A Brief History of the Charismatic Renewal in the Oakland Diocese
In the late 1970s, Bishop Begin appointed Fr. Dan Danielson as our first Liaison. When Fr. Dan left the position in 1980, Bishop Cummins appointed Deacon Bill Warren. By December of 1980, Bill had formed a Service Committee which included Pat Mullins and Charlie Peissner, They came together to pray, to discern God's will, to hear and obey. God gave them a VISION, a mission statement, for the Renewal, as well as a list of service areas. This was an important move of the Holy Spirit because it provided a vehicle for the individual, isolated prayer groups to connect with one another, and to have opportunities to learn together and grow spiritually within our Catholic tradition. The Lord raised up a number of servant-leaders to begin to fill the service roles. The Renewal was "off and running" as the Holy Spirit led. What emerged? Charismatic Masses, Teaching Days, Workshops, Retreats and Life in the Spirit Seminars, a newsletter, the Burning Bush, with a calendar of charismatic events as well as articles with balanced, scriptural teaching. In addition, the Renewal Office prints a music booklet available for any prayer group, keeps track of the copyright reporting, records teachings, prints tracts to be made available for the body of Christ, and maintains a list of charismatic prayer meetings in the diocese.
In 1986 Deacon Bill Warren appointed Charlie Peissner as un-paid Administrator of the CCRO office which was one room at Holy Redeemer Center in Oakland. In 1989 Deacon Bill moved to the Stockton Diocese, but he continued to serve as Liaison for the Oakland Diocese for another year and a half. Deacon Bill resigned in 1991 and Charlie was selected as the new Liaison. When Charlie was installed in 1991, he was 1 of only 30 un-ordained, lay liaisons in the US. Charlie resigned December 31, 2004, leaving a small group (CCRO Outreach) to continue the ministries of the Renewal until a new Liaison could be appointed. Bishop Vigneron appointed RoseMarie Mullins as his Liaison in mid-2005 where she has served until January 2015. Subsequently, Bishop Michael Barber appointed Fr. Jay Babu at the Director of Charismatic Renewal in the Diocese of Oakland (thus changing the title from "Liaison" to "Director"). In 2018, Bishop Michael Barber appointed Fr. Bob Menconca as the Director of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal where he is actively participating in the direction and leadership of the Renewal on parish, diocesan, and regional levels.
"The Holy Spirit moves us forward, often in surprising ways. Let us live in such a way that we recognize these moves of the Spirit and are ready to respond to them at a moment's notice!"
...quote from Johnny Bertucci, Chair of National Service Committee of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal.
Words from the Popes to the Catholic Charismatic Renewal
Paul VI
"Nothing is more necessary for such a world, more and more secularised, than the testimony of this 'spiritual renewal', which we see the Holy Spirit bring about today in the most diverse regions and environments. Its manifestations are varied: deep communion of souls, close contact with God in faithfulness to the commitments undertaken at Baptism, in prayer that is often community prayer, in which each one, expressing himself freely, helps, supports and nourishes the prayer of others, and, at the basis of everything, a personal conviction. This conviction has its source not only in instruction received by faith but also in a certain experience of real life, namely, that without God, man can do nothing, that with him, on the contrary, everything becomes possible. […] How then could this 'spiritual renewal' not be 'a chance' for the church and for the world? And how, in this case, could one not take all the means to ensure that it remains so?"
Address of Pope Paul VI to participants in the Second International Leaders' Conference of Charismatic Renewal Rome, 19 May 1975
John Paul II
"The Catholic charismatic movement is one of the many fruits of the Second Vatican Council, which, like a new Pentecost, led to an extraordinary flourishing in the Church's life of groups and movements particularly sensitive to the action of the Spirit. How can we not give thanks for the precious spiritual fruits that the Renewal has produced in the life of the Church and in the lives of so many people? How many lay faithful — men, women, young people, adults and the elderly — have been able to experience in their own lives the amazing power of the Spirit and his gifts! How many people have rediscovered the faith, the joy of prayer, the power and beauty of the Word of God, translating all this into generous service in the Church's mission! How many lives have been profoundly changed! For all this today, together with you, I wish to praise and thank the Holy Spirit."
Address of the Holy Father Pope John Paul II to leaders of Renewal in the Spirit in Italy Rome, 4 April 1998
Benedict XVI
"As I have been able to affirm in other circumstances, the Ecclesial Movements and New Communities which blossomed after the Second Vatican Council constitute a unique gift of the Lord and a precious resource for the life of the Church. They should be accepted with trust and valued for the various contributions they place at the service of the common benefit in an ordered and fruitful way. Your current reflection on the centrality of Christ in preaching is very interesting as well as on the importance of 'Charisms in the life of the particular Church', referring to Pauline theology, the New Testament and the experience of the Charismatic Renewal. What we learn in the New Testament on charism, which appeared as visible signs of the coming of the Holy Spirit, is not a historical event of the past, but a reality ever alive. It is the same divine Spirit, soul of the Church, that acts in every age and those mysterious and effective interventions of the Spirit are manifest in our time in a providential way. The Movements and New Communities are like an outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the Church and in contemporary society. We can, therefore, rightly say that one of the positive elements and aspects of the Community of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal is precisely their emphasis on the charisms or gifts of the Holy Spirit and their merit lies in having recalled their topicality in the Church."
Address of His Holiness Benedict XVI to participants in a meeting organized by the Catholic Fraternity of Charismatic Covenant Communities and Fellowships – Rome, 31 October 2008