RENEW International and ARISE Together in Christ: Encouraging Compassionate Acts of Service and Charity

RENEW International and its highly successful program, ARISE Together in Christ, have encouraged acts of sharing, service, and charity throughout the Archdiocese of Boston. ARISE Together in Christ is active in more than 170 parishes and touched the lives of 30,000 individuals who have come together in small, faith-sharing communities. The program has bridged the gaps between people of diverse ethnic backgrounds and economic conditions. It has forged relationships between parishioners of all ages and made a strong connection the greater Catholic community. One of the most personal and gratifying effects of the RENEW International program, is the way it has fostered feeling of compassion towards others.

Participants in ARISE Together in Christ have responded to needs, both within their community and in challenged areas around the globe. People are taking action such as raising money, contributing to their local food pantry, and participating in projects to help the developing world. The program has taught them to celebrate their faith and encouraged compassion and action. Below are some first-person accounts from participating parishes in Boston:

"My group was so touched by the Scripture story of the "Woman at the Well" during the third week of Lent that we decided to do something positive about water in the third world. We raised over $2,000.00 to help drill a well for a poor village in Honduras." - St. John the Baptist, Quincy

"Our small communities worked with OXFAM to purchase water jugs for poor families. One of our priests is from Vietnam and we focused on the need for clean water in his home village by providing for two cisterns. We also made and served sandwiches for the homeless in shelters downtown." - St. Joseph, Medford

"We have become a family at St Julia's in a way we have not been before. Several actions came out of our group: money was provided to someone who would otherwise not have been able to afford a needed kidney transplant; we had a clothing and food drive; and we worked on the rehabilitation of a three family unit in a low housing project called "Rebuilding Boston." - St. Julia, Weston

"One of our small communities decided to raise enough money to purchase a water pump for a poor village in Africa."- St. Pius X, Lynn

RENEW International is planning to bring ARISE Together in Christ to other parishes in the country. This spring, the Diocese of Stockton in California became the second diocese to begin the process of ARISE. With God's grace, may their parish members experience the same personal and communal spiritual renewal as they learn ways to apply the teachings of the gospel to their lives.