Renew info sessions underway

Pastors, parish life directors and other parish leaders have been invited to "come and see" how the Renew 2000 program can benefit Catholics.

Starting this week and continuing to Nov. 20, 11 sessions held in various locations throughout the Albany Diocese are giving participants "a taste of what Renew will be like," said Kathy Menard, diocesan coordinator for Renew 2000.

Renew, a program of faith- and Scripture-sharing groups first used in the Diocese in the mid-1980s, is set to begin again next fall. Many priests of the Diocese already had a sample of Renew during last week's Priests' Convocation where the format was a retreat that geared Renew toward clergy.

Spirituality

The information sessions this week and next will consist of a prayer service followed by two presentations: "A Vision for the New Millennium," describing the "spiritual underpinnings" of Renew; and a talk on implementing the program specifically in the parishes of the Albany Diocese.

Dr. Menard noted that many parishes already have "a wonderful abundance of spiritual activity" taking place in other programs, and that Renew 2000 is not meant to replace those efforts. Instead, she hopes that Renew will "fit into the structures parishes already have."

At the conclusion of the information sessions, parish groups will have the opportunity to sign up for the Renew program, or they may take more time to deliberate on whether to use Renew in their parishes. (Parishes are allowed to choose another millennium-preparation program with prior approval, but the Diocese is providing information and support only for Renew 2000. Pope John Paul II has asked all parishes in the world to prepare for the millennium through some sort of spiritual renewal effort.)

Next stepsBY January, parishes will be expected to make a decision on using Renew. Orientation sessions will then be held to further explore the program and explain how to recruit parish leadership teams to coordinate it.

In the meantime, Dr. Menard hopes that the information sessions (including one in Spanish) encourage parish leaders to "catch the fever" of Renew 2000.

"I hope they leave with enough of a taste of the spirit of Renew that they will feel excited about it, see how valuable it is for their parishes and be assured that it's do-able," she told The Evangelist. Participants will have "an idea of what Renew's components are and the support they need to make it happen in their parishes."

(The Renew 2000 information sessions are for pastors, parish life directors and parish leadership teams. For more information on Renew, call your parish or the diocesan Renew office at 453-6646.)

(11-13-97) [[In-content Ad]]