Bishop Solis presides at Mass marking 50th anniversary of Charismatic Movement

Intermountain Catholic

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Bishop Oscar A. Solis presided at the celebratory Mass of the 50th anniversary of the Charismatic Movement; the concelebrant was Father Jose Barrera, administrator of Saint Therese of the Child Jesus Parish, who is the group's spiritual advisor.

SALT LAKE CITY — As part of the 50th anniversary of the Charismatic Movement in the United States, the Diocese of Salt Lake City Charismatic group gathered in the Cathedral of the Madeleine for a celebratory Mass at which Bishop Oscar A. Solis presided.

During his opening prayer, Bishop Solis welcomed the people. “We are here today celebrating the 50th anniversary and to thank God for the service that you do in our diocese,” he said.

The Charismatic Catholic Renewal of the Diocese of Salt Lake City is comprised of parishioners from all over the state. Every year they organize events in which thousands gather “to feel happy about belonging to this graced movement; they use this joy to keep on in their work and service in their parishes,” said Father Jose Barrera, administrator of Saint Therese of the Child Jesus Parish, and the group’s spiritual advisor.

People who are not part of the movement are welcome at the events because one of the goals of the movement is “for them to learn about how God expresses himself in an extraordinary way through our history,” said Fr. Barrera.

In an interview during one of the recent Charismatic events, Rogelio Gonzales, coordinator of the Charismatic Renewal at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish, said the 50th anniversary is an important celebration, and “it is super important that our children know about this movement and what it means to be a Charismatic.”

Guest speakers are a feature of the Charismatic Catholic Renewal events in the diocese. In a recent interview, Deacon Santiago Guerrero from the Diocese of Las Vegas, who spoke at a local event earlier this year, referred to the jubilee as an opportunity for Catholics interested in the Charismatic Renewal to start a new path of working toward building the Kingdom of God on earth.

“This jubilee is like a new start in which we need to focus on what’s next,” he said. “One of the challenges is to evangelize all the people who need to be evangelized. To be able to do it, we need first to be evangelized ourselves.”

The Catholic Charismatic Renewal started around 1967 as a spiritual movement within the Catholic Church. It incorporates charismatic aspects with traditional Catholic practice, and emphasizes having a personal relationship with Jesus and expressing the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

For information about the diocesan Charismatic Renewal, contact the Office of Hispanic Ministry, 801-328-8641 ext. 332 or 338.