Welcome
Welcome to the Western Oregon Catholic Charismatic Renewal (WOCCR) website. Here you will find information about the Renewal, a list of events and newsletters to assist you in your growth in the Renewal.
The Renewal in Western Oregon is an integral part of the much larger Charismatic Renewal within the Catholic Church both nationally and internationally.
Catholic Charismatic Renewal (CCR) — a Personal Invitation to Renewal
Please come and learn more about the Holy Spirit and the role He plays in our lives, beginning with the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation. Since we have the anointing of the Holy Spirit from our baptism on, how much do we know and rely on Him each day. The Renewal is all about helping each of us to grow closer to the Holy Spirit and become aware of the Spiritual Gifts He has for each of us. These Gifts are given to strengthen us spiritually, and to help our neighbors and to build up the Church
It’s a personal experience of the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, who brings alive in new ways the graces of our baptism. The Holy Spirit not only sets on fire all that we have already received, but comes again in power to equip us with his gifts for service and mission.
There are no special, superior people in the Church called “charismatics” – but there are millions of ordinary men and women whose lives have been renewed “charismatically”, in other words by an action of the Holy Spirit. Cardinal Suenens reminded us that
Holy Spirit window, Christ the King Church, Ann Arbor, MI
charismatic Christianity is normal Christianity, because the Church herself is charismatic, and we were never supposed to live a Christian life without the full presence and power of the Holy Spirit. Sadly many Christians still attempt to do this.
“. . . we were never supposed to live a Christian life without the full presence and power of the Holy Spirit. Sadly many Christians still attempt to do this.”
So the aim of the Renewal is to bring the life of the Holy Spirit into every part of the Church by bringing it into the life of every Christian man and woman.
The Renewal exists to help people live a new life in the power of Sprit . . .
— Whitehead, Charles, (2003), “What is the nature of the Catholic Ch arismatic Renewal?”1Note: This article was originally posted on the United Kingdom charismatic website ccr.org .uk. The site was redesigned in March 2024, but the new design did not include this article p. 3. Mr. Whitehead was the former President of the International Catholic Charismatic Renewal Service (ICCRS).
The CCR (Renewal)
The Catholic Charismatic Renewal is a “current of grace” within the Church that began with the work of the Second Vatican Council (1962 -1965). The renewal began in 1967, at a retreat for Duquesne University students. They had a very powerful encounter with the Holy Spirit and Jesus. We encourage you to read the personal testimony of Patti Gallagher Mansfield, who was one of the participants during that event. The “current of grace” of the Holy Spirit was so powerful that within five decades more than 120 million Catholics has received the Baptism in the Holy Spirit.
If you are new to the CCR
You have come to a good place. This website is filled with scripture, the catechism and life experiences from around the world. It also has current information on ways you can grow in the Holy Spirit and the love of Christ. It can seem overwhelming at first, but we are here to help.
If you are an “experienced” hand
If you are active in the Renewal and use the Spiritual Gifts, then let this site encourage you. Let it inspire you to open yourself further to the works of the Holy Spirit including His Gifts, Fruits and Charisms. Now is the time to put them into action for God’s people and for the Church.
Question: Why is it important to have the Holy Spirit and the Renewal in your life?
How would you answer this question?
Here are several responses from members of the CCR in Western Oregon.
I was raised Catholic and attended Catholic schools for 12 years. I believed everything I was taught. I seemed to naturally have the gift of Faith. Even when I strayed from the path, I knew I was wrong, not the Church, because the Church was founded by Jesus and couldn’t be wrong.
By my late 20’s, life had brought enough hardships that I had “low grade” depression all the time. After the birth of my second child, I realized that I had not smiled in a year.
My mother-in-law invited me to a “Life in the Spirit” seminar. It was a small, all-ladies group in a home. At the end, when I prayed to have Jesus baptize me in the Holy Spirit, I prayed in tongues, embarrassingly simply “Bababababa…”. I felt life in my belly. It rose and came out of my throat in laughter. I laughed so much that everyone in the room began laughing. It hurt my face because the laugh muscles were out of practice!
We all have ups and downs in life. After I was baptized in the Holy Spirit, my new downs were higher than my old ups! I continued to grow and learn in a group to which I was assigned by the nice ladies. I have been in ministry ever since — 44 joyous years!
Barbara HettwerI have known many people in the Charismatic Renewal who have been Holy all of their lives. I was not one of them. My path was going decidedly downward when in 1989, St. Henry’s in Gresham, OR advertised a Bible Study that following Friday night. I was interested in that so I showed up.
It turned out to be a “Life in the Spirit” seminar and it changed my life. I wasn’t looking to change my life but the Holy Spirit did it anyway. It was very painful giving up all my sinful behaviors, but the Holy Spirit is a very gentle God and one by one things fell away. It was a Bible study after all and finally I could understand it. I have never looked back but only forward and up.
Jackie MorganYour thoughts should be from the heart, clear and concise. It should be about four or five sentences, so the reader can capture the idea without being overwhelmed by too much detail.
Your personal testimony will replace this text.
I was baptized two weeks after birth and confirmed at age seven. I knew about Jesus and our Father, but they were a long way away in the heavens. The Holy Spirit was just a “dove.” Meanwhile, I tried to be faithful and follow the rules.
Fifty+ years later, I attended a “Life in the Spirit” seminar. It changed my life.
Since then, I depend on the Holy Spirit who lives in me. I have fallen in love with Jesus and listen for his voice. My life was completely transformed by personally experiencing God and His love. I return His love by seeking to follow his will and to serve His people. I put the fruits, gifts and charisms of the Holy Spirit to work in my life for His people and His Church.
