Lay Movements
St. Peter's Square was brimming with pilgrims for Pentecost, 1998. The Holy Father John Paul II had invited members for the Church's new Movements and Ecclesial Communities to celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit. There he encouraged all of these groups to work together for the Church at all levels.
As a concrete fruit and continuation of this encounter, The Council of Ecclesial Movements and New Communities of the Archdiocese of New York was formed. Our first activity was to celebrate Pentecost of the Jubilee Year together at St. Joseph's Seminary in Dunwoodie. This encounter was called "One Spirit at Work."
The Council aims to be an instrument to promote ways for the members of the different communities to know each other's charisms, apostolates, and spiritualities, in order to work together more effectively for the Church in our Archdiocese. Our Newsletter "One Spirit at Work" whose title recalls the prayerful unity and enthusiasm of the Jubilee Pentecost, will provide information on the Council's activities, as well as serving as a forum for knowing the history and spirituality of the various Movements and New Communities.
The Holy Father, throughout his pontificate, and Cardinal Egan, leader of our Archdiocese, have insisted on the urgency of a new evangelization. With the Church, in the Church, with the Archdiocese, in the Archdiocese, this Council wishes humbly to further this evangelization. peace are an integral part of the Jubilee celebration.
