“Renewed by the Spirit, Alive in Christ!”
The Catholic Charismatic Renewal (CCR) is a spiritual movement of grace within the Catholic Church that emphasizes the availability of the power and the many gifts of the Holy Spirit in the life of every believer, and the need for a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ in order to live life to the fullest.
Rooted in prayer, worship, and evangelization, it seeks to renew faith, strengthen communities, and empower lay people to live out the Gospel with joy and conviction. CCR emphasizes the goodness of God and proclaims, with the Church, that God’s grace is freely given to everyone.
The experience of the first followers of Jesus was that they were empowered by God through the Holy Spirit to live a new kind of life—a life in a fuller dimension whereby God’s power worked in them and through them to bring God’s love and grace to all who would receive it. Essentially, it is this experience of God that lies at the basis of the Catholic faith, carrying forward a centuries-long tradition of God working through imperfect people seeking to know Him.
Throughout the history of the Church, extraordinary charisms have regularly appeared in the lives of saints. The growing institutionalization of the Church prompted Pope John XXIII to call the Second Vatican Council and pray that the Holy Spirit would renew His wonders “in this our days as by a new Pentecost.” Charismatic Renewal can be seen as a response to that heartfelt prayer and a sovereign work of God to bring alive people’s faith and restore biblical charisms to normal Church life.
Without a formal founder or single origin, the CCR was launched in 1967 during a retreat for 24 students from the Chi Rho society at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. Seeking to fill an emptiness in their spiritual lives, the students prayed for the Holy Spirit to renew their Baptism and Confirmation graces. While studying the Book of Acts, the Spirit was poured out upon them—some praised God in tongues, others wept for joy, and together they prayed continuously from late evening into the early morning.
Since 1967, the CCR has transformed lives through Spiritual Retreats, Life in the Spirit Seminars, and weekly Prayer Meetings—leading many to a living faith, healing, and active service in the Church. On September 14, 1993, the statutes of the International Catholic Charismatic Renewal Services (ICCRS) received formal papal confirmation.
As an approved movement, the CCR operates under the direction of ecclesiastical authorities to safeguard Catholic doctrine. In our vicariate, the movement was informally introduced on January 15, 2000, with the permission of His Excellency Mgr. Leonardus Dobblaar, the late bishop of the Catholic Church Apostolic Vicariate of Nekemte. It began in Dambii Dolloo with a weekly prayer group.
Over the last two decades, through the proclamation of the Word of God, charismatic prayer groups, and spiritual conferences, the lives of many people—especially the younger generation—have been transformed and stabilized in our Church.
People naturally need to express profound spiritual emotion and feel God's presence. God gives the Church new methods to reach each generation, making CCR a vital avenue for fulfilling the spiritual aspirations of our youth.
The parish priest is the Shepherd and spiritual father of all faithful and movements. Available to guide the CCR group according to Church teachings, the priest works in tandem with CCR members who operate in full allegiance and clear communication with parish leadership.
"Anyone who is not with me is really against me; anyone who does not help me gather is really scattering. For this reason I tell you: people can be forgiven any sin and any evil thing they say; but whoever says evil things against the Holy Spirit shall not and cannot be forgiven..."
Serving communities across Western Ethiopia through faith, education, healthcare, and humanitarian ministry.
Nekemte, East Wollega, Oromia, Ethiopia
+251 57 661 1527
info@nekemtevicariate.org.et
P. O. Box 412, Nekemte, Ethiopia
Post Code: 1AJSJi
Nekemte Catholic Secretariat (NCS) established in 1995. NCS functions as the executive arm of the Vicariate, coordinating pastoral ministry and social ministry across the Jurisdiction.
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