The Evangelist. "People turned out for these meetings; they had a lot of questions. It's a shot in the arm for season three of Renew."

Best-selling book

An informal survey by the diocesan Renew 2000 office revealed only two parishes that hadn't ordered the booklet for their groups. Nearly 10,000 booklets have already been shipped, with new orders arriving every day.

Since the theme of this season of Renew is "reaching out," the coordinator said Renew participants will be moving from simply gaining support from their small groups to using their gifts and talents in their parishes, at the diocesan level and beyond.

That change, she said, dovetails with the diocesan stewardship campaign being launched this fall. She noted: "As God has been generous with us, we are called to be generous in sharing our gifts."

For all

"We want to emphasize that Renew is a comprehensive spiritual renewal," Dr. Menard said. "It's not limited to those in small faith communities."

Many parishes, she said, are reaching out through parish missions. St. John the Evangelist and St. Joseph's in Rensselaer, and St. Mary's in Clinton Heights recently held a combined mission, and told Dr. Menard that "they really found it to be a very rewarding experience."

Spell it out

"Reflecting on the word of God,

Embracing the word of God for daily living,

Nourishing my need for God's influence on me,

Endorsing a strong faith community, and

Wondering, `what is God's will?'"

Initially skeptical herself about taking part in Renew 2000, Ms. Culver encouraged parishioners to "throw away any skepticism and take that proverbial leap of faith and join a Renew group."

Finding God

She concluded with a poem: "With all the friendships you may make/That in this grace you may partake/Not only for a chosen few/We, all together, can Renew."

(For information on Renew 2000, contact your parish or the diocesan Renew 2000 office at 453-6646.)

(09-30-99) [[In-content Ad]]