Caught up in a Movement: A letter from South Africa
Most people don’t look to the Catholic Church in South Africa and expect revival. But something is happening at Bryanston Catholic Church (BCC), and it’s not by accident.
We’ve been caught up in a movement—Divine Renovation. Not a program. A transformation. It’s not about better systems or busier schedules. It’s about what happens when a parish dares to put the Holy Spirit first, makes evangelisation the mission, and raises up real leadership to shepherd the flock and the lost alike.
This is our testimony—not to say “look at us,” but to say, “God hasn’t forgotten South Africa.”
When Prayer becomes Mission: A Story from the USA
Since 2021 St. Mary’s, Uxbridge, MA, has been on the parish renewal journey with Divine Renovation (DR). Through coaching, the parish has begun embracing principles and practices of parish renewal that are transforming their outlook on mission and evangelization. (read more about their story here).
One of these practices is Missional Prayer, which is Aligning our prayers with God’s purpose and interceding for the Holy Spirit’s work in transforming lives in our parish and neighborhood.
This year, the parish’s women’s group had women share their testimonies at the monthly meetings. “Literally one of the most powerful hours in the parish,” says Diane, one of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) members. When Michelle, a cancer survivor, shared her testimony, Diane knew that the leadership team needed to hear her story. Michelle was a living example of Missional Prayer, which the SLT was about to be coached on by DR.
This is Michelle’s story:
Setting Sail with Genesis Compass: A letter from New Zealand
When our SLT gave our ‘yes’ to begin Genesis Compass, we had been working together for about 18 months and were at the stage of launching our parish vision. Admittedly, it was a challenge for us to schedule the first four weekly meetings, but we were able to make it work, and after our first session of Genesis Compass, we were all looking forward to meeting again the following week. The timing of Genesis Compass was very providential. Our regular meetings prior to Genesis Compass were focused on forming and articulating our vision. At the time of starting Genesis Compass, our meetings were focused on discussing the strategy of how we were going to launch and cast that vision.
