By Melissa McNally, The Catholic Advocate

NEWARK-The unwavering dedication of three individuals to the mission of RENEW International was honored June 2 at the organization's 12th annual awards dinner.

Sister Mary C. McGuinness, O.P., Ronald J. Bushwell, and William B. McGuire were rewarded for years of commitment to RENEW’s values.

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By Sr. Veronica Mendez, RENEW International Pastoral Services Team

Parishes in the Diocese of Phoenix, AZ are in the third year of RENEW International's four-year program of adult faith formation and evangelization, Why Catholic? Journey through the Catechism. The Beatitudes (and Commandments) are the theme of the third section the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the Why Catholic? book, Life in Christ.

Dan Farkas, a Why Catholic? small community leader in the parish of St. Germaine, Prescott Valley,explains the stones were part of two different sessions. Session Four speaks of virtues. In the book, as part of the prayer environment, leaders are encouraged to place colorful stones representing virtues on the Bible with the name of one of the virtues on each stone.

Dan also did this for Session Nine, writing the names of the Beatitudes on the stones. He tells what his small group did with them.

The following is a note from one of the facilitators at Church of the Presentation in Stockton, CA. Rio Las Palmas is an assisted living facility and some of the seniors participate in an ARISE group.

Glenn Rutherford, Record Editor

There was hope and laughter as the group gathered. It was a celebration of the Vietnamese New Year, the Year of the Cat. For this group of 25 adults and children it was a new year in a special way.

“For the Vietnamese community, the New Year is like the American celebration of Thanksgiving,” remarked Hung Nguyen to Sister Honora Nolty, OP of RENEW International, a guest at the gathering. The variety and beauty of the foods prepared and presented by many testified to this cultural significance. As the group gathered around the table for grace in English and Vietnamese, there was a sense of living the Eucharist, of nourishing one another’s cultures as well as bodies; an experience of the One who gathers and calls us all to one with Him.

A Vietnamese priest, a Vietnamese deacon, and three Vietnamese seminarians were among this group. They enthusiastically shared spirited conversation about the faith life of the Vietnamese community here in Boston.

The core of this gathering was a team of parishioners from five different parishes in the Archdiocese of Boston: St. Ambrose and St. Mark, Dorchester, St. Thecla, Pembroke, St. Bernadette, Randolph, and Sacred Hearts, Malden. The team included a Vietnamese deacon and seven laypersons, 6 men and 1 woman. This team had never worked or socialized together before; they came together and organized themselves around a task that would enrich their lives as members of the church of Boston.

As the Archdiocese was preparing to support the small Christian communities which had been formed and flourished during ARISE Together in Christ, this team volunteered to translate the materials for Lenten Longings, the RENEW International resource that would follow ARISE. This team divided the labor and planned the communal editing and reviewing of the body of work in order to present it in a timely manner to RENEW International for review and approval.

“The Vietnamese community valued the experience of coming together as part of the Archdiocesan-wide ARISE effort, and we want to make ongoing small Christian communities a foundation of parish life. And having Lenten Longings in Vietnamese is a way to respond to Archdiocesan needs and to the growing needs of the Vietnamese speaking Catholics in the Archdiocese of Boston,” said Deacon Van Nguyen.

As the team gathered at table, they reflected on variety of ways that their work on the translation would be a blessing to themselves and others. New friendships were being made and old ones deepened by working on this common task by putting their faith into action, they would have something to enrich the lives of their parishes and archdiocesan community. There was a sense of pride as they realized their finished product has potential to reach the larger Vietnamese Catholic community in other parts of the country through RENEW International.

Plans were made for how they could present workshops to train small community leaders in Vietnamese in Why Catholic? this coming Fall.

Article and photo courtesy of Hung Nguyen

Sr. Alice was executive assistant to RENEW International founder/president Msgr. Tom Kleissler for 23 years and still volunteers as the organization's archivist. She is also director of religious education at Saint Joseph the Carpenter Parish, Roselle, and volunteers as administrative assistant to the school's principal.
 
"Sr. Alice is an incredible gift to the Church, both locally and far beyond our archdiocese," Msgr. Kleissler said. "She was often the face of RENEW and the person people first came in contact with. Her pleasant and winning ways guided them. She is a great factor in the tremendous growth of RENEW in her time."

Marblehead - Marblehead resident Carolyn A. Lynch, a philanthropic entrepreneur and president of The Lynch Foundation, was awarded an honorary doctor of humane letters at Boston College’s commencement ceremony May 18.

The Lynch Foundation provides assistance to programs with an emphasis on education, culture and historic preservation, health care and medical research, and religious and educational efforts of the Catholic Church.
Boston College President William P. Leahy, SJ, and Board of Trustees chairman William J. Geary presented Lynch with the honorary degree, accompanied by a citation, which deemed her “an agent of change who works for the advancement of all.”

Lynch is a member of the board of the Boston College Campus School, which provides educational and other services to children with multiple disabilities and complex healthcare needs. She also has served on boards or committees for the Gregorian University Foundation, New England Conservatory of Music, Catholic Charities, Ralph Lowell Society, Boys and Girls Club of Boston and the Peabody Essex Museum, among others.

Lynch was named to the Order of St. Gregory the Great, a papal honor acknowledging meritorious service to the Church. Lynch’s other honors and achievements include the Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam Award from the Society of Jesus New England Province, the Pedro Arrupe Medal for Excellence in Ministry from the Weston Jesuit School of Theology, Boys and Girls Club of Boston Partners of Youth Award and the Massachusetts Horticulture Society President’s Choice Award.
In 2000, Boston College’s School of Education was renamed the Carolyn A. and Peter S. Lynch School of Education in honor of Lynch and her husband, Peter, longtime benefactors of the University.

RENEW International celebrated its 10th Annual Gala on Thursday, June 4, 2009 at Pleasantdale Chateau in West Orange, NJ. Each year, RENEW honors remarkable individuals who exemplify the spirit and mission of RENEW by living out the Gospel in everyday life, and this year that tradition continued with two outstanding honorees.

Sr. Terry Rickard, OP presented the Spirit of RENEW Award to Harry Farrell who demonstrates Catholic values through his work with the Utility Workers Union of America, Local 1-2 and his involvement with Veritas Villa, a substance abuse treatment facility. Harry also supports the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne and Rosary Hill Home, their palliative care facility for cancer patients.

Msgr. Thomas Kleissler presented the President's Award to Sr. Alice Yohe, SSJ who spent 23 years on the RENEW staff as his Executive Assistant. Sr. Alice is a strong proponent of small Christian communities and played a significant role in the early growth of RENEW as an organization. Even in her "retirement", Sr. Alice remains committed to RENEW by volunteering as archivist.

Another of the evening's highlights was the blessing said by Archbishop Emeritus, Peter L. Gerety. The original RENEW process owes its beginning to the Archbishop, who is the oldest bishop in the United States and is celebrating both his 70th anniversary of ordination and 97th birthday this year.

A special note of thanks goes to the Gala Committee for helping make this year's event a truly memorable evening: Carol Williams, Chair; Elizabeth Koch; Lynda Mamone; Robert McGovern; Patricia McLaughlin; Nancy Nardelli; Sr. Honora Nolty, OP, Peter Nolty; and Carol Sileo.

View our online Gala photo album here.

Braintree, MA, November 23, 2008

The Archdiocese of Boston celebrated the Closing Mass of the Bicentennial Year this afternoon at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston.

Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley was joined by Cardinal Justin Rigali of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, more than 20 Bishops from around New England and the country, hundreds of clergy, religious and deacons and parishioners from across the Archdiocese of Boston at today’s closing liturgy.

Cardinal Seán said, “We have been blessed as a Church during this Bicentennial Year. Our people, clergy, religious, deacons, parishes, schools, and ministries have all joined together in the presence of our Lord to celebrate our faith as one Catholic community. From every corner of our Archdiocese, we have prayed and worshiped together reflecting on our rich history and with great joy for the future of our local Church.”

The Centerpiece of the Bicentennial Celebration: ARISE: Together in Christ
The centerpiece of the yearlong celebration has been the launch of the 3-year program ARISE: Together in Christ, a comprehensive process of spiritual renewal from RENEW International. The effort is being led by Mrs. Mary Ann McLaughlin, Co-Director of the Office of Worship and Spiritual Life and Auxiliary Bishop John A. Dooher with the able assistance of Mrs. Ann Cussen, Operations Associate for ARISE: Together in Christ.

Mrs. McLaughlin said, “Cardinal Seán has called on the faithful of the Archdiocese of Boston to participate in this three-year process of spiritual renewal and evangelization in order to deepen their faith, develop a closer relationship with Christ, grow in community and reach out in service to others. We are seeing that happen and are blessed to be at such a wonderful and exciting threshold as an Archdiocese as we prepare for Season Two of ARISE.”

Highlights of ARISE to date: