Pastoral Offerings

Healing Our Church/Sanando Nuestra Iglesia

Healing Our Church, RENEW International’s response to the crises of sexual abuse and coverup, had a dramatic impact in the dioceses and parishes where the program has been implemented so far. “It was very, very beneficial,” said Father Anthony Randazzo, pastor of the Catholic Church of the Holy Trinity in Westfield, New Jersey, a pilot parish in the Archdiocese of Newark. Father Randazzo told the archdiocesan newspaper, The Advocate, that parishioners “came to understand the issue better. They expressed their feelings openly and did not hesitate or feel deferential. They let people know how they felt about the horrendous things that have gone on.” The program was introduced in the Diocese of Allentown, where more than 3,000 men and women participated. It has also been implemented in the dioceses of Grand Rapids, Michigan, Newark and Charleston, South Carolina and many individual parishes, including the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington, DC. RENEW created Healing Our Church to encourage the “people in the pews” to share their feelings about the troubling issues, embrace their role as members of Christ’s body, and discern and commit to actions they can take. An enculturated companion process, Sanando Nuestra Iglesia, has been Sister Ruth Bolarte, IHM, a RENEW pastoral consultant, conducts a workshop on Sanando implemented among SpanishNuestra Iglesia, for Spanish-speaking leaders in the Diocese of Charleston, South Carolina. speaking Catholics, and Healing Our Church has been translated into Portuguese. Father Paul Cannarato, pastor of the Church of the Assumption in Emerson, New Jersey, told The Advocate, “The program is a wonderful instrument to begin the process of healing. One of the realizations (participants) came to is that each one of them has to be a minister of healing. … And I think it contributed to the individual healing of the people who attended it. It gave them a way forward. As a group, they came to the realization that they are called as Christ’s disciples to do Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, archbishop of Newark, speaks during one of the videos that whatever is necessary to help the victims, and that they are empowered accompanies Healing Our Church. Videos by the Holy Spirit to hold the Church accountable.” were also provided by Sister Donna Ciangio, Participants are surveyed before and after the process so that RENEW can assess how behavior, awareness, and attitudes may have changed, OP, chancellor of the archdiocese, and, in Spanish, by Auxiliary Bishop Manuel Cruz. and the results have shown that for most participants the experience has been positive and constructive. RENEW is working with parishes whose participation in Healing Our Church was interrupted by the pandemic, to help them continue.

Staying Connected

When the pandemic hit, RENEW International responded. Life changed abruptly; suddenly, Catholics could no longer gather in person in prayer and celebration at our parishes. RENEW recognized the need for people to connect and moved quickly to become one of the first Catholic organizations in the nation to offer faith-sharing opportunities online. Within a week of stay-at-home orders, RENEW

President Sister Terry Rickard led “Till We Meet Again,” a series of online faith sharing sessions amid the pandemic, which drew up to 100 people per session. The online faith-sharing events, which allowed people to break up into groups of four to six for personal sharing, were received with gratitude. “It was so good to pray with other faith-filled Catholics again,” and, “I felt so much care and support,” were among the comments from people who participated in these online gatherings. Throughout the spring and summer, RENEW launched many other online faith-sharing groups. These included Sr. Terry’s group on what it means to be “holy” in everyday life, utilizing RENEW’s What, Me Holy? by Chris Lowney; Sister Honora Nolty’s group on environmental stewardship, using Creation at the Crossroads by Monsignor Ed Ciuba; and a group for young adults led by RENEW’s Sister Ruth Bolarte, a RENEW pastoral consultant (inset at upper right), Theology on Tap coordinator, Jessica Guerriero, conducts an online ARISE/LÉVANTATE information session in which a former and Paul Krenzelok, associate director of pastoral ARISE participant speaks of “being challenged to live a Catholic life.” logistics. In addition to these faith-sharing sessions, RENEW offered a series of webinar interviews with provocative faith leaders designed to inspire and give practical guidance to listeners. In April, author Chris Lowney (What, Me Holy?) and Sr. Terry shared poignant stories and advice on how to become the “saint next door” during the pandemic, drawing from the wisdom of Pope Francis.

