BY GRETCHEN KEISER

Staff Writer

ATLANTA--A timetable of events and a circle of people sharing faith marked the beginning of RENEW 2000 in the Archdiocese of Atlanta.

To prepare spiritually for the Great Jubilee Year of 2000, celebrating the salvation won by Jesus Christ, parishes throughout the archdiocese will have the opportunity to follow this process of faith sharing in hundreds of small communities.

On Sept. 5 Father Richard Kieran, coordinator for RENEW 2000, assembled the Archdiocesan Core Community for the first time, 13 people who serve in various diocesan capacities who will continue to meet as a group through the year 2000. They will follow RENEW 2000 themselves while being trained to model the core community dynamic and to train parish core communities. The members heard Father Kieran present hopes for a Christian renewal to touch thousands.

"Imagine an average of 20 groups per parish in 90 parishes with about 15 persons per group," he said. That would mean approximately 27,000 Catholics in North Georgia studying and sharing faith around a common theme for the next three years and hopefully beyond.

"This has got to have a huge impact on the life of the church," Father Kieran said. "The cumulative effect of RENEW 2000 will be one of the most powerful things to happen in the Archdiocese of Atlanta."

He called the time of preparation for the Great Jubilee "a moment of grace from God."

Father Kieran was appointed by Archbishop John F. Donoghue to coordinate RENEW 2000 within the archdiocese after many priests and catechetical leaders supported the initiative at an informational presentation.

"This will be the priority of the diocese for the three years through the year 2000," Father Kieran said.

In five "seasons," RENEW 2000 will explore themes including who God is, conversion, evangelization, reconciliation between individuals and also between communities, and renewing the world in light of the Gospel.

A number of important events for parish and priest participation are on this fall's calendar.

Two informational meetings for clergy, parish councils and parish leaders will be held to explain the RENEW 2000 process of spiritual renewal.

They will be offered Tuesday, Sept. 30 from 7:30-9 p.m. at St. Pius X Church, Conyers and Wednesday, Oct. 8 from 7:30-9 p.m. at Holy Family Church, Marietta.

These meetings are designed to help parishes that are still exploring participation to understand the RENEW process and its lasting contribution to parish renewal and the formation of small faith communities.

Father Kieran and members of the Archdiocesan Core Community (ACC) will give the presentations. ACC members will have a full day of training in the program by Sister Cheryl Erb, OP, a member of the RENEW International Service Team, on Sept. 22. Father Kieran and Mary Ann Fischer, director of continuing education and evangelization in the Department of Catholic Education, attended a three-day training session in June.

The next preparation event will be a retreat for archdiocesan priests Oct. 20-23 given by Father Shaun McCarty, a member of the RENEW International Service Team, at the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers. The retreat will dovetail with the spirituality of the RENEW process, Father Kieran said. Registration for the priests retreat is being done by Father Mark Lacey, chancellor of the archdiocese.

In October prayer cards for RENEW 2000 will be distributed to begin the prayer support needed for this renewal to be graced by the Holy Spirit.

The commitment by parishes comes through participation in one of two orientation seminars that will be given by the RENEW International Service Team in the archdiocese the first week of November.

The seminar will be given for the first time Friday, Nov. 7 from 4-9:30 p.m. at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Alpharetta. Supper will be provided. The seminar will also be offered in Spanish at this time.

The seminar will be repeated Saturday, Nov. 8 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Atlanta. Lunch will be provided.

Parishes are asked to send the names of their participants and the seminar they prefer to attend to Father Kieran at 836 East Spring St., Monroe, Ga. 30655 or by fax at (770) 267-0465 or e-mail at RevRAK@aol.com. Deadline for meal reservations is Oct. 15.

In early 1998 as parish core communities for RENEW 2000 develop, workshops will be offered to assist in their formation. Dates already on the calendar for those workshops are Friday, Jan. 23 from 6:30-9:30 p.m. at St. Ann's Church, Marietta in English and Spanish, repeated Saturday, Jan. 24 from 9 a.m. to noon at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, Atlanta, in English only.

A second workshop for parish core communities will be given Friday, Feb. 20 from 6-9:30 p.m. at St. Ann's Church, Marietta in English and Spanish, repeated Saturday, Feb. 21 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Cathedral of Christ the King, Atlanta, in English only.

Preparation will continue with monthly workshops on specific aspects in March, April and May 1998. The first season of RENEW 2000 will begin in parishes in the fall of 1998.

Father Kieran said that RENEW 2000 is an update of the RENEW program created in the Newark Diocese 20 years ago that has been used extensively for parish renewal in the U.S. and internationally.

However, he said that he believes RENEW 2000 is better designed. He cited its focus on young adults as an important new element and its stronger capacity to form lasting small faith communities.

The spirituality for the Great Jubilee includes the importance of the sabbath and the practice of taking time for God, the necessity to ask for and offer forgiveness, the element of justice and a spirit of rejoicing, Father Kieran said. In light of the birth of Jesus Christ 2000 years ago, "there ought to be jubilation," he said.

He asked the ACC to take as its first objective "that we ourselves be a small faith community and then to be a model to others for a small faith community."

The members of the ACC are Keri Allen, director of evangelization for the Cathedral of Christ the King, Michael Balfour from The Georgia Bulletin, Deacon Walt Bedard for liturgy, Mary Ann Fischer from the Department of Catholic Education, Deirdre Holler from the Atlanta Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women, Father John Howren for liturgy, Gretchen Keiser from The Georgia Bulletin, Father Kieran, Father Lacey, Myles McCabe from Catholic Social Services, Janice Murphy from archdiocesan young adult ministry, Gonzalo Saldana from the Hispanic Apostolate, Father Bruce Wilkinson for the black Catholic community and Kathy Wolf for archdiocesan youth ministry.