Ontario Charismatic Conference, August 1980, Thunder Bay

Transcribed by me for easier reading 

Special to the Register

Thunder Bay Ontario

Bishop John O'Mara of Thunder Bay prayed for a new experience and understanding of the Spirit of God at the recent 5th annual Ontario Catholic Charismatic Conference.

The conference which was attended by more than 2,000 delegates; seven bishops and 51 priests was the largest gathering of its kind in the city's history.

"Bind us Together" the theme of the conference, was expressed in prayer cards and banners, printed in eight languages: English, Italian, French, Portuguese, Polish. Dutch, Ojibway, and Cree.

Charismatics from Canada and the U.S. listened to inspiring speakers and the gentle promptings of the Holy Spirit during the weekend event. While contemplating the need for reconciliation within families, they praised God with open hearts and uplifted arms. Most of all they drew their spiritual strengths from the joyous celebrations of the mass during which they renewed their Commitments

Bishop J.R. Windle from Pembroke spoke of the division within families, the difficulties, and the challenges that can be resolved through the work of the Holy Spirit. The greatest need families have is for unity in prayer. 

Barbara Shlemon, a nurse and mother of five-spoke of the healing power of the Spirit, which many participants said they experienced at a healing service during the conference. 

Bishop Roger Despatie addressed the same general theme to French language participants. 

Father Bob Bedard, a past president of the conference discussed Mary as the most powerful intercessor and said  "the saints are part of the living Body of Christ through their resurrection."

Father Carey Landry, noted musician and former pastor of Saine Genevieve Church in Lafayette L.A. let a workshop session on the place of Music in Chanismatic liturgies. 

An Ojibway workshop led by Joe and Grace Fox. ( Reverend Mr. Fox is an ordained deacon and social counsellor at Queen's University in KIngston ) dealt with the special needs of those on Indian reserves and their relatonship with white neighors.

C led a workshop on leadership. 

In a homily, Bishop O'Mara stated that forgiveness and reconcilation are central to receiving and sharing the gifts of the Holy Spirit. 

Participants said they were sent forth with the desire to accept the mandate, the power and the responsibility to bring the love and forgiveness in Jesus. To bring His love to others. To spread it and to give it willingly. 

Charismatic Renewal is the fastest growing movement in the Church today

 

Charismatic Renewal in Canada and the 1981 Ontario Conference In Kingston

August 14th to 16th, 1981

Queens University - Kingston ON

The Theme  of the Conference

'Be it Done Unto me according to your Word"

-The Logo of the Conference was a LILY -

An ancient symbol of the Blessed Virgin

with the Greek Abbreviation for Christ rising from its center

I know I'm reminiscing but Pentecost Sunday is coming up and boy do we need an outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Canada. 

A couple of years ago I got a bee in my bonnet to find out about this Conference but at  the time I was stumped and gave up click here for more

I remember staying with my parents in a large camper trailer in someone's backyard. I can't even remember who they were but they were acquaintances of my parents, Jim and Elaine Maloney.  Mom and Dad had attended a previous Conference at which one of the speakers was Carey Landry ( formerly Fr. Carey Landrey )

Anyways, all the information I kept seems to have disappeared ( I probably threw it out duh)

I remember a packed auditorium before each of the sessions: singing and worshiping in the auditorium before we dispersed to join the various workshops in smaller rooms.  Most of the songs I hadn't heard before but I loved them: mostly from Carey Landry and the Saint Louis Jesuits as well as from the Songs of Praise books. 

The speakers were amazing and all the participants were filled with joy in spite of the rain which poured down on all of us throughout the entire weekend as we made our way from one part of the Campus to another. As many of the workshops and talks were held simultaneously, we were limited in our choices. I remember one of the workshops we attended  "Suffering the human condition" 

Father Bob Bedard was one of the Speakers ( a few of the Speakers below )  and I remember now that Mom Dad and I attended his presentation 

( I think so anyways )

Darn it I wish I still had the program for the Conference. 

Catholic Register from the Archives

Some of the Speakers 

Hymns 

Theme Song " Be it done Unto Me According to Your Word" 

We sang the song so many times that I remember the melody (and most of the lyrics)  but I am still trying to find out who composed it

BE IT DONE TO ME ACCORDING TO YOUR WORD  ( as I remember it )

  ANTIPHON  Be it done to me according to Your Word, let Your will be done! ( 2x)

VERSE 1 We will celebrate  Your call to recreate. We are your servants o Lord! 

VERSE 2 May our hearts be one with Mary and her Son: Sharing Your love with them!

VERSE 3 Holy Spirit come, Lord of life, Lord of love, bringing the Word to flesh!