Jack ArdnerThe goal of including your testimony is to allow the Lord to speak through you. To explain what the Renewal has meant for you.
Please record your response and send it by email to woccrteam@woccr.org
We hope to use these testimonies to explain to show visitors that the Renewal is Real. It is Now. And it is important to real people.
Can we count on you to add your own story?
We would love to hear about your personal experience with a “Life in the Spirit” seminar and the Renewal. Please send it to us by clicking on this email link: WOCCR Team.
Resources for Your Journey
Featured Events
One of the missions of WOCCR is to provide you with a wide variety of charismatic and catholic events. Here is the current list of Featured events for your information. We invite you to participate in one or more of these upcoming events.
WOCCR invites you to a Day of Renewal at Our Lady of the Lake Church Parish Center in Lake Oswego, OR from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The Theme is: Spiritual Warfare. Fr. Tim Furlow and Dr. Lynne Bissonette-Pitre will help us understand what that really is and how we as the charismatic renewal fit in. Come and learn about this aspect of the Renewal.
The Advent season is a time of preparation that directs our hearts and minds to Christ’s second coming at the end of time and to the anniversary of Our Lord’s birth on Christmas. From the earliest days of the Church, people have been fascinated by Jesus’ promise to come back. But the scripture readings during Advent tell us not to waste our time with predictions. Advent is not about speculation. Our Advent readings call us to be alert and ready, not weighted down and distracted by the cares of this world (Luke 21:34-36).
Christmas is one of the most important days of the Church year, second only to Easter itself. It is the feast of the incarnation, the feast of God becoming flesh (the Latin “in carne” means “enfleshment”). It is a uniquely Christian teaching, the Divine choosing to become one of us.
Every year on this day, Ash Wednesday, the Church begins a spiritual journey, a renewal of her existence and a rediscovery of her life with God. The journey is rooted in the words that we will hear in a few moments when ashes are placed on us: "Turn away from sin and believe in the Gospel." It is the message of Christ himself: turn away from darkness, evil and death and begin walking towards light, goodness and life.
The Easter Vigil is the “Mother of All Vigils. “Easter Sunday, then, is the greatest of all Sundays, and Easter Time is the most important of all liturgical times. Easter is the celebration of the Lord’s resurrection from the dead, culminating in his Ascension to the Father and sending of the Holy Spirit upon the Church.
As we celebrate the feast of the Ascension of the Lord, the Scriptures teach us that genuine faith is a way of life in community. The feast of the Ascension reminds us that our vocation is to continue being and seeking God with us, "until the end of the age."
The Pentecost Novena is the first of all novenas, nine days of prayer. After Jesus’ Ascension into heaven, He commanded His disciples to come together in the upper room to devote themselves to constant prayer (Acts 1: 14). They prayed for nine days before receiving the Holy Spirit on Pentecost.
The image from the Gospel is that of Jesus breaking the bread. This is the Eucharistic gesture par excellence. It is the distinctive sign of our faith and the place where we encounter the Lord who offers himself so that we can be reborn to new life. This gesture also challenges us. Up to that point, lambs were sacrificed and offered to God. Now Jesus becomes the lamb, offering himself in sacrifice in order to give us life. In the Eucharist, we contemplate and worship the God of love.
The Advent season is a time of preparation that directs our hearts and minds to Christ’s second coming at the end of time and to the anniversary of Our Lord’s birth on Christmas. From the earliest days of the Church, people have been fascinated by Jesus’ promise to come back. But the scripture readings during Advent tell us not to waste our time with predictions. Advent is not about speculation. Our Advent readings call us to be alert and ready, not weighted down and distracted by the cares of this world (Luke 21:34-36).
Christmas is one of the most important days of the Church year, second only to Easter itself. It is the feast of the incarnation, the feast of God becoming flesh (the Latin “in carne” means “enfleshment”). It is a uniquely Christian teaching, the Divine choosing to become one of us.
In addition to these Featured events, please visit the Events page to see a number of local Prayer Groups and other activities.
Newsletters
Newsletters help keep us all “in the know” about charismatic events, happenings, experiences, and other activities. Here are the latest editions.
This events update newsletter has information on: Dr. Healy's retreat in Bend, OR on September 21, 2024 and a special presentation by Ann and Jim Delong on the theme: "Freedom through Forgiveness" in Myrtle Beach, OR on September 28, 2024.
Reminder Dear Friends of the Charismatic Renewal, Reminder about the dates for a Retreat with Dr. Mary Healy; a Day of Renewal with Fr. Timothy Furlow & Dr. Lynne Bissonette-Pitre. September 21, 2024 — Retreat with Dr. Mary Healy in Bend, OR Dr. Mary Healy Dr. Mary Healy will [...]
Save the Dates! Dear Friends of the Charismatic Renewal, Save the dates for a Healing Mass, Retreat and a Day of Renewal. May 31, 2024 -- Healing Mass at St Mary’s in Eugene, OR Fr. Chuck Wood, (our Liaison) will celebrate with Fr. Ron Nelson, Pastor, St. Mary Catholic Church. Mass [...]
To see previous Newsletters, please go to the Newsletter Archives.
If you have an article, observations, photographs, etc. about things happening in your area, we would like to know. Please submit your materials to the WOCCR Team for their review.
Thank you for visiting
We appreciate the time you spend with us. If you are interested in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, please use these pages to find encouragement and resources for your journey.
We also welcome your questions and comments. Please send your thoughts by email to the WOCCR Team.
In any case, browse a bit now and come back as often as you can. Expect the Holy Spirit to guide you and bless you each day!
Note:
- 1Note: This article was originally posted on the United Kingdom charismatic website ccr.org .uk. The site was redesigned in March 2024, but the new design did not include this article
