Christ Renews His Parish

“Being a follower of Jesus is not a matter of birth, but of decision.”

CHRIST RENEWS HIS PARISH (CRHP) is a weekend spent at St. John the Evangelist Parish with other parishioners in an ‘upper room atmosphere.” This spiritual time away from the everyday world is a gift to yourself as you receive a renewed heart along with an abundance of joy in Christian Community and a closer relationship with Jesus. This is attained through reading Scripture, praying together, listening, sharing, enjoying the fellowship of other parishioners, sharing in clergy-celebrated liturgies, and receiving the sacraments.

Christ Renews His Parish is a process that was established in Cleveland, OH in 1969. It has been recommended by the renewal office of the National Conference of Bishops for all adult Catholics.

Christ Renews His Parish has been used as a primary instrument of personal and parish renewal in over 1,400 parishes, 100 dioceses in 40 states in the United States. It has expanded to other denominations and is now available in Spanish.

Christ Renews His Parish was established at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Community February 2010 with the approval of Fr. Brad Beaupre and under the direction of Deacon Hugh Muller and Deacon Jim Seidel. To date, SJE has conducted 15 men’s and 15 women’s weekend retreats involving 535 St. John parishioners.

Attending a Christ Renews His Parish weekend is undoubtedly the most direct and easiest way for new parishioners to become acquainted with other parishioners and to join in other ministries of the parish.

Everyone over 21 is invited to attend.

Each CRHP weekend is a mixture of SJE parishioners, there is no generation gap. You will achieve spiritual renewal!

NEXT CRHP WEEKENDS

Women’s Weekend: August 17 & 18, 2019

Contact: Cis Franzen

Phone: 321-636-7738
Email: [email protected]: stjohnviera.org

Men’s Weekend: August 24 & 25, 2019

Contact: George Franzen
Phone: 321-636-7738
Email: [email protected]

Registration

FAQ

Who may attend?
This Weekend is open to all parishioners of St. John the Evangelist Catholic Community over 21 years old. It’s also open to non-Catholic spouses of parishioners. CRHP is for anyone who seeks spiritual renewal, desires to build up the Body of Christ or gain a deeper sense of purpose within the parish community.

Who conducts the weekend?
A team of parishioners who has previously attended a Renewal Weekend.

What happens during the weekend?
CRHP is not a silent experience. The emphasis is on personal and community renewal. You will listen, share if you like, pray for grace and read Scripture to see how it impacts our everyday life. During the process you enjoy what you’re doing, laugh and enjoy the food that comes from the kitchens of Chef Beaupre’.

Any special needs concerning food or physical disabilities will be accommodated.

Where will I sleep?
Accommodations for the weekend are simple but adequate. Sleeping arrangements are provided on large airbeds and/or cots. St. John’s Parish Center is transformed into the Christ Renews His Parish Center for the weekend.

What should I wear?
Casual Comfort is the apparel du jour. Jeans, shorts, sandals, whatever you’re most comfortable in, wear it!

How much does it cost?
NOTHING. However donations are welcome and gratefully accepted.

Do I need a personal invitation?
Absolutely not! Each CRHP weekend is a mixture of parishioners of St. John the Evangelist Catholic Community. Everyone is invited and there is no generation gap. Once you are a member of the CRHP family you will probably never attend another Mass without seeing someone you know that you can call by name and they will know yours. You will not want the feeling you received from the weekend to end and therefore will make yourself a part of the church community to keep the feeling of community going. You will achieve spiritual renewal.

How do I register?
Call the phone numbers or email the addresses listed above. Watch the bulletin for information and look for pink and blue shirts in the lobby of the Church as the dates get closer. Space is limited, it's a good idea to register early.

What some are saying about their Christ Renews His Parish Experience . . . . .

My first encounter with Christ Renews His Parish was February 2010, six months to the day of my husband’s death. I was searching for a new life and something to give me direction. I found everything I needed on that weekend. Christ Renews His Parish and all of my Sisters in Christ have been and continue to be my “lifeline.” I can’t imagine life without them. Jesus has definitely become my “call a friend.” I am at peace.
- Gerry Judge

We have been members of the St John the Evangelist Catholic Community since 2006. It was clear to us that this was a Catholic Community that had developed a deep culture of welcoming, and of parishioner service through support of the parish ministries and liturgies. We had never experienced this in the parishes we were members of previously, so were very happy that the Lord had steered us in the direction of becoming members of St John's – but, at the time, we didn't realize that feeling of happiness and a sense of belonging was just scratching the surface of our newly revived faith journey.

We both started to seek out opportunities to get more involved in the parish, thus hopefully, finding the ways & means to deepen our faith. Our parish friends who had previously attended CRHP Weekends started to encourage us to attend. We resisted at first, feeling that "we had done the retreat thing before", not initially perceiving any additional value in attending yet another retreat.

After continued encouragement and some soul searching on our parts, we did "sign up" for the Women's Weekend #3 and the Men's Weekend #4. In retrospect, we both believe that is the most important faith decision we have ever made. Going in to the Weekend, we were hoping for an enlightening personal faith experience, what we encountered was so much bigger than that. We did experience a revitalization of our personal faith, but also, a new realization of the power of communal faith that continues to grow within the two of us today, and will continue throughout our faith journeys. As with many attendees, we have stayed connected to CRHP and have established many new connections via the CRHP universe that continues to grow within our Catholic Community. Both have provided many opportunities for additional growth in our faith, as well as ongoing fulfillment as active members in the ministries here at St John's. From a "couple" perspective, we have realized yet another bonus – we are now truly supporting and serving one another in our faith journey as a couple, which we had never thought of doing in the past. The scripture sharing, shared prayer, interaction, openness, caring and giving that we experienced during our weekends has carried over to our everyday life, and has absolutely deepened our relationship as a couple.
- Jim and Judy Fiandaca

Pictures from our July 2017 Reunion Dinner (photos by Al Trucano)