Anita Draper
Catholic Herald staff
The Ministry of the Holy Spirit, formerly the Charismatic Renewal, is reaching out to offer new resources to the faithful in the Diocese of Superior.
“It’s kind of a rebranding thing, for lack of a better term,” diocesan liaison Fr. Jerry Harris said of the name change. The word “charismatic” is sometimes misunderstood, he explained, and the Holy Spirit has always been at the center of the ministry, which the new name reflects.
Fr. Harris was appointed diocesan liaison for the Charismatic Renewal in 2022, but he has been active with the movement since attending a Life in the Spirit retreat during his seminary years in the late 1970s.
Currently the temporary parochial administrator for parishes in Hammond, Glenwood City and Wilson, Fr. Harris’ long-term pastorship was at St. Bridget, River Falls, where he hosted Life in the Spirit seminars for 20 years.
“They were always very, very powerful, and continue to be,” he said.
As the Diocese of Superior focuses on moving from maintenance to mission, the team of evangelizers leading the Ministry of the Holy Spirit is following suit. Launching a new website, https://ministryholyspirit.wixsite.com/ministryholyspirit, is part of their strategy to communicate with Catholics across the diocese and beyond.
“What we’re finding is that we’re doing a lot more up on our website, putting up resources,” he said. “We’re just getting going on that.”
The new site includes articles, suggested reading, news and event listings for the region, space to share prayer requests and contact information for prayer groups in the diocese.
Generational family healing, for example, is one topic they cover. The premise is simple: Wounded people wound others, and when children carry trauma, abuse or dysfunction into parenthood, those behaviors can seep down the family line, staining each new generation.
“The blessing we live right now is that people are more willing to talk about their past and their family history,” Fr. Harris added. “That can be abuse … a whole host of things.
“It can bring healing when we take it to God,” he said.
One way to do that is to gather together in prayer. The Ministry of the Holy Spirit hosts a Life in the Spirit seminar each year that is open to everyone.
“It’s a really powerful weekend,” he commented. “It just gives a solid understanding of what Life in the Spirit is about.”
The events include worship and speakers, and attendees are invited to open their hearts more to the Holy Spirit in their lives.
The Diocese of Superior ministry is also coordinating with other groups beyond its borders and trying to be a resource to as many parishes as possible. The new website publicizes healing services held outside the diocese as well as smaller gatherings hosted by members of the Ministry of the Holy Spirit community.
Jesus Fest, which takes place from 2-4:30 p.m. on Sept. 13 at Old Abe Memorial Park in Park Falls, is one such event. Jim LaLonde, a prayer group leader from St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in Park Falls, knows Catholic teaching and stays on track, the priest said.
“There are guidelines and standards for groups like this – he follows them,” Fr. Harris affirmed. “It’s good, solid theology.”
The Charismatic movement is most often associated with those seeking physical healing, but the priest clarified that healing is a sign from God, and “God heals in different ways. Sometimes there’s an idea that if you don’t get healed, you’re not praying enough.
“Case in point – the people who were healed in the Bible,” he added. “They’re all dead now.”
For more information, email Ministry of the Holy Spirit co-chair Mary Hebda, .
