New Movements and Third Orders

"New Movements" and "Third Orders" are groups or spiritual fraternities to which a Catholic might belong to further help them live out the Gospel. "New Movements" refer to the numerous organizanations or movements that the Holy Spirit has brought into being over the last century or so. "Third Orders" refer to the groups of laity who attach themselves to a specific religious order (e.g. Franciscans, Dominincans, etc.) and seek to live that order's spirituality but in the midst of their normal family and work life within the world.

The organizations listed below are some of these. We only will include those that are known to be faithful orthodox Catholic. These are the ones by which a person is helped to live a life of fidelity to Christ and His Body, the Church. Many have found great spiritual sustenance and life by being affiliated with one. Normally, it takes some investigation and time of prayer before a person would make any kind of formal commitment with the organization. However, the spirituality can be lived at any level and at any time as the Spirit leads you.

 

New Movements

Catholic Charismatic Renewal

The goal of the Charismatic Movement is to serve God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit by serving the Catholic Church in its primary mission of evangelization through the power of the Holy Spirit. To foster a personal experience of Pentecost through these basic elements of charismatic renewal:

• committing oneself to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior,
• being baptized in the Holy Spirit
• receiving and using charismatic gifts,
• developing a life of holiness in a Catholic context of faith and practice,
• growing together as brothers and sisters in communities of faith and love,
• witnessing to Jesus Christ through personal testimony and works of mercy and justice.

St. Peter's has a charismatic prayer group that meets on Monday evenings. For more information go to the Flame of Hope Prayer Group Page. The link above will connect you with the Columbus-wide area Charismatic Renewal Webpage.

St. Vincent de Paul Society

Members of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul (or "Vincentians" ) are men and women who strive to grow spiritually by offering person-to-person service to individuals in need. We are young and old. Our members come in every shade of skin color. Some of us are wealthy, some are financially poor, but all of us are blessed with an awareness that our blessings (time, talent or treasure) are to be shared with our brothers and sisters in need.

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul offers tangible assistance to those in need on a person-to-person basis. It is this personalized involvement that makes the work of the Society unique. This aid may take the form of intervention, consultation, or often through direct dollar or in-kind service. An essential precept of the Society's work is to provide help while conscientiously maintaining the confidentiality and dignity of those who are served. The Society recognizes that it must assume, also, a role of advocacy for those who are defenseless or voiceless. Some 12 million persons are helped annually by Vincentians in the United States.

St. Peter's has a St. Vincent DePaul Society. For more information contact the office. The above link is the webpage for the National Council of the St. Vincent De Paul Society.

Opus Dei

Opus Dei is a Catholic institution founded by Saint Josemaría Escrivá. Its mission is to spread the message that work and the circumstances of everyday life are occasions for growing closer to God, for serving others, and for improving society.

Focolare

The Focolare Movement, WORK OF MARY, is an ecclesial movement born in the heart of the Catholic Church. It began in 1943, in Trent, Northern Italy, during World War II. Amidst all the bombings and destruction, a group of young women, with 23 year old Chiara Lubich, made the great discovery that GOD IS LOVE, an experience that radically changed their lives. They lived as persons whose actions and thoughts were based on the Gospel.

“May they all be one, as you, Father and I are one, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” (John 17:21) The last words and Testament of Jesus particularly struck their attention and became the program of their lives. Chiara and her friends understood that Jesus had died on the cross to bring this unity. The spirituality that developed was to be a collective spirituality, a way to go to God together.

The movement is made up of persons of all ages, races, vocations, and now it is spread in over 100 nations. It is articulated in various branches and structures. Focolare means “Hearth”, “family fireside” in Italian.

Communion and Liberation

Communion and Liberation is an ecclesial movement whose purpose
is the education to Christian maturity of its adherents and collaboration
in the mission of the Church in all the spheres of contemporary life.
It began in Italy in 1954 when Fr Luigi Giussani established
a Christian presence in Berchet high school in Milan with a group
called Gioventù Studentesca (Student Youth), GS for short.
The current name of the movement, Communion and Liberation (CL),
appeared for the first time in 1969. It synthesizes the conviction that
the Christian event, lived in communion, is the foundation of the authentic
liberation of man. Communion and Liberation is today present
in about seventy countries throughout the world.
There is no type of membership card, but only the free participation
of persons. The basic instrument for the formation of adherents
is weekly catechesis, called “School of Community.”

Legion of Mary

The object of the Legion of Mary is the glory of God through the holiness of its members developed by prayer and active co-operation in Mary’s and the Church’s work.

The unit of the Legion of Mary is called a praesidium, which holds a weekly meeting, where prayer is intermingled with reports and discussion. Persons who wish to join the Legion must apply for membership in a Praesidium.

The Legion sees as its priority the spiritual and social welfare of each individual. The members participate in the life of the parish through visitation of families, the sick, both in their homes and in hospitals and through collaboration in every apostolic and missionary undertaking sponsored by the parish.

Every legionary is required to carry out a weekly apostolic work in the spirit of faith and in union with Mary.