about us

The Catholic Charismatic Renewal started in February 1967 in Duquesne University, Pennsylvania, USA. Like a grain of mustard seed, it has spread all over the world with a membership of about 115 million Catholics. It was birthed by the Holy Spirit and its growth has been powered by the Holy Spirit. The Catholic Charismatic Renewal of Nigeria (CCRN) is a lay organization which started in Nigeria in 1967. Within her 50 years of existence, she has spread to virtually all the parishes in the nine Archdioceses, forty-four Dioceses, and two Vicariates of the Nigerian Church. Using our most recent information, she has about 2,100 Prayer Groups (PG) and Coordinators, four hundred and forty-four executives of the Diocesan Service Team (DST), seventy two leaders of the Provincial Service Team (PST), and over 250,000 members across the country. The Administrative structure of the CCRN starts from the PG Service Team to the DST, PST, and finally the National Service Team (NST) under the governance of the National Executive Council (NEC), which is the highest governing body of the organization in Nigeria. OUR VISION AND MISSION The vision and mission of the Renewal are expressed in its aims and objectives, as stated by the International Catholic Charismatic Renewal Services (ICCRS) : 1. To foster mature and continuous personal conversion to Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. 2. To foster a decisive personal receptivity to the person, presence and power of the Holy Spirit. These two spiritual graces are often received together in what is called in different parts of the world a baptism in the Holy Spirit, or a release of the Holy Spirit, or a renewal of the Holy Spirit. They are often understood as a personal acceptance of the graces of Christian initiation and as an empowering for personal Christian service in the Church and in the world. 3. To foster the reception and use of the spiritual gifts (charismata) not only in the CCR but also in the broader Church. These gifts, ordinary and extraordinary, are abundantly found among the laity, religious and clergy. Their proper understanding and use in harmony with other elements of the Church life is a source of strength for Christians on their journey towards holiness and in carrying out their mission. 4. To foster the work of evangelisation in the power of the Holy Spirit, including the evangelisation of the unchurched, the re-evangelisation of nominal Christians, the evangelisation of culture and social structures. CCR especially promotes sharing the Church’s mission by proclaiming the gospel in word and deed and by bearing witness to Jesus Christ through personal testimony and through those works of faith and justice to which each one is called. 5. To foster the ongoing growth in holiness through the proper integration of these charismatic emphases with the full life of the Church. This is accomplished through participation in a rich sacramental and liturgical life, and appreciation of the tradition of the Catholic prayer and spirituality, and ongoing formation in Catholic doctrine. This is guided by the Church’s Magisterium, and participation in the pastoral plan of the Church. OUR SPIRITUALITY To remain faithful to her spirituality, CCRN put in place activities that would start, sustain, and spread the fire of the Holy Spirit (cf. 2 Timothy 1:7). Such activities include: Prayers, Bible Studies, Seminars and Workshops, Fellowship, Teachings, Conferences, Exercising the Gifts, and a Life of Witnessing. Charismatic Spirituality centers on ‘Life in the Spirit’ that transform members inside out and dispose them to the searching sword of the Word of God, the truth that sets free, and to the anointing of the Spirit. This spirituality revolves around ones fruitful response to the Holy Spirit, and His Gifts, by commitment to Jesus and the Catholic Church. Charismatic Spirituality goes beyond frenzied gathering characterized by outbursts, shouting and clapping, prophetic utterances and healing. It extend to acts that build the faith of here members based on free, conscious, and personal choice. By virtue of the ‘Charism’ of her foundation, the Catholic Charismatic Renewal movement is destined to be militant, god as sentinel or combatant soldiers in rescue operations. So, members of the Renewal engage in the battle of faith against the wicked principalities and power at work in this life (cf. Ephesian 6:12). One’s membership into the Catholic Charismatic Renewal begins with participation in “Life in the Spirit Seminar”, which aims at teaching members the basis truth of our faith and lead them to personal relationship with Christ.