What Is the Catholic Charismatic Renewal?
A plain-language explainer: where the Catholic Charismatic Renewal came from, what it believes, how the popes have received it, and what to expect at a charismatic prayer meeting.
The Catholic Charismatic Renewal is a movement within the Catholic Church — fully Catholic, fully approved — centered on a living experience of the Holy Spirit and His gifts. If the phrase "Spirit-filled Catholic" is new to you, this page is the plain-language introduction.
Where It Began
In February 1967, a group of students and professors from Duquesne University gathered for a retreat and prayed for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit — and experienced exactly that. What became known as the "Duquesne Weekend" spread within months to Notre Dame, Michigan State, and then across the world. Today the Renewal counts tens of millions of Catholics across virtually every country.
The Renewal did not import something foreign into the Church; it reawakened something ancient. The gifts of the Spirit — prophecy, healing, tongues, and the rest that St. Paul catalogs in 1 Corinthians 12 — belong to the Church's original equipment, visible on every page of the Acts of the Apostles.
What Charismatic Catholics Believe
Nothing different from the Catechism — and that is the point. Charismatic Catholics hold everything the Church teaches: the sacraments, the Eucharist, Our Lady, the Magisterium. What the Renewal emphasizes is that the Holy Spirit received in Baptism and Confirmation wants to be experienced, not merely assented to:
- "Baptism in the Holy Spirit" — not a new sacrament, but a releasing and stirring into flame of the grace already given (2 Timothy 1:6), typically through prayer with others.
- The gifts (charisms) are for today — the Catechism itself teaches that charisms, "whether extraordinary or simple and humble," are graces of the Holy Spirit for building up the Church (CCC 799-800).
- Expectant prayer — praying for healing and breakthrough as the apostles did, with confidence that God still acts.
What the Church Says
Every pope since the Renewal began has received it warmly. St. Paul VI called it "a chance for the Church." St. John Paul II called the Renewal "a sign of the Spirit's action... a bold statement of what 'God is doing in these days.'" Pope Francis, who once admitted early skepticism, became one of its strongest champions — gathering the Renewal in Rome for its 50th anniversary in 2017 and establishing CHARIS in 2019 as its Vatican-recognized international service body.
What a Charismatic Prayer Meeting Is Like
Expect praise — sung and spoken, often with lifted hands. Expect Scripture, spontaneous prayer, and prayer over people for specific needs, especially healing. Some pray quietly in tongues; no one is forced into anything. First-timers usually notice two things: the joy is real, and it is unmistakably Catholic.
Experience It
Reading about the Renewal is like reading about swimming — at some point you get in the water. This ministry's weekly Bible study and daily prayer calls are a welcoming place to start, and Marybeth's teaching on the Spirit-filled life continues in Jesus Came to Empower Us and You Will Do Greater Things.
Related Resources
This page is part of our free Scripture & Prayer Library. For Marybeth's personal teaching, testimony, and encouragement, visit the blog — or join us live at our daily prayer call and weekly Bible study.