SCRC | Testimonies | Dave and Debbie Granucci

Testimonies

Dave and Debbie Granucci - "A Family Affair"

Dave and Debbie Granucci Dave came to know Christ (rather than simply knowing of Him) at a Charismatic Healing Mass in Santa Barbara. This has been the formative event in his life. Though I, Debbie, came to know Christ outside the charismatic renewal, the first time Dave brought me to a prayer meeting, it was like "coming home." At the weekly "missions" I attended with my youth group, we would pray for each other with the laying on of hands. Though we were still "unaware" of charisms or gifts of the Holy Spirit, we were certain that Christ was present among us.

Our involvement with SCRC and the Charismatic Renewal has since grounded our marriage and deepened our faith. It has been a great source of comfort to know that we can call on the Holy Spirit to pray with us, and to pray for us when we do not have the words ourselves. For instance, when feelings of frustration and disappointment were acute during our struggle to conceive both our children, we did not have the strength to pray in words. It was during those times that we allowed the Holy Spirit to interceded for us.

It has been a blessing to our children to grow up in a community of faith. Dominique, who will be six in August, is not afraid to "lead" our family (and the SCRC Young Adult Conference core team!) in prayer. On occasion, she even prays with her friends: when one of her friends recently fell down and scraped her arm, Dominique laid her hands on her friend's arm and asked the Holy Spirit to heal her.

The seeds of the SCRC Young