Renew chairman exults: 'Think of the possibilities!'

"Think of the possibilities!" he exclaims, referring to what Catholics of the Albany Diocese will be able to do after the three-year Renew process concludes.

After they become a part of small faith-sharing groups in their parishes, he believes parishioners will have the ability to host their own "spiritual gatherings," from nights of prayer for first communicants to prayer for the homebound or parents of college students.

The priest has good reason to be enthusiastic about Renew 2000: In addition to his pastorate of the 1,200-family St. Vincent de Paul parish in Albany, he serves as diocesan chairperson for Renew. Recently, he answered a few questions about his experience with and hopes for the process.

Q. What lasting effects did you see from the first session of Renew, back in the mid-1980s?

Q. What were the effects on you?

Q. How was that Renew process different from this one?

Q. Why has the Diocese chosen to have Renew 2000?

The small faith-sharing communities will be not only individuals, but the community building up together in faith life. The whole Diocese will be moving in the direction of faith formation and belonging to this small community.

Q. Why is Renew a good idea for the Albany Diocese in particular?

Q. What have you been doing in your role as diocesan chairperson for Renew 2000?

I went around the Diocese seven times from last September through May, doing that very thing: helping to facilitate group discussion, trying to respond to local questions: "We have a number of senior citizens in the parish; how does Renew 200 relate to them?...Is this a way of faith formation for adults in the parish?...How does it connect to our Sunday Mass?"

I found a wonderful response from the whole Diocese, and I was particularly encouraged by the smaller parishes and those quite distinct from the city of Albany. I feel people are hungry for spiritual things.

Q. What will Renew be like at St. Vincent's?

At our sign-up weekend, 135 people signed up, and it was the last weekend of August! Since then, each weekend more people are signing up.

We have a 6:30 Mass Sunday night that a lot of collegians attend. I encourage them to participate in Renew 2000. We have several homes for adults where the residents would have a Renew meeting right in their own home.

We have four liturgies on Sunday. People usually go to the same one. They could be meeting people in the local food store who go to the same church and never know them. Renew 2000 is a great thing for the parish.

From this parish, what I have seen is people involved in different ministries -- the core community, invitational ministry and developing small groups -- they have taken the initiative, and we are well-prepared to begin Renew 2000.

Our core community called every household in this parish to invite them to learn more about Renew 2000 and participate in small groups. The invitational ministry called parents whose children are entering third, fifth and eighth grades in faith formation. Next season, they will call parents of three more grades. Before Renew 2000 finishes, all of the parents of all of the children in religious education will have been invited to participate!

Q. With all the uproar in the world -- the Clinton situation, the economy etc. -- when people say, "Renew has no effect on my daily life," how do you respond?

That needs planning and discipline. We plan for soccer, for all that goes on our kitchen calendar. So to be in Renew 2000, there has to be some planning so other things don't get in that empty space on the calendar.

Q. What do you say to convince them to try Renew?

Q. Looking ahead, how do you think Renew 2000 will affect the Diocese?

I see friendships being formed, a greater experience of being part of the parish, a renewed spirit of worship at weekend liturgies, greater involvement in outreach to the concerns of neighborhoods and the needs of the poor, and looking for ways for further faith formation opportunities.

I would like to see deaneries or areas develop an ongoing adult education program, perhaps as an extension of St. Bernard's Institute or supported by SBI.

Renew 2000 can give to a parish community a better sense of the gathering for Sunday liturgy, because we're going to be emphasizing and learning about different parts of our weekend liturgy, such as the gathering rite.

In terms of the mission every parish is asked to do, we are inviting people from the parish to develop this mission, and it's our hope that when Renew 2000 is finished, people will be more able to provide spiritual gatherings -- nights of prayer, a more prayerful experience at parish meetings -- and will be able to present a parish mission down the road.

(09-17-98) [[In-content Ad]]