People from across the state gathered at the Wyndham Riverfront Hotel in North Little Rock to be renewed in the Spirit during the 17th annual Arkansas Catholic Charismatic Conference sponsored by Catholic Charismatic Renewal Services.
Nearly 500 people participated in the three-day conference beginning Friday, Aug. 8 and ending with Mass on Aug. 10.
The charismatic movement began in the United States in the late 1960s with a group of students from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh who while on retreat received charismatic gifts, such as those listed in l Corinthians 12-14.
From there, the students went out to encourage Catholics to be renewed in the Holy Spirit, said Jim Morgan, co-coordinator of the Arkansas conference.
“Charismatic renewal really is about empowering Catholics to go out to do what the Spirit moves us to do,” he said. “It is a way to use the gifts of the Spirit to do the work of the Spirit. It brings a fresh new wind to the faith.”
Charles Ledbetter, co-coordinator of the conference, said charismatics in Arkansas have energized the Church by being active in or starting activities such as prayer groups, youth conferences, Little Rock Scripture Study, programs for married couples and the Cursillo movement.
The theme of the conference was “The Spirit of the Lord God is Upon Me” from Isaiah 61:1-3.
The conference offered a children’s workshop for ages 5-12, including songs, games and crafts, Morgan said. A lunch and discussion forum was held for youth ages 13-18.
Conference speakers included Patti Mansfield of New Orleans, an original participant in the “Duquesne Weekend” event that marked the beginning of the charismatic movement and author of several books; Father Louis Cerulli of Montreal, who conducted a healing of the family tree workshop for the conference; and Deacon Alex Jones of Detroit, who became Catholic along with 54 members of his former church, including 14 members of his family.
Jones spoke to the conference about his conversion to the Catholic faith.
Jones said as a young child he thought church was sad with too many rules. His grandmother was Pentecostal and he drove her to church in order to learn to drive.
“I wanted to get my driver’s license and my grandmother would only let me drive to church,” he said.
At the age of 16, he was baptized in the Pentecostal church and later as an adult he became pastor of the church where he was baptized. Later he formed his own Pentecostal church and it grew to more than 200 families. During this time, he began searching for a deeper connection to worship.
“I wasn’t looking to become Catholic. I never intended to be Catholic,” he said. “I was looking for a way to connect to apostolic worship.”
He began reading St. Paul’s letters to Timothy and Titus and early works by the successors of the Apostles. He said he was looking to replicate how the early Church worshipped in order to be a better church.
Slowly over the course of two years, Jones knew he had to make a choice.
“I knew I had to be Catholic. I knew it would cost me everything,” he said. “And it did. It cost my family, my livelihood, my ministry and my reputation.”
In 2001, Jones came into the Catholic Church. He was ordained a deacon for the Archdiocese of Detroit in 2005.
In addition to celebrating the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the conference honored a person who has nurtured the charismatic movement in Arkansas, Morgan said. Saturday evening Phylis Weisenfels of Fort Smith was presented with the “Founder of our Faith” Award.
“The award is a way to acknowledge people who’ve made a contribution to the renewal movement,” Morgan said. “Phylis has led a prayer group for 25 years and has organized the annual conference several years as well.”
The conference closed on Sunday with Mass celebrated by Father Ed Graves of Wynne, a charismatic liaison for the diocese.