In recognition of Laudato Si’ Week in May, Monsignor Ed Ciuba, Ann Marie

Brennan (promoter for the Christian Life Community—USA), and Father John

Grace (pastor of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Hampton, Virginia) headlined a webinar conversation on how our faith calls us to care for the earth as “our common home.” In August, Sr. Terry engaged Dr. Greg Popcak and his wife, Laurie, in an animated conversation called “Frazzled but Faithful:

Parenting through the Pandemic (and After).” Through sharing grace-filled stories of raising their own children in the Catholic faith, the Popcaks offered wisdom for “frazzled” families. Monsignor Edward J. Ciuba, author of RENEW’s Creation at

Online offerings—nearly 40 faith-sharing sessions and webinars combined— the Crossroads, participated in from March through the summer resulted in over 1,100 registrations. RENEW’s a webinar in May 2020 on how commitment to spreading and sharing the gospel online has resulted in a our faith calls us to care for the surge of new people touched by its offerings. earth as “our common home.”

Parents present their children for the sacrament of baptism for a variety of reasons. The Church has always responded to requests for baptism in many ways and using a variety of formats. RENEW International’s Baptism Matters provides parishes, parents, and godparents with the tools they need to see baptism as an evangelizing moment. During the past fiscal year, RENEW began enrolling parishes both as permanent subscribers to Baptism Matters and in a free 90-day pilot program. Baptism Matters provides the resources needed for a complete baptism preparation process: • Online learning modules for parents, godparents, and parish staff • In-person faith-sharing materials • A private Facebook community where parents can engage with their peers • Interview guide for mentors making first contact with parents This is one of the original animated scenes created for RENEW’s Baptism Matters learning modules. The program employs video, animation, and still images to provide a lively and engaging experience. • Automated emails to help keep parents engaged with the parish long after celebration of the sacrament The Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us, “The mission to baptize, and so the sacramental mission, is implied in the mission to evangelize.” (CCC 1122) “Baptism Matters is theologically sound, pastorally sensitive, and extremely user friendly. Thank you RENEW for giving us such a wonderful program!”—Theresa Prymuszewski, Archdiocese of Washington RENEW has begun planning a preparation program for parents of children who will receive First Communion. DID YOU KNOW? RENEW INTERNATIONAL Sixty-two parishes in the United States, Canada, and South Africa have taken advantage of a “pilot parish” opportunity to experience RENEW’s Baptism Matters parent-preparation program.

What, Me Holy? What, Me Holy? by Chris Lowney is based on the apostolic exhortation Rejoice and Be Glad by Pope Francis. Starting on April 30, 2020, RENEW International offered a twelve-week online faith-sharing group opportunity that addressed the issue of everyday holiness, the focus of this book. One example Chris gave was from an experience he had waiting in line in a grocery store during the pandemic. As he complained to his wife on the phone while in line, she suggested that he take the time to pray the rosary for those impacted by the virus. And so, he did. Chris reminds us that holiness is not just for saints; it is for each of us. The blessings that come from experiencing the love of Christ through ordinary experiences can really change our lives. What, Me Holy? is suitable for small-group faith sharing and for individual reflection.

Sister Terry Rickard with Chris Lowney, author of What, Me Holy?—a small-group resource inspired by Pope Francis’ exhortation Rejoice and Be Glad. In April 2020, Sr. Terry and Chris teamed up for a webinar based on the overall theme of the book, holiness in everyday life.

