Servants of the Living Christ International Association of the Charismatic Renewal

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OFFICIAL NAME

Associazione Internazionale Rinnovamento Carismatico Servi di Cristo Vivo

 

ACRONYM

A.I.R.C.S.C.V.

 

ALSO KNOWN AS

Servants of the Living Christ

 

ESTABLISHED

1980

 

HISTORY

In 1980 the first prayer groups began under the guidance of Fr Michele Vassallo S.D.V., who had returned to Italy from the United States. While there, he had committed himself to the Charismatic Renewal as national animator of the Spanish-speaking faithful and member of the National Council for English-speaking groups. On 15 September 1993, at a meeting in Collevalenza (Italy), the founder, Fr Emiliano Tardif, and the co-founder, Fr Michele Vassallo, chose the name of “Servants of the Living Christ Charismatic Association” for the association. On 20 April 1994, Cardinal Alfonso López Trujillo, Mons. Gervasio Gestori, Fr Emiliano Tardif and Fr Giacomo Capraro, Superior General of the Vocationist Fathers, handed over the torch of the new evangelisation to the first 40 animators. On 13 May 1996, the association received a decree of diocesan recognition from Archbishop Gerardo Pierro of Salerno-Campagna-Acerno and from Bishop Giuseppe Rocco Favale of Vallo della Lucania. On 21 January 2009, the feast of St Agnes, virgin and martyr, the Pontifical Council for the Laity issued the decree of recognition of the Servants of the Living Christ International Association of the Charismatic Renewal as an international association of the faithful.

 

IDENTITY

The purpose of the association is to work for the new evangelisation, as desired by St John Paul II, with particular attention also to the pastoral care of vocations and with the aim of universal holiness. The members are trained through Life in the Spirit courses that are structured on seven levels each one lasting seven weeks, and also by a school of evangelisation. The complete cycle comprises twelve courses. There are three areas of activity: the promotion of prayer groups and evangelisation, the formation of small communities of the faithful and service to seminaries as places where priestly vocations are cultivated. All training is supported by publications from the Edizioni casa di Preghiera San Michele, a publishing house founded for this purpose.

 

ORGANISATION

The members of the association are divided into 5 categories: permanent members, who opt to live in one of the houses of the association; ordinary members, who are the animators of prayer groups; supporting members, who help to finance the activities of the association even though they may not be able to actively participate; honorary members, who help the association through their personal standing, authority, professional competence or advice; collaborating members, who take part in the activities organised by the association. The members meet to form prayer groups, life communities or consecration of life communities.

 

WORKS

The Servants of the Living Christ International Association of the Charismatic Renewal  collaborates with the ONLUS association of Christian missionary volunteers E ti porta in Africa which provides orphanages, health centres with maternity delivery rooms, Catholic churches, medical visits and distribution of medicines to the poor, sponsorship for orphaned children and support for seminarians. This work is done particularly in Ivory Coast and Cameroon. 

 

PUBLICATIONS

La Voce, a quarterly magazine.

 

WEBSITE

http://servicristovivo.altervista.org

 

HEADQUARTERS

Associazione Internazionale Rinnovamento Carismatico Servi di Cristo Vivo

Via Roma, 5

84060 Mercato Cilento (SA)

Italy

Tel. [+39] 0828.1700018 - Fax [+39] 0828.601317

E-mail: sanmichele@tin.it