CCR Sweden. Newsletter March 2023
edited by Bengt Malmgren
CCR Sweden, Newsletter from Bengt Malmgren March 2023
Eu-CHARIS info-letter No. 7
The European Service of Communion for CHARIS publishes this info-letter, and No. 7 is a report from the meeting in Zagreb in February. The focus of the meeting was prayer, repentance, leadership, listening to the Lord and to each other, intercession for the different countries. How is CHARIS developing in the European countries? The info-letter is very rich and I recommend that you take part in it.[Länk här].
Tidigare nummer brevet finns på [Eu-CHARIS hemsida].
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Retreat i Järfälla with Terry Quinn
In the Holy Trinity parish in Järfälla, a lenten retreat was held March 17-19 with Terry Quinn, world-renowned evangelist and Bible teacher from Ireland. Recently he has become a member of the CHARIS Service of Communion in Ireland. His teaching is prophetically proclaiming and challenges those who hear him to take steps forward in faith, open themselves to the gifts of the Holy Spirit and participate in the evangelization of the Church.
Jan Öqvist, who was on the retreat in Järfälla, says:
"It was a successful retreat in true charismatic spirit where the Holy Spirit was present in a tangible way. Terry reminded us that we all have a calling and an obligation to spread the word, the gospel because we are all priests in the general priesthood. The target groups are one's own family, one's own parish, the workplace, friends and acquaintances and society at large.
He pointed out that within the Catholic Church there are many who do not actively participate in the Holy Mass. The priest says 'Brothers and sisters, pray that my sacrifice and yours will be acceptable to God the Father Almighty', so we must participate. Terry also had an 'altar call to alter your life' where almost everyone came up to the altar with their hands outstretched. For me personally a very strong experience."
Francis' 10 years as Pope, his importance for the Charismatic Renewal.
When Cardinal Bergoglio was elected Pope in 2013, it was something that the Charismatic Renewal in particular welcomed. Already as archbishop of Buenos Aires, he was a strong supporter of the Charismatic renewal and understood the ecumenical character of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Thanks to him, there was good cooperation between Catholics and evangelical communities in Argentina (in contrast to what was often the case in the rest of South America). [Read previous text about this].
During his ten years as Pope, it has also been shown that he continued to recognize the need for renewal in the Holy Spirit for the Church and has guided the Charismatic Renewal, i.a. by [in 2019 establishing CHARIS, the new Vatican structure to support and guide the renewal].
Pentecost of the movements and meeting with Cardinal Anders Arborelius in May
We already now want to tannounce 2 gatherings with the movements in the church in the month of May;
Pentecost evening, May 27 at 5 PM, pentecost vigil in the Catholic Cathedral in Stockholm Friday, May 12 at 5 p.m.
Since bishop Anders cannot celebrate mass with us on Pentecost, he will celebrate a simple mass with us on Friday, May 12 at 5 PM in the Cathedral and then participate in a gathering in the parish hall.
New contact-persons for CHARIS in Luleå och Nacka
In connection with a Charismatic conference in Fiuggi, Italy in 1998, deacon Pancho and Bengt Malmgren met a young priest from Nigeria belonging to the evangelizing clergy society Missionaries of St. Paul. As a fruit of this, two priests from there, Fr Damian Eze and Fr Chikezie Onuoha later came to Sweden. Over the years the NSC of Sweden have had a lot of cooperation with them. Fr Damian has been [speaker at the Jesus Manifestation in Stockholm 2010], I have been invited to participate in [street evangelism in Gävle] when Damian was the parish priest there and much more.
Nowadays, both of these priests are incardinated in the Catholic diocese of Stockholm, Fr Chikezie is the parish priest in Nacka and Fr Damian is the parish priest in Luleå where i.a. a new drive for street evangelism is planned this autumn.
See [presentation by F Damian in AKKS newsletter January 2002].
Street evangelism with Catholic church in Gävle 2013
CHARIS Integral Formation Program
This excellent internet-based training for prayer group leaders and other functionaries within the Charismatic Renewal starts its second semester in May. We recommend the course for all prayer group leaders and other functionaries within the Charismatic Renewal. I myself have taken part in the first three semesters. I can assure you that it is a very useful and good training, both for beginners who want to take on the responsibility of an official and for those of us who have been around a little longer. It's easy to sign up now. [More information here]