Greetings from South Louisiana, where the summer heat wave is in full swing and God is doing marvelous and wondrous things.

Let me update you on four areas where God is moving (click on the links for more detailed information):

1. The NSC, partnering with Franciscan University of Steubenville, has organized a Jubilee Year (2017) Pilgrimage to the Holy Land and Rome. At the invitation of Pope Francis, the Catholic Charismatic Renewal around the world will gather with the Holy Father on Pentecost 2017. Leading the pilgrimage will be Bishop Sam Jacobs and Father Dave Pivonka. There will be an optional extension to San Giovanni Rotondo, the birthplace of Saint Padre Pio. This will be a historical pilgrimage celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal in St. Peter’s Square, the heart of the church!

2. The NSC, partnering with Editions Du Signe (a publishing house in France), is publishing a special edition of the New American Bible New Testament. For the first time that I am aware, there will be a Catholic Charismatic Renewal Branded Bible. These bibles are of amazing quality, beautifully illustrated and annotated. What an opportunity for the Renewal to have this bible as a tool in the New Evangelization!

3. The NSC is in the process of hiring a Young Adult Coordinator. The application process is now closed. We had over 20 applicants! We are at the interview stage and will introduce the new hire at our 2015 Leader’s Conference. Pray that we can more effectively pass along this grace of baptism in the Holy Spirit to each new generation.

4. We trace our beginnings back to February of 1967 when a group of Duquesne University students participated in a retreat at a retreat center called The Ark and The Dove. The NSC was notified in January that the retreat center, currently called Providence Villa, is for sale. Trusting in God’s providence, trusting that we stay in His will, we have begun the process of purchasing the property with expectations of joint ownership with other renewal groups. Our hope is to secure the property and reclaim its identity as The Ark and The Dove. The Ark and The Dove not only has considerable historical importance, but a unifying feature as well, bringing together the various groups within the worldwide Catholic Charismatic Renewal.

There are other ways in which the Holy Spirit is moving:

I sincerely believe that the Spirit is moving and that our Jubilee in 2017 will be one grand celebration. I hope you are as excited as I am!

Every year around this time we struggle with our cash flow. This year is no different, but more significant, due to what we feel the Lord is calling us to do.

How can you help?

  1. Spread the news! We’ve been invited by Pope Francis to visit him in 2017. We will have a Charismatic Renewal Bible. A young adult coordinator is going to be engaging younger generations to experience baptism in the Holy Spirit. The Ark and The Dove may become the unifying force for the Renewal around the world!
  2. Give financially. With many of these activities, e.g., hiring a young adult coordinator, we are taking great leaps of faith. We need your help.  CLICK HERE if you able to contribute now.
  3. Help all these efforts by helping us identify and reach those who can make higher level donations/pledges to the Toward the Jubilee Campaign. Email contact information to fundraising@nsc-chariscenter.org or call Jimmy Archer at (304) 629-6296.
  4. Pray that we stay open to the Spirit of God, doing only what He tells us to do.
  5. For our 2015 Leaders’ and Ministries’ Conference, we are trying something new. Using “crowdfunding” we will be raising funds for the purpose of offering scholarships for young adults wanting to attend this year’s conference. Soon we will have a crowdfunding link on our website, Facebook, and Twitter. We ask you to simply pass this link along to your email lists, Facebook page, Twitter account, etc.

God is moving. He is asking us to step out of the boat. We must keep our eyes on Him. We know JESUS IS LORD!

God Bless,
Johnny Bertucci
Chairman
National Service Committee of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal