What is Catholic Charismatic Renewal?

The Catholic Charismatic Renewal is an Ecclesial movement of spiritual renewal and transformation in the Catholic Church that emphasizes the need for each one to make a personal commitment to Christ as Lord and Saviour and to be empowered by the Holy Spirit for the glory of God the Father.

On Pentecost day, the Apostles received the Holy Spirit as we read in the Acts of the Apostles 2:1-4. This was in fulfillment of Jesus’ promise Lk. 24:49; Acts 1:4-5, 8. This great event marked the beginning of the Church into which that day about three thousand people were baptized (Acts.2:41). This first community of believers, guided and strengthened by the Holy Spirit bore witness to the resurrection of Jesus in and beyond Jerusalem.

The Acts of the Apostles speaks about the early life and mission of Church after the resurrection of Jesus. It gives an account of the working of the Holy Spirit on and with the apostles (Acts.2:4, 6-8, 14, 43; 3:4-8, 12-26; 5:12-16) and the Christian Community (Acts.2:41-47; 4:32-35; 6:5-6;, 8; 8:4-8).

During the time of the Fathers of the Church, the Holy Spirit’s action continued to be manifested in ordinary and extraordinary ways in Charismatic gifts of teaching, prophecy, healing, courage in persecution and spiritual renewal of the Church. Some such Fathers are; St. Anthony of Egypt, St. Athanasius, St. Basil and St. Ireneous.

This same Spirit has guided the Church through the centuries, “for the Church is driven by the Holy Spirit to do her part for the full realisation of the plan of God, who has constituted Christ as the source of salvation for the whole world.” (LG 17).
The last two centuries have seen a renewed focus on the Holy Spirit in the Church.

In 1897, Pope Leo XIII published an encyclical on the Holy Spirit, called Divinium llud Munus. He also called for the Church to pray the novena for Pentecost at the beginning of new century. On January 1, 1901 He prayed to the Holy Spirit and sung the Veni Creator Spiritus at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. 

One day in 1959 Pope John XXIII startled Vatican staff by flinging open his office windows and calling for the Holy Spirit to send in a new wind of Pentecost for the renewal of the Church. In preparation for the Second Vatican Council, Pope John XXIII prayed to God: “Renew your wonders in this our day, as by a new Pentecost …”
Since the Second Vatican Council a fresh re-awakening of the working of the Holy Spirit in the Church has given birth to new lay Apostolate and ecclesial movements and associations of which CCR is one. 

A Brief History of Catholic Charismatic Renewal

From Friday 17th to Sunday 19th February 1967, in Duquesne University, Pennsylvania, USA, a University run by the Spiritan Fathers, about 30 students went on a weekend retreat at Ark of the Dove Retreat House. On Saturday 18th February 1967 they experienced great outpouring of the Holy Spirit which spread subsequently to other students and staff, and eventually gave birth to prayer groups and renewed exercise of charisms by individuals, weekly prayer meetings, spiritual retreats, seminars, conferences and evangelization crusades. This led to the spread, growth and consolidation of CCR in various continents, countries, dioceses and parishes.

The world wide Catholic Charismatic Renewal is served by an international office which since 1985 is located in the Palazzo della Cancelleria, Vatican City. On the 14th of September 1993, the statutes of the International Catholic Charismatic Renewal Services (ICCRS) received papal confirmation. (see appendix).

On 19th May 1975 Pope Paul VI addressed the Second International CCR Leaders’ Conference in Rome. Among the important things he said was “nothing is more necessary for such a world, more and more secularized, than the testimony of this “spiritual renewal” which we see the Holy Spirit bring about today in the most diverse regions and environments. Its manifestations are varied; deep communion of souls, close contact with God in faithfulness to the commitments undertaken at Baptism … (This Spiritual renewal”) is a blessing for the Church and the world and all means should be taken to keep it so. “L’Osservatore Romano” English edition, 29 May 1975.

Speaking to the National Service Committee of the Italian “Renewal in the Spirit” In Rome on 4th April 1998, Pope John Paul II said: “The Catholic Charismatic movement is one of the many fruits of the Second Vatican Council, which, like a new Pentecost, led to an extraordinary flourishing in the Church’s life of groups and movements particularly sensitive to the action of the Spirit. How can we not give thanks for the precious spiritual fruits that the Renewal has produced in the life of the Church and in the lives of so many people? How many lay faithful, men, women, young people, adults and the elderly have been able to experience in their own lives the amazing power of the Spirit and his gifts! How many people have rediscovered faith, the joy of prayer, the power and beauty of the Word of God, translating all this into generous service in the Church’s mission. How many lives have been profoundly changed! For all this today, together with you, I wish to praise and thank the Holy Spirit” Libreria Editrice – Vaticana, 1998.

The Catholic Charismatic Renewal in Uganda

Catholic Charismatic Renewal in Uganda was introduced in 1973 by Fr. Roger LaBonte, Missionaries of Africa (White Fathers) in Mbarara. In the same year, Fr. Joseph Kamya, Missionaries of Africa (White Fathers). started prayer groups in Masaka. As the CCR, expanded, a National Service Team (NST) was formed in 1981 to co-ordinate the national activities. Fr. Norbert Deprez Missionaries of Africa became its first co­ordinator and Fr. Ernest Sievers Missionaries of Africa later succeeded him. It was in this period that the NST took a decision to start a School of Evangelisation, and so on 4th December, 1990 Emmaus Centre School of Evangelisation was launched. In 1991 four Emmaus Communities were opened; in Kampala, Pallisa, Soroti and Fort Portal. Since then more Charismatic Communities have been founded in these dioceses; Mbarara, Masaka, Arua, Jinja, Kabale, Kasese, Hoima, Gulu and outside the country in Ghana, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.
The period between 1995 and 2004, saw a rapid phenomenal spread of the Renewal throughout the whole of Uganda. Catholic Charismatic Renewal prayer groups mushroomed everywhere in Uganda. Several Dioceses have a well established office. Indeed the new movement of the Holy Spirit caught everyone in by surprise.