Welcome
Welcome to the Western Oregon Catholic Charismatic Renewal (WOCCR) website. Here you will find information about the Renewal, an invitation to participate as well as events and newsletters to assist you in your growth in the Renewal.
The Renewal in Western Oregon is an integral part of a much larger Charismatic Renewal within the Catholic Church on the National and International level.
Catholic Charismatic Renewal — a Personal Invitation to Renewal
Stained Glass window showing the Holy Spirit at Christ the King Church, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
Please come and see the works of the Holy Spirit as they play out in our daily lives. They inspire us to learn more about the Third Person of the Holy Trinity. As our focus on the Holy Spirit sharpens, we see His role in our personal lives, the lives of God’s people and in protecting and guiding the Church. One of the benefits of nurturing and growing this relationship is that He strengthens us and helps us grow closer to Jesus. Another benefit of this growth becoming aware of and using the Spiritual Gifts the Holy Spirit.
The Catholic Charismatic 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.
The Renewal Today
Today, the Catholic Charismatic Renewal is alive and well in the hearts and minds of many Catholics today. The main thrust of the Renewal within the Church are threefold:
- Recognize the significant role the Holy Spirit plays in every moment of our lives.
- To grow closer to and surrender our lives to Jesus Christ.
- To identify and use the Spiritual Gifts to strengthen ourselves, and use those gifts for His people and Church.
Our surrender to Jesus opens us to receive the Spiritual Gifts of the Holy Spirit, as Jesus desires.
On the Personal Level
If you are interested in or “new” to the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, then 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 in the Renewal and use the Spiritual Gifts, then let this site encourage you. It can provide you with encouragement and inspiration to continue to open yourself to the work of the Holy Spirit. It can also encourage you to rely on His Gifts, Fruits and Charisms. Now is the time to put them into action for God’s people and for the Church.
Regardless of your experience, the Renewal can still seem a daunting task. It is difficult to surrender yourself fully to Jesus and to let the Holy Spirit work through you. To assist you, we have developed a number of Questions and Answers (Q & A’s) about theRenewal within the Church.
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.
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.
Pentecost is celebrated as the birthday of the Catholic Church. It marks the day when the Holy Spirit came to the Apostles in the upper room. After that, the Apostles went out into the streets and boldly proclaimed the Gospel of the Lord.
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.
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.
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.
Dear Friends of the Charismatic Renewal This news update covers a number of different topics: Area Wide Prayer Meeting; newly revised and updated WOCCR.org website; Healing the Whole Person event; Advent Day of Retreat; and Planning for future events. The Area Wide Prayer meeting The Area Wide Prayer meeting was held at [...]
The Western Oregon Catholic Charismatic Renewal is proud to announce completion of our redesigned and updated website. Here is a list of many enhancements: Refreshed and updated overall design, using the latest available web tools. Added a Tag line below the title on each page. Added links within the text of most pages, so you can cross reference topics. Updated Menu design for easier navigation throughout the website. Added space on the Home page for you to give testimony about the Renewal. Significantly expanded Resources section to provide more information. Added a Newsletters page, so you can access all pervious editions. Added a new Page for Questions and Answers (Q & A’s). Restored the capability for you to make Donations. And much more.
Newsletter: There will be a Healing Mass at Holy Trinity Parish (13715 SW Walker Rd, Beaverton, OR) with Bishop Peter Smith celebrating. It will be on Saturday, July 29, from 10 am – 1 pm. So, there will be plenty of time for personal prayer. In addition, there will be an Area Wide Prayer Meetingwith lots of Praise and Worship music, some testimonies, prophecies (God Willing), and Ministry. Christ the King Parish (7414 SE Michael Dr, Milwaukie, OR) will be hosting us on Saturday, September 30, from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
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!