Another hymn we sang often during the  weekend

"Proclaim His Marvelous deeds to all the Nations"

from Songs of Praise  

I can't remember much about the talks and the workshops but I do remember many of the Praise and Worship songs: many of which were new to me including:

Abba Father- Carey Landry

And the Father will Dance - Carey Landry

I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light

Be Not Afraid- Bob Dufford S.J.

I couldn't wait to bring these great songs back to my Parish

A  few articles I found in the Archives of the Catholic Register

From the Archives of the Canadian Register ( below )

The Logo of the Conference was a LILY -

An ancient symbol of the Blessed Virgin

with the Greek Abbreviation for Christ rising from its center

Below is the Prayer of the Conference

"We ask you Lord to give us hearts like your mother's 

that we may hear your voice and be bearers of your Word. 

Breathe unto us Your Holy Spirit, Lord, that we may do your will. 

With Hearts surrendered, may we proclaim 

your bounteous love and majesty to all the world:

From the Catholic Register

4500 PRAISE THE LORD

Bring Christ to a "weary world" 

Stan Coma 

August 29th.,1981

Kingston Ontario - Catholic Charismatics were challenged to say a firm "yes" to the Holy Spirit - just as the Blessed Virgin did - and bring Christ and His Loving message to a "weary world" 

This was the theme stressed by speakers at the General Sessions of the recent Ontario Catholic Charismatic Conference here. 

About 4500 enthusiastic delegates participated in joy-filled Eucharistic celebrations and a total of 15 workshops that discussed such topics as healing revelation, social justice, and Suffering. 

The annual conference also included workshops in French, Portuguese, and Cree. 

Bishop Joseph Windle of Pembroke praised the movement during his homily at one of the masses He said it was a "beautiful thing" to have a movement in which people who love God come together in prayer and want to make Jesus better known and loved

Bishop Windle encouraged Charismatics to listen to Pope John Paul II who spoke to Charismatic leaders visiting Rome recently. The Pope said it was not enough to praise God. It is necessary to do God's work and help establish the Kingdom of God through prayer, good example, and deeds. Citing specific examples for action, Bishop Windle said..........

( below is the continuation of Bring Christ to a weary world )

Modern man seeks to be his own god 

"Charismatics should uphold the dignity of life "What is more beautiful than a tiny baby?" he said "What is more terrible than a tiny baby who has been given the unfortunate circumstances to never really live in the world. What a dreadful thing abortion is." 

The bishop encouraged delegates to have a strong pro-life and pro-youth position

Then, there are the needs of the poor, the lonely, the handicapped. Many people want to hear about the Goodness of God and His Love

. 

"A kindly word, a gentle look, or a sign of encouragement can go so far for them."

Bishop Windle also urged charismatics to entrust their work to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Members of the Charismatic movement have a special need for the Blessed  Virgin Mary

" We have a special need for her kindness, her help, her love so that she will be always present to help us grow in devotion to the Holy Spirit and become more faithful members of the Church of which Our Lady is such a beautiful model

Father Joseph Lang - 

Keynote Speaker for the Ontario Catholic 

Charismatic Conference Queen's University 

 Kingston August 2023 

A few exerts from the article below

Father Lang a leader in the Renewal from Auburn Maine said "Conversion to Christ has similar characteristics to falling in love. and the gifts are the same: love, joy, peace, patience, long-suffering " "And that's at the heart of the New Testament " he said. It's the heart of the message of Jesus: I love you, what are you going to do about it?"

"Christ's love has no preconditions." Father Lang said. 

"Be joyful, fall in love, and walk with me and see what happens"

"Seek first the reign of God and then everything happens"

Father Lang said that conversion to Jesus requires time spent in prayer. To be in prayer is to be in the presence of God. This needs quietness and stillness.... and let the Goodness of God overwhelm us. Let His holiness surround us so we know we have come into His presence

A couple of weeks prior to the Conference

A couple of Articles below From the Catholic Register July 25, 1981

 in Anticipation of the Conference

A couple of weeks before 

Stan Koma, Associate Editor

Ten Catholic Bishops have confirmed that they will be attending the 1981 Ontario Catholic Charismatic Conference to be held in Kingston, August 14 to 16. Nine are from various Diocese in Ontario and one is from Newfoundland. 

Bishop J. Faber MacDonald,  of Grand Falls Newfoundland, will conduct three workshops including one for clergy, on August 14 and two for other registrants Saturday and Sunday mornings. Bishop MacDonald was active in the initial stages of the Renewal while a priest in P.E.I. 

Other Ontario Bishops including Archbishop J. L. Wilhelm of Kingston, Bishop J.R. Windle of Pembroke, Bishop Paul Reding of Hamilton, Bishop Eugene Larocque of Alexandria Cornwall, Bishop R.B. Clure Auxiliary Bishop of Toronto, Bishop Girard Dionne Auxiliary bishop of Sault St. Marie, Bishop J.H.Macdonald Auxiliary bishop of Hamilton, and Bishop G. Belisle Auxiliary bishop of Ottawa

Bishop Windle is the Spiritual Director of the Ontario Catholic Renewal and the official Liaison between the Catholic Bishops and the Renewal in Ontario

Come Holy Spirit!

