June 27, 2008

Charismatic Conference returns for 25th year

Barbara Dodd, Tennessee Register

Twenty-five years ago Teresa Seibert decided to have a conference for the Charismatic Renewal movement. She thought it would be a one-time event. Little did she know how much the conference would grow and how long it would last.

The 25th annual Mid-South Regional Charismatic Conference will be held at St. Ignatius Church in Antioch on July 11 and 12.

“I never envisioned doing this for 25 years. It is an exciting time for us,” said Seibert. “To look back over the years and to realize the caliber of speakers who have come to this area and have spoken to us and who have brought their wisdom and knowledge and shared it with us, it has been a phenomenal time.

“Each one of the conferences has been so uplifting and inspiring that it’s just a great time in the life of the church,” she added. “Every year when we do this I see the people who come here and I see the excitement and it is a great time to be part of it.”

The theme of the conference is “Hidden Treasures …Wealth Untold.” The hidden treasures are those to be found in baptism, Eucharist and confirmation. The speaker for the conference will be Father Mitch Pacwa, SJ.

Back in 1984 Father Pacwa was living at St. Henry and finishing up his doctorate at Vanderbilt University on the Old Testament, said Seibert. He was one of the speakers at the first Mid South Conference. Since leaving Nashville Father Pacwa has founded Ignatius Productions which is a media production apostolate. He has lectured at conferences and churches around the world. He can speak 12 languages.

There will be a teen track at the conference for those 13 go 19. “The teen track will help the teens discover the joy and excitement found through a dynamic relationship with Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit,” Seibert said. On Saturday night the teens will join the rest of the conference for the healing service.

Bishop David Choby will celebrate Mass on Saturday morning.

The Charismatic Renewal movement has at its core the Holy Spirit that Jesus promised to send, Seibert said. “It’s an evangelistic movement that tries to bring others to a new knowledge of the person of Jesus also.

“It helps the sacraments come alive. It helps people become more aware of the true presence of Jesus in the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist,” she said.

“It makes Scripture come alive for people,” Seibert said. “When they pick up the Bible and start reading the Scripture the words just seem to take on new meaning and people can equate the words better into their current life-style. Even though the Bible was written hundreds and hundreds of years ago it’s still really relevant in today’s society, in today’s world.”

The Charismatic Renewal began in 1967 at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. There, people prayed for a new understanding of the Holy Spirit. They were studying the Acts of the Apostles. The Holy Spirit poured out upon them and that outpouring spread all around the world, said Seibert.

Popes from John XXIII to Benedict XVI have supported the Charismatic Renewal, said Seibert “It is not a fringe movement but is part of the mainstream movement for the church. ... It has the backing of the magisterium of the church.”

In 1997 an ad hoc committee for Catholic Charismatic Renewal of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops wrote in “Grace for a New Springtime” that “the impact of the Charismatic Renewal on the broader Church has been significant. The Renewal has nourished the call to all to holiness as a gift from the Spirit and helped the Church come to a greater awareness and expectancy of the Holy Spirit and the charismatic gifts of the Spirit.”

The Charismatic Renewal, Seibert said, “helps people grasp the true understanding of the Holy Spirit and how the Holy Spirit is alive and working in their lives today.” 

Attendance at the conference is limited to 750 people. Advanced registration is $35 for a single, $65 for a family, $55 for married couples, $15 for youth, and $25 for Saturday only.

Registration begins at 6:30 p.m. Friday, July 11, with Music and Praise at 7:30 and the opening session at 8 p.m.

On Saturday, July 12, registration begins at 8 a.m. with Music and Praise at 8:30 a.m., Mass at 9 a.m., Session 2 at 11 a.m., lunch at noon, Session 3 at 1:30 p.m., Session 4 at 3 p.m., supper at 4:30 p.m. and Evening Session at 7 p.m.

For more information call (615) 789-4598 or email: tseibert@bellsouth.net.