Why Catholic?/¿Por Qué Ser Católico? Why Catholic?/¿Por Qué Ser Católico? is a unique adult faith-formation program that is based on the Catechism of the Catholic Church and on Sacred Scripture; this program has had a tremendous impact on individuals and parish communities. This process, which has been translated into seven languages— most recently, French— provides a total evangelization and catechetical experience for various parish groups: • Small faith-sharing groups • Parish catechists • RCIA candidates • Parents of young children preparing for the sacraments • Families looking to deepen their faith In October, 2019, the Catholic Mobilizing Network • Those searching for God celebrated 10 years of advocacy to abolish the death penalty in the United States. At the event at the Vatican “The Why Catholic? process has offered us all new and unique embassy in Washington D.C., are, from left, Alice Hugh opportunities to examine what we believe and why we believe Brown, author of RENEW’s forthcoming small-group it. The small group settings have encouraged dialogue in a resource Dignity and the Death Penalty; Sister Helen trusted and comfortable setting—with friends who all share the Prejean, whose insights on the death penalty are intrinsic same desire to learn more about what it means to be Catholic and how our faith impacts us in our daily lives.” Ken R., St. Brigid Parish to the RENEW book; Krisanne Vaillancourt Murphy, executive director of CMN; and Mary Beth Oria, director of operations at RENEW. CMN is collaborating with RENEW on the new program.

ARISE Together in Christ/LEVÁNTATE. Unámonos en Cristo BE MY WITNESS/Sean mis testigos

A CASE STUDY OF THE DIOCESE OF BROOKLYN

Following the completion of ARISE Together in Christ/LEVÁNTATE. Unámonos en Cristo by over 70 parishes in the all-urban Diocese of Brooklyn, plans were made to begin a new cohort of ARISE/LEVÁNTATE parishes and begin a first-adaptor cohort using RENEW’s program on the new evangelization, Be My Witness/Sean mis testigos. Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio recognized the great transformation that took place among the parishes and faithful of the diocese during the diocesan-wide ARISE/LEVÁNTATE initiative and desired that spirit to continue as small faith-sharing groups became imbedded in parish life throughout the diocese. For those parishes that did not participate in any process during the first round, several options were provided by the staff of RENEW, who worked closely with Theodore Musco, former secretary for evangelization and catechesis at the Diocese of Brooklyn. Of special note, the parishes of Holy Trinity Parish in Whitestone, New York, and St. Nicholas of Tolentine Parish in Jamaica, New York Here are the 13 parishioners of St. Joseph Catholic Church in McCloud, California, who completed ARISE began the process Together in Christ this year and planned to continue their small-group meetings with Why Catholic? With the of Be My Witness, participants are, on the left, Deacon Ed Pecis and Sr. Elizabeth O’Donnell OP, of RENEW International’s pastoral pastored by Milissa team, and, on the right, Fr. Lester Menor. Deacon Ed and Father Lester also minister at St. Anthony Catholic Else, a member of the Pastoral Services Church in Mount Shasta, where another 13 parishioners participated in ARISE small groups. Altogether, more than 600 men and women in the Diocese of Sacramento took part in ARISE in English and Spanish. Team at RENEW. While both parish communities vibrantly launched the process, the pandemic caused some disruption, to say the least. Milissa continued to work with the parish leaders during the spring and into the summer and will endeavor to move the parish groups forward in the process. Those parishes that are in the early stages of ARISE/LEVÁNTATE will transition to a virtual process due to continued pandemic concerns that have limited use of parish buildings or homes. Several parishes have agreed to move the RENEW processes from in-person to virtual and are collaborating with RENEW to continue faith sharing.

Women in Conversation RENEW is collaborating with author and spiritual director Loretta Pehanich in developing Women in Conversation, a small-group faith-sharing resource. As the introduction to the 12-session program says, participants “will read the stories of ordinary women like us. We will ponder words from extraordinary female role models in our Catholic history, and we will pray Scripture. And we will grow through listening to the very special women in our small groups. With God’s help, we will Loretta Pehanich evaluate situations and consider improvements. And then we will get to work. … We can transform our Church and world, thanks to the loving leadership of the Holy Spirit.”