ICCRS VIII Leadership Formation Institute, Rome: 2019

International Catholic Charismatic Renewal Services (ICCRS) has announced its re-scheduled dates for the VIII Leadership Formation Institute Program 2019 in Rome in Italy from 6-26 October. Earlier the LFI was scheduled to be held from 2018 September 2-22. It is a golden opportunity for those devoted persons who aspire to become powerful leaders in the Catholic Charismatic Movement.

Proclaiming the Gospel is not an option but an obligation on the part of everyone who has known and accepted Jesus Christ as his/her Saviour and Redeemer. It is never a free service. The rewards given to those who strive even little to spread the Gospel is immense. The method and amount of preaching may differ from person to person depending upon the talents and resources given to each. While Priests, Religious and lay missionaries make Gospel propagation their full-time activity, ordinary Christians must try to spread the Good News at least among their kith and kin and contacts by their life and other resources they have.

Catholic Charismatic Leadership Formation Institute is ideal for people who feel an inner calling to serve the Lord. 

Eligibility to requirements to participate:

Catholic Charismatic Prayer group leaders and persons who wish to become leaders of prayer groups in future are eligible to undergo this training camp.

For more information and Online Registration, click the below link:

http://ICCRS/eventi/registration

Documents required:

* One Passport Photo.
* Passport page with photo photo copy 
* Brief CV stating leadership.
* Recommendation letter from NSC or local leader.
* Recommendation letter from Parish Priest or Spiritual Director.

Medjugorje Gospa (Our Lady of Madjugorie / Madjugory Matha)

The compassionate Blessed Mother of the Saviour is always at work. She never ceases to implore the Lord's Mercy and forgiveness for the hapless humanity. To facilitate all souls (particularly those in sinful conditions) to receive atonement  of sins and possess eternal life by the merits of her Son's passion and death on the Cross, she continues to give apparitions at numerous places and performs many signs and wonders. The Blessed Mother's apparitions at a small village called Medjugorje in Bosnia and Herzegovina in Eastern Europe is the longest of all Her apparitions. 

The Mother of God gave her first appearance in Medjugorje (which literally means between mountains) on 24th June 1981 to six children. Ever since then she continues to grant her apparitions and messages even today to those fortunate chosen ones for 37 long years. With the Blessed Mother's visit, Medugorje, which was a small unimportant place in the country has become one of the most preferred and favorite locations of Marian pilgrims from around the world.

When the 'Gospa' (which means lady in their local Croatian tongue) was asked by the children who she was, the Mother answered them that She was 'Virgin Mother Mary'.

The word Medjugorge is pronounced as Me(d)jugor(j)e, omitting the letters in the brackets as Mejugore. The greeting slogan of the Mother of Medjugorje is MIR, MIR, MIR which in Croatian language means 'Peace, Peace, Peace'!

Mejugore is known as the 'confessional of the world'. Most pilgrims who reach this place receive a repenting heart and an urge to make a confession and get the Holy Sacrament of reconciliation. When confessions are made, people not only receive forgiveness of sins but also the Gifts of the Holy Spirit and healing of body and mind. There are many priests who are ready to hear the confessions of thousands of repenting souls (in multiple languages including Indian languages) and give God's forgiveness. This transformation of soul is another miracle seen in this land. 

The main messages of the 'Gospa of Mejugorie' are:


1. Pray for the whole world to avail Divine Mercy.
2. Pray the Rosary Prayer (as many as possible) and make intercession.
3. Observe fasting twice a week and pray.
4. Make a confession at least once a moth (if possible once a week) with true repentance.

Even though the Church has not yet recognized Madjujorge officially (the process of declaration is on the way), more than a million per year have visited it until the previous years and the number is on the rise. Many devotees give their testimonial that the Mother helped them to fulfill their goal of making a pilgrimage to Madjugorie in spite of their many hurdles including financial ones.

Those who wish to make a spiritual trip to the land of Marian apparitions from south India, can now get the visa and other documents and guidance from the newly open authorized travel agents of Bosnia and Herzegovina at Kochi in Kerala. To know the details of Bosnia visa processing office in Kerala click here: 

17th National Catholic Charismatic Convention 2018

The Charismatic Renewal Movement known as the Catholic Charismatic Renewal (CSR) has been the fastest spreading renewal and revival movement in the Church worldwide since the past few decades. National Catholic Charismatic Renewal Services (NCCRS) is functioning as the country branch of CSR and is responsible for coordinating all renewal activities in the Indian Church. 

The National Service Team of NCCRS is gearing up to organize the XVII National Catholic Charismatic Convention in collaboration with Shillong Service Team on 19th (Friday), 20th (Saturday) and 21st (Sunday) of October, 2018. Timings: 9.00 AM to 04.30 PM. Venue of the Convention is the Cathedral of Mary Help of Christians at Laitumkhrah in Shillong of Meghalaya State.

The theme of the mega event is taken from the Bible verse Romans 12:11; "Do not lag in zeal, but be ardent in Spirit and serve the Lord."

Most Rev. Dominic Jala SDB (Arch Bishop of Shillong) and Most Rev Victor Lyngdoh (Bishop of Jowai) are the patrons of the event.

Though this event collects Rs 1000 as registration fees, Rs 1000 for food and Rs 2000 for food and accommodation, this is a rare opportunity for all Charismatic leaders and other members.

More details can be obtained by contacting the phone numbers listed below.

National Charismatic Office (New Delhi) phone number: 011-42133305 / 06

Shillong Charismatic Service team phone numbers: 7005051153, 8837259765

Why do Catholics venerate Mother Mary and Pray to Her?

Why do the Catholics venerate the Blessed Virgin Mary and Pray to Her? Is it not idol worship? Why to honor Mary and Saints? Why so much importance is given to the devotion of Mother Mary in Catholic Church? 

These are questions frequently asked by most Christians belonging to Protestant / Pentecostal denominations. Sometimes this question arises in the minds of even Catholics who are active in Charismatic Prayer movements. When Lord Jesus is our intercessor, why do we need the aid of other mediators? Answers to these questions are given by many anointed persons who have received numerous blessing through the intervention of Blessed Mother Mary. As I am also one of the billions of devotees who continue to receive innumerable blessing of the Lord through Mother Mary (even though I too had been nurturing the above mentioned doubts for a long time in life), I proudly and gladly wish to share the Divine Promptings by the Holy Spirit of God about Mother Mary.

I don't intend to explain in this post who Mother Mary is to those people who do not know who Lord Jesus Christ is. I am very sure that whoever truly Believes in the Saviour of the humanity Jesus Christ and the Holy Word of God will easily become ardent devotees of the Blessed Mother of God, if they meditate (with openness) certain events / versus in the Holy Bible.

Though there are many incidents and circumstances in the Holy Bible that command and warrant special devotion and veneration to the Blessed Mother Mary, in my opinion the wedding event at Cana is more than enough to understand the preeminence of the 'humble woman' chosen by the Almighty God, before the ages to be HIS Mother when HE is to take incarnation as a man to redeem the mankind in the fullness of time. 

As I stated above, if you have an open heart to know the Holy Will of God about respecting HIS Mother, please read the below narrated Biblical Passage (John 2:1-11) several times meditatively. Remember, if you already have your own presupposition (fed by some persons) in this matter, you will never get to know God's Wish.

On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there; and both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. When the wine ran out at the wedding, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does that have to do with us? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.” Now there were six stone water pots set there for the Jewish custom of purification, containing twenty or thirty gallons each. Jesus said to them, “Fill the water-pots with water.” So they filled them up to the brim. And He said to them, “Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.” So they took it to him. When the headwaiter tasted the water which had become wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the bridegroom, and said to him, “Every man serves the good wine first, and when the people have drunk freely, then he serves the poorer quality wine;but you have kept the good wine until now.” This beginning of His signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him. 

In the above passage in the 'Word of God' we see the Lord saying that His hour had not yet come. Yes, the Lord can never and will never commit an err. Even though His time had not yet come for His self-manifestation and to perform the first miracle, At the request of His Mother, He makes the marriage venue at Cana for His Manifestation and acts immediately! In other words, if I say Mother Mary also played a significant role in planning and executing the redemption mission of Lord Jesus, can you refute it?

We see in the 10 commandments given by God, after the first 3 pertaining to God, the fourth one is to honour one's parents (father and mother). When God wants the people to give utmost respect to their father and mother, how can we expect God to not respect His own Father and Mother? In other words, when God who is pleased when you and me respect our worldly parents (who are sinners), how much more will He not be delighted when we venerate His dear and most Blessed Mother who is 'Full of Grace' and capable of filling others with Holy Spirit with her mere presence and by just making a verbal greeting?

In the Holy Gospel of Luke Chapter 1 verse 43 we see St Elizabeth (the mother of John the Baptist-who got special privilege to prepare the way for the Lord and to baptize Him-) filled with the Holy Spirit of God asks Mother Mary, 'And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?' (Lk 1:43)

After meditating and reading the above passage and after seeing an elderly and saintly person filled with the Holy Spirit venerating and proclaiming and declaring a universal Truth that the humble and Holy woman who carried the Son of God in her womb, is the Mother of her Lord (God), all people under the sun who believe in the God of Baptist John, Zachariah and Elizabeth and who believe in the Most Holy Spirit of God, will surely believe that Blessed Virgin Mary is the Mother of their Lord Jesus (true God incarnated and assumed human form) and deserves very high veneration and honor. Still if anyone has difficulty in accepting her as the Mother of God, I feel pity for that person and am afraid that he/she is possessed by some evil spirits that hate and oppose Blessed Virgin Mother's special authority granted by the Most High God to crush the head of satan! May the Mother of God pray for that person to gain vision..!