FORT SMITH — More than 600 Hispanic Catholics gathered at the Fort Smith Convention Center Aug. 9-10 to celebrate their life in the Holy Spirit at the fifth annual Conferencia Renovacion Carismatica Catolica. The theme of the conference was “Witnessing Under the Power of the Holy Spirit,” and their numbers and enthusiasm gave powerful witness to everyone they encountered.
“Miguel Valdez started our first Hispanic charismatic prayer group at Immaculate Conception nine years ago,” Aroldo Zacarias, vice president of the Hispanic conference said. “Now we have 11 groups in Arkansas — in Fort Smith, Rogers, Siloam Springs, Fayetteville, Van Buren, Clarksville, Dardanelle, Glenwood, DeWitt, De Queen and Conway.”
When their numbers were small, they attended the Arkansas Catholic Charismatic Conference in English each year in North Little Rock. Although they enjoyed the prayer times, many Hispanics had difficulty understanding the presentations.
In 2003 Msgr. James Mancini, diocesan charismatic liaison, gave the group $1,100 to start its own conference and their numbers have grown every year as whole families travel to pray, sing and worship together.
Usually the Anglo and Hispanic charismatic conferences are held on different weekends, allowing bilingual Catholics to attend both and pray together as they had in the past. This year, fully-booked facilities necessitated that the conferences be held the same weekend — Anglo in Little Rock, Hispanic in Fort Smith.
The explosive growth of the charismatic movement in the Hispanic community has also necessitated renting larger facilities. This year, young children and teens participated in the conference with their families, but elementary and middle schoolers attended special programs incorporating song, crafts, stories and Bible School-style activities.
The event began with Mass, concelebrated by Father Luis M. Castaneda of California, Msgr. Richard Oswald, pastor of Immaculate Conception Church; and Father Carlos Lozada, CM, associate pastor of St. Anne Church in North Little Rock.
Father Lozada, the spiritual director of the diocesan Hispanic charismatic conference, is part of the Vincentian Evangelization Team.
“The main activity of the charismatic renewal is to pray, and every Christian is called upon to pray,” Father Lozada said. “Hispanics like to move when they pray and are more familiar with motion.”
An adoration chapel was set up in the backstage area, and entire prayer groups gathered in a circle and hands joined to worship the Blessed Sacrament. Hundreds more attended the weekend’s seven workshops. “Padre Juan Carlos” gave a presentation on discipleship. Father Castaneda spoke on “A Vision of Catholic Charismatic Renewal” and “Power of the Holy Spirit.” Eleuterio Salamanca gave two presentations — “Missionaries of Jesus Christ” and “Receiving the Promise of the Father.” Two Sunday presentations, “Living as a Temple of the Holy Spirit” and “Christian Community,” were given by Father Duvan Bermudez of Palm Beach, Fla.
The workshops were punctuated by praise and worship music directed by Miguel Valdez, founder of the Hispanic charismatic prayer group in Fort Smith. The band, dressed in red, sang praise songs while playing guitars and bongos for the worshippers.
A highlight of Saturday’s conference was the procession in preparation for adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Sunday’s conference ended with the celebration of Mass.
Many volunteers were needed to host the conference. Some out-of-town families needed families to host them. Hard work is nothing new to the charismatic renewal, Nora Zacarias said. With her husband Aroldo, a member of the diaconate formation class, and son Alex, she travels to other parishes to help prayer groups get established.
“Teams from Fort Smith and Rogers helped a new group get started in Glenwood just two weeks ago,” she said.
Zacarias has seen the blessings it has brought to so many Catholics.
“We sing, we pray, we worship, we cry, and the one thing we noticed in our prayer group is that we read more of the Bible,” she said. “Every Saturday we have a reunion in Fort Smith when families pray together, pray for healing.”
The charismatic movement has given many Hispanic Catholics an extended family, and for those who have left loved ones in their home countries, that’s important.
Juan Rosales, president of the Hispanic charismatic movement, said of Aroldo Zacarias, “He is my brother in Christ.”
