ICCRS
Sub-Committee For Asia-Oceania (ISAO)

Serving Catholic Charismatic Renewal in the Asia-Oceania Region

A time of “Kairos”

When I sit back and reflect about the Church and the Renewal in Asia-Oceania, the strong conviction that emerges within me is that it is a time of “Kairos” for my region. The Greek word “Kairos” signifies “the right or opportune moment when something special happens”. The more I try to analyze the happenings of the past, the things happening around and the rise in persecution of the Church, my conviction grows stronger and stronger.

The Renewal in the yesteryears

The Renewal came to the Asia-Oceania region in 1969. Looking at the past, I realize that the Renewal in the region had been making attempts to come together for the past three decades without any lasting effect. Some of these attempts were:

1. The Asian Leader’s Conference held in Bangalore, India from 08 to 12 November 1985, where leaders from 14 Asian countries participated.
2. The Asian CCR Leader’s Conference organized in Karachi, Pakistan from 09 to 13 July 1992, which brought together 9 countries.
3. The formation of the Catholic Charismatic Council (CCC) for Asia-Pacific in 1994 in the presence of Fr. Ken Metz, Director of ICCRS Office.
4. The first General Assembly of Asian Leaders held in Bundu Tuhan, Sabah, Malaysia from 18 to 22 November 1995.
5. The first Asia-Pacific Leader’s Conference planned by CCC in Bogor, Indonesia that could not take place.
6. The first Asia-Oceania CCR Conference organized in Manila, Philippines from 15 to 18 May 2005, attended by members of CCR from 9 countries but was more a local event.

Despite all these efforts, a stable leadership structure or network could not be established in the region. It is thanks to Allan Panozza that after a long time of prayer and waiting, the ICCRS Sub-Committee for Asia-Oceania (ISAO) was formed in December 2006 when the key leaders from 14 countries came together in Singapore. Although with no contacts with the Renewal realities in as many as 25 countries in Asia and 16 countries in Oceania, the ISAO had a stupendous task of reaching out to these realities and networking with them, and it took up the mission in right earnest.

Cyril John
Chairman ISAO

ICCRS is the International Catholic Charismatic Renewal Services In Vatican City
Website: www.iccrs.org

Best Viewed at 800X600 pixels or more

©Copyright 2008 ICCRS South Asia Oceania. All rights reserved