NEWS FROM SPAIN AND PORTUGAL

SPAIN

The leaders retreat for Spain has taken place on the 3, 4 and 5th of May in Madrid. It was directed by Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa. About 650 brothers and sisters assisted. Under the motto “If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Mk 8,34). Fr. Raniero led us deep in the meaning of the cross. This retreat has been very fruitful and greatly blessed spiritually.

Spain also prepares its 24th National Conference which will take place on the 5,6 and 7th of July in Madrid, and the speakers will be Ralph Martin as well as other Spanish preachers. 

Gregorio López (National co-ordinator) 

NATIONAL CONFERENCES IN PORTUGAL

In the first days of February 2002 at the Sanctuary of the Vergin Mary in Fatima took place the IX National Meeting of the Charismatic Catholic Renewal. The theme was "Come to me". There were more than two thousand attendants coming also from Spain, France and some African countries. 
The speaker was Matteo Calisi vice-president of ICCRS and representative for southern Europe. The subjects discussed in the Meeting dealt with the renewal of the spiritual fervour and a new missionary impulse on the base of Pope's invitation in his encyclical Novo Millennio Ineunte. 
During the conference took place also some meetings for youth, time of prayer and eucharistic celebrations led by Most Reverend Serafim, Bishop of Leiria-Fátima, and by Bishop João Alves, Bishop of Coimbra. 
The Meeting was organised by the International Community Emmanuel.

Matteo Calisi

DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES, DIFFERENT NATIONAL CONFERENCES

In Portugal are different national conferences during the year. Maria Helena Amorim, who was a member of the NSC for a long time and responsible for the International Contacts wrote:

'In Fátima, we have, during the year, several National Charismatic Conferences.

In summer, August/September we have a National Charismatic Conference organised by the N.S.C., with the collaboration of Diocesan Service Teams and of Charismatic Communities. This collaboration is decided together in the Meetings of Leaders (of Diocesan Service Teams and of Charismatic Communities).

At the beginning of the year, January/February, we have a National Conference organised by the Emmanuel Community. All Diocesan Leaders of the CCR and leaders of other Charismatic Communities are invited to be present and beforehand they are also asked to help to inform the prayer groups of their Dioceses about this Conference. This is also done in the Meetings of Leaders (of Diocesan Service Teams and of Charismatic Communities). 

By November we have a National Conference organised by a Charismatic Association, called Pneuma, to celebrate the anniversary of the beginning of the CCR in Portugal. They work in a more independent way. 

Usually before Christmas and around Easter, a Charismatic Community called "Comunidade Cristo de Betânia" organises also National Meetings at Christmas specially for families. They also work in more independent though they also inform about these Conferences in the Meeting of Leaders (of Diocesan Service Teams and of Charismatic Communities). 

Now, another Charismatic Community born in Brasil and recently in Portugal, "Comunidade Canção Nova" informed in the Meeting of Leaders (of Diocesan Service Teams and of Charismatic Communities) that they were planning also to organise a National Conference, may be next September, in Fátima. 

So, each entity who organises the National Conference numbers it according to the number of times it has been done by this entity. The NSC started 24 years ago the Emmanuel Community, only 9 or 10 years ago... that is why, this difference in numbers exists but, from the outside, this is certainly, difficult to understand. 

In a certain way, each entity organises their National Conferences with different style, different atmosphere. So, some people like better this one, others like better that one.'

Maria Helena

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All the information on the European Gathering (including registration form) is on the web:
  http://www.isidordata.se/akks/europe and www.iccrs.org (different languages) and in a leaflet that can be ordered from the Registration Office, ul. Sienkiewicza 60, 90-058 Lodz, Poland, tel./fax 0048 42 637 04 25, email: kzk@odnowa.opoka.org.pl