Return to authentic praise and worship, pass on the faith to children, and build fellowship in prayer groups.

Those were some of the challenges put to Charismatic Catholics from across the region gathered last weekend for the 16th Caribbean Conference of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal (CCR).

Issuing the challenges last Sunday in a mid-morning ‘sending forth’ ceremony was Sr Deborah de Rosia, chairperson of the CCR National Service Team. After her talk, participants were anointed with oil as a sign of their sending forth.

Sr Debbie outlined a few issues of concern and suggested how to overcome them.

She said local prayer groups seemed to be dying because of falling attendance due in part to the crime situation. But Sr Debbie countered saying God was the protector and redeemer and meetings must continue.

People must have a place to come if they were interested in turning away from a negative lifestyle, she said. “If not, they will have nowhere to go… God saw 40 years ago the rise in crime and violence and the disintegration of the family. God has prepared a people to face this problem. Politicians can’t do it. Ministers of National Security can’t do it. Our security is in the Lord,” she remarked.

Sr Debbie urged Charismatic Catholics to remember to bring their children to meetings so the faith could be passed on, and encouraged the growth of prayer groups. “Return to your prayer groups and where there are no prayer groups, start one. If the church is closed, meet at someone’s home.”

Leader Daphen Meijas anoints a Surinamese participant in national wear with oil

Choir members sing at the Closing Mass

Deacon Ron Burgess of Jamaica proclaims the Word. Others from left are CCR National Service team spiritual moderator Fr Wilfred John, Archbishop Gilbert and CCR Caribbean Service Team spiritual moderator Fr Simon Wilson of Curacao.

Caribbean artwork and other items are carried up for the Presentation of Gifts

A participant is captured giving praise

The main challenge facing some existing groups was “to return to authentic praise and worship “ to remain attractive, Sr Debbie noted.

On the CCR as a whole, she said it was not about power. She urged those who believed leadership could not be passed on, to throw the baton and trust that someone would catch it. Then, she added, support and encourage the new leader. “We have to raise up the next generation,” she stated.

Sr Debbie called for the sharing of testimonies at meetings, the maintenance of trust and confidentiality and an end to division. “All of us are for Christ. We must unite for a purpose, with conviction in our hearts to bring about a revival across the Caribbean…. Go forth to continue our commitment to God and the work of the CCR.”

Venue for the conference was the expansive Sepp Blatter Hall, Centre of Excellence, Macoya, Tunapuna. Participants came from across the Caribbean and beyond, with sizeable contingents from Guyana and the Dutch Antillean islands of Bonaire, Aruba and Curacao. Conference theme was “Jesus the Truth, the Way and the Life”.

The conference began Friday morning with an opening Mass celebrated by Trinidad-born Bishop Francis Alleyne, OSB of Georgetown, Guyana.

Speakers on the opening day were US Redemptorist priest Fr Maurice Nutt, People of Praise Community founder-leader Winston Garcia and Fr Tom Di Lorenzo of the Archdiocese of Boston, United States.

Saturday’s agenda included talks, workshops, praise, worship and prophecy. The speakers were Fr Nutt, Fr Di Lorenzo and Mayna Scotland Andrew of the CCR Service Team in Dominica. Fr Di Lorenzo conducted the usual healing session that evening.

Fr Nutt, who will return later in the year for the annual Jesus Explosion, gave the Sunday morning talk, ‘God loves a cheerful giver.’

In his animated, interactive talk, he said the whole purpose of God was to give. Recalling his childhood, he said he learnt about giving from his mother who always put God first. Because of this, he said, he was able to enter the seminary at the age of 13 and complete his studies on her fixed income.

Fr Nutt said God loved a cheerful giver but “many give a tip not a tithe”. He described Catholics as the worse givers saying some gave old clothes, expired food and very little service to the Church. “Catholics are cheap. They’re the worse givers of any religious denomination. We are first in history but the last in giving” he said, brandishing a TT$1 bill.

He said the goal of Catholics should not be to give till it hurts, but till it feels good.
He reminded the gathering that God was the provider and that Catholics must have faith if they were worried about their finances, keeping their eyes on Christ “because the God who loves you will take care of you”.

Fr Nutt commented that Catholics did not tithe enough but were in fact  called to give “not because of what we received, but who God is…Giving is an act of worship. He only asks for 10% and 90% is ours.”

As he joined the choir in singing, “Give, and it will come back to you” at the end of his talk, a large collection box was placed in front of the stage. For about 20 minutes participants sang as they made their way toward the box to deposit an offering.

Chief celebrant at the Sunday afternoon closing Mass was Archbishop Edward Gilbert, who delivered the opening address on Friday.

Among the concelebrating priests were Vicar for Administration, Fr Jason Gordon; Seminary rector Msgr Michael de Verteuil; Caribbean Service Team spiritual moderator Fr Simon Wilson; National Service Team spiritual moderator Fr Wilfred John, and Frs Moses, Taylor and Hezekiah.

The conference came to a joyous close as participants sang along with the choir and band as praise songs were performed for more than ten minutes after the final blessing.
- RS