by Virginia King

2002 - As we celebrate our 25th Anniversary year, it’s important to look back and see where we came from, to revisit our roots and reflect on God’s call for us at the beginning. In this way we can place our current situation in perspective and look to the future with well-grounded vision.

THEN

WWCCR began in November of 1977 with a small desk, a phone and a box of used books. The desk was really small! We still have the desk in a corner of the office and it looks almost like a toy!

In 1978, the first full year of WWCCR’s existence, we sponsored bi-monthly leadership meetings and a workshop on Leadership and Communication Skills. We sponsored a special Pentecost Mass with Archbishop Hunthausen at Kennedy High School. In June that year we co-sponsored the Third Northwest Charismatic General Conference at the Seattle Center with Fr. John Bertolucci, Dr. Vinson Synon and Mr. George Martin as featured speakers.

WWCCR sponsored a “Healing Institute” which eventually gave birth to the Institute for Christian Ministries (ICM) later on. That same year we also sponsored a “Biblical Weekend”, featuring Fr. Fulton, Mary Mauren and Sheila Fabricant as the main speakers. Mary Mauren proceeded from that to become a significant influence in training the laity in Scripture study throughout the Archdiocese. Perhaps even the early seeds of the noted S.A.L.T. program, which is offered by Seattle University, could be traced to that weekend.

A more recent WWCCR initiative, which grew into a separate entity, is the Catholic Spiritual Gifts Inventory, developed by Sherry Weddell while working on her Masters degree at Seattle University. In 1993, for her internship for her degree, Sherry worked with Ron Ryan (who was the WWCCR Pastoral Administrator at the time) in developing a Spiritual Gifts Development Program. In 1994, WWCCR added Sherry to our staff as she continued to refine the Program and bring the Inventory to publication. In July of 1997, the Western Dominican Province founded the Catherine of Siena Institute and hired Sherry as Associate Director. In that position she continues the work of helping lay Catholics discern and develop their charisms with the “Called and Gifted” program and other resources which help them take their place as lay apostles in the world.

But getting back to 1978, at that time, many of the prayer groups in various parishes throughout the Archdiocese were sponsoring Charismatic Masses. It wasn’t unusual to have a different prayer group sponsoring a Charismatic Mass each week of each month. The prayer groups also sponsored special teaching events, which WWCCR advertised in our newsletter.

Even in those days, I’m sure that the desk I mentioned seemed very small. I’m sure the amount of work to be done felt overwhelming to Larry Monuteaux and the others who helped at the office. It’s interesting to look back at the newsletters and see their frequent requests for volunteers and for financial contributions.

NOW

Since those early days the Renewal has changed significantly. In those days there were very few Catholic resources relating to baptism in the Holy Spirit. There were few books on the subject and the ones that were available were read and passed around from person to person. The excitement and hunger to learn more was voracious. Compare that with today when we have shelves full of titles specifically related to Catholic Charismatic Renewal.

The same is true with audio tapes from conferences. We still have in our Tape Lending Library many of those tapes from the early years. And we have continued to add to the library every year until now we have over 2100 tapes! What a resource! These lending libraries and our bookstore have grown through the years to make solid teaching accessible to anyone who is serious about growing in their “life in the Spirit.”

In 2001, WWCCR sponsored eighteen Healing Masses in parishes throughout the Archdiocese. We sponsored two conferences with workshop and guest speakers, one in June at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma and one in October at Immaculate Conception Church in Everett. Events like these, though sponsored by our office, involve collaboration with and involvement by many parts of the Body of Christ.

Planning just one Healing Mass involves: getting permission from the Archbishop to invite the priest; contacting the Pastor of the parish for permission to schedule it; working with the parish staff and numerous volunteers to coordinate the liturgy, the music and the prayer teams; doing publicity and follow-up, and much more. That effort is multiplied many times during the year for the various events we sponsor.

And the efforts are all worthwhile when we hear of lives that are transformed by the presence and activity of the Holy Spirit at these events. The reports we hear are numerous and amazing. People discover new depths of prayer. Some receive physical and emotional healing. Conversion and spiritual healings urge some back to the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Many experience God’s personal love for them in a tangible way for the first time.

As Fr. Cantalamessa stated in a recent article, “One thing remains the same today as in the early days of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, and that is the power of the Holy Spirit. We see it achieve today, in those who come into contact with it for the first time, exactly the same effects as in the early days. Every time we allow Him to act, every time we provide suitable occasions for His coming, where people gather as in the Cenacle with expectant faith, He does come down. Every time, it is a whole new world that opens up before the person who receives Him.”

And so many people have received Him! In 1977 our mailing list consisted of 300 names. Today we have over 11,600 names of people who have had some connection to WWCCR, and over 2500 of those receive our newsletter each month. Add to that the website, which Joe Heckel helped us develop this past year, and you can see the growth in the number of people we are able to communicate with.

Any of you who have been involved in putting out a monthly newsletter or keeping a website up to date will appreciate how much time and energy is expended in these endeavors. Yet, how important this communication is! A woman called our office to let us know how important GLEANINGS is to her: “When I read it, I pray more. When I don’t read it, I forget how important prayer is. It encourages my spiritual life. It’s like a vitamin for me!”

Twenty-five years after we started, the need for this ministry has not diminished. “Charismatic Renewal is a work of the Holy Spirit responding to the spiritual needs of our time. It is a sign in the life of the Church of the continuing relevance of the ‘outpouring of the Holy Spirit’ on the baptized, which gives life and direction to the Church in the accomplishment of its mission in the world.” (Bishop Paul Josef Cordes in Call to Holiness) May the Holy Spirit help WWCCR to be more and more fruitful in responding to the spiritual need of our time!