About |
RENEW International, a Catholic not-for-profit organization based in Plainfield, NJ,
has a 30-year record of revitalizing parish life. By encouraging and supporting the formation of small communities which gather prayerfully to reflect on and share the Word of God, RENEW helps people make better connections between faith and life, and to live their faith more concretely in family, work, and society.
RENEW International fosters spiritual renewal in the Catholic tradition by empowering individuals and communities to encounter God in everyday life, deepen and share faith, and connect faith with action.
Foremost among RENEW's pastoral services is Why Catholic?/¿Por qué ser católico? a leading parish process to help adults grow in their Catholic faith and in their confidence to share it with others. Based on Scripture and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, this fully integrated approach has revitalized the faith of hundreds of thousands of parishioners with leadership and faith formation workshops, retreats, and theologically-sound and pastorally-sensitive small group faith-sharing publications. Supporting this outreach, RENEW has employed innovative communication methods such as web-based video, podcasts, webinars, and social media to help parishes engage both active and inactive Catholics. RENEW has a strong commitment to helping parishes reach out to young adults both single and married and welcome them into parish life. One successful young adult initiative is RENEW’s Theology on Tap offered to parishes in collaboration with the Young Adult ministry of the Archdiocese of Chicago.
RENEW International’s newest pastoral renewal service is ARISE Together in Christ, developed in collaboration with Cardinal Seán O’Malley and the Archdiocese of Boston’s Office of Worship and Spiritual Life. Adopted by Boston as the spiritual centerpiece of the Archdiocese’s recent bicentennial, the process has proved true to its title “Together in Christ.” It is building bridges between merged parishes, connecting diverse ethnic communities, and forging deeper relationships among parish members, young and old. Throughout the Archdiocese, more than 30,000 people participate across 180 parishes, employing materials developed in six languages, including options for the visually impaired, youth, and young families.
RENEW also offers RENEW Africa, a process developed from the ground up in the continent of Africa to meet the local needs expressed by pastoral leaders and the Synod of Bishops for Africa. This initiative marks the first time RENEW has published and warehoused its materials within Africa, based in the Diocese of Port Elizabeth in South Africa.