The Pentecost of the Movements with Cardinal Anders Arborelius: A Diversity of Spiritual Graces
Stockholm Catholic Cathedral 31:st of May 2022
On May 31, the Movements in the Catholic church met for their annual Pentecostal meeting with Bishop Cardinal Anders Arborelius in the Catholic Cathedral. There were about a hundred people representing [movements and third orders in the Catholic Church in Sweden]. Many priests from the parishes in the Stockholm region also participated, 8 concelebrated in the Mass together with the Cardinal.
The theme of this year's meeting was connected to the synodal process: Community, Participation, Mission, and the theme from the current celebration day, Mary's visit to Elisabeth, was also addressed. "Mary hastened to a city in the mountain district of Juda." - To hurry is to move with purposeful eagerness in the direction in which the Spirit has given. This also applies to the movements and parishes in the perspective of the synodal process. Today is the right time for us to break up and move in a certain direction. Pope Francis and the pastors of the Church are calling upon us to take our calling seriously as Catholics in the world and affirm our participation in the Mission of the Church and in communion with each other to move forward.
In the musical parts of the Mass took part cathedral organist Elisabeth von Waldstein, musicians from the philippine charismatic community Missionary Families of Christ, Focolare and Neocatechumenal way.
Missionary Families of Christ (MFC) singing under communion. Photo: Nausikaa Haupt
The Cardinal began his sermon by highlighting Mary as a model for the haste that the Spirit is prompting us to today:
" The Holy Spirit is constantly trying to help us become what we really already are in the eyes of the Father, His beloved children. We often think we are something else. We have not always discovered our deepest identity in Christ, but run here and there without seeing our goal and meaning. Therefore, we all need the Holy Spirit for us to enter into this profound motion in Jesus Christ to the Father. If we look at the life of eternity, it is a life in constant motion because love is always in motion, and we must try to emulate that during our time here on earth.
And today we see one of us sent more than anyone else to live this life, Mary, the Mother of God. Just today we celebrate her who is in motion, in the motion of the Spirit to urgently go to her elderly relative to assist her. A picture of the whole church that has always sought out the most vulnerable, poor, destitute. But we need to do it urgently, because it may be too late. Therefore, we constantly need the Spirit to remind us and show us what God wants to do in this world through us."
After mass, there was a gathering in the Cathedral Hall. Some speakers contributed brief testimonies of how the movements operate and interact in the congregations.
Andre Sunas from Missionary Families of Christ spoke about the group's activities in parishes in the Stockholm region. It is a Filipino charismatic community that focuses on evangelism and the renewal of family life.
Antonella Adorno of the Neocatechumenal Way gave a testimony to her path to a renewed Christian life. The Neocatechumenal Way is represented in the Catholic parish of the Holy Family in Haninge with groups in the outposts Nynäshamn and Tyresö, they also have two priests belonging to the movement who are subsidiaries in the parish. There are also groups in Gothenburg, Malmö, Trelleborg, Jönköping and Olofström.
Bengt Malmgren and Helge Lockner from the Cathedral Parish, representing the Charismatic Renewal and Focolare spoke about the collaboration with Dean Grzegorz and some other parishioners in arranging parish evenings and compiling the congregation's answers to the questions for the synodal process.
Pelle Thorell from St. Eugenia Parish spoke about the Christian Life Community (CLC). It is an Ignatian movement for lay people who want to be in the service of the gospel and work through local discussion groups. One commits to mutually giving and receiving support. The goal is to seek and find God in all things—in everyday life, in the family, at work, and among friends, as well as through efforts in neighborhoods, in the Church, and in society at large.
After that, a general conversation was opened to which many contributed engagedly. F Dominik, vicar of St. Eugenia, said all movements are welcome in his parish and urged the movements not to stare too much blindly at conforming to a supposed parish norm, but to really develop their specific graces. He encouraged the movements to interact with the congregation by taking responsibility for various tasks, e.g. if there is an open house activity, then different movements and groups can take responsibility for their specific days.
In addition to social work and outreach evangelism, intercession is an important part of the movements' activities. Pater Rainer Carls S.J. emphasized that it is important that prayer must not become self-centered, but that it is focused on the common good of the world and the church. P Carls is the national leader of the Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network. He presented a guide to prayer that is available as a resource on the Prayer network's website that can be useful for anyone to take part in: [The Way of the Heart]. Each month there is a specific prayer intention presented by the Pope with a video; [The Pope Video]. The prayer network is neither a movement nor a group but a service for the whole church, to sacrifice daily with the pope our prayers, works, joys and sufferings for the monthly intentions the pope has chosen.
The evening was rounded off by Bishop Anders who gave us the blessing.