1981 Catholic Charismatic Conference Queen's University Kingston - August 1981

I'm like a dog with a bone I guess. I am searching for information on the Conference which was held at Queens University, Kingston ON, in August 1981, I remember staying with my parents in a large camper trailer in someone's back yard. I can't even remember who they were but they were acquaintances of my parents, Jim and Elaine Maloney. 

I have lost all information on the Conference so I decided to do a search of newspapers but I haven't had too much luck. I found these links below but I can't access the information because I need an account to do so and I don't want to do that for now anyways. 

 https://www.newspapers.com/search/?query=Catholic%20Charismatic%20Conference&t=27064

https://research.digitalkingston.ca/research-tools-and-tips/newspapers/1927-to-1984

I remember a packed auditorium for all the masses which were very lively with lots of singing and worshiping. Most of the songs I hadn't heard before but I loved them: mostly from  Carey Landry and the Saint Louis Jesuits as well as from the Songs of Praise books. 

There were numerous workshops and spectacular talks. I remember one of the workshops was entitled "Suffering the human condition" or something like that. The speakers were amazing and all the participants were filled with joy in spite of the rain which poured down on all of us throughout the entire weekend as we made our way about from one part of the University to another. . Since many of the workshops and talks were held simultaneously, we were limited in our choices. 

I can't find anything about the conference anywhere: diddly squat. But I'm not giving up

The Theme of the Conference was 

" Be it done Unto Me According to your word" and I remember the melody ( and most of the lyrics ) simply because we sang it over and over and over.  I am trying to find out who composed the hymn. It is very beautiful. 

BE IT DONE TO ME ACCORDING TO YOUR WORD  ( as I remember it )

  ANTIPHON  Be it done to me according to Your Word, let Your will be done!

VERSE 1 We will celebrate  Your call to recreate. We are your servants o Lord! 

VERSE 2 May our hearts be one with Mary and her Son: Sharing Your love with them!

VERSE 3 Holy Spirit come, Lord  of life, Lord of love, bringing the Word to flesh!

FYI  Below is some history of the Charismatic movement in Canada. 

My good friend Gemma O'Sullivan, the sister of Father Joe Kane O.M.I and my mother's first cousin Audrey Guillet, whom I have always called aunt Audrey, filled me in on some of the background of the Renewal in Ottawa. Both father Gerry and father Joe were missionary priests with the Oblates of Mary Immaculate at the same time, Gemma told me that her Brother Father Joe Kane was was really impressed with what he was seeing in this new movement: and urged her to see what she could do to start a prayer group in Ottawa 

I surmise that  Father Gerry Guillet approached aunt Audrey in the same way as well because she held the first prayer meeting in her home on Allen Blvd. in Vanier. I imagine Gemma was one of the participants but I'm not sure. Aunt Audrey invited several parishioners of Assumption Parish I believe but I am not exactly sure. She said there was a howling wind during the entire prayer meeting. She was happy the roof didn't cave in. 

Anyways  Gemma approached the priest at Saint Martin de Porres Church in Bells Corners and asked him if he would give permission to start a Prayer group at Saint Martin de Porre:  he cautiously said ok, but he said he would keep an eye on it to see how it goes  Her pastor was a newly ordained Priest Father Bob Bedard. Father Bedard got hooked! 

I don't know any of the dates of these events but I thought I would write this down before I forget everything. Probably the 70's? 

General Information on the Charismatic Renewal 

https://romans1015.com/catholic-charismatic-renewal/

https://teresa-httpsitesgooglecomsitefaithful.blogspot.com/search?q=charismatic

So far this is all I could find about this Conference but I'm not giving up

And I took a few odds-and-ends screenshots from the archives of Renewal Ministries around the same time ( 1981 ) but unfortunately for me I believe they only covered Conferences in the US 

As well I took a few screenshots from the Kingston Whig-Standard because that since they advertized the Conference that there might be a possibility that perhaps they covered some of it although being a secular newspaper probably they didn.t 

For what they are worth here they are

After that, I took my search to the Catholic Register in Canada and I found that they did have some viewable archives dating back to before the Conference but then I had trouble getting an account to view what they had so I just gave up cause I had a headache. Maybe one of these days I'll try again

Maybe, maybe not.

Ordination of Fr. Jorge Alvarado and Fr. Kenneth Lao. June 6, 2015

Ordination of Fr.Jorge Alvarado C.C. and Fr. Kenneth Lao C.C - June 7, 2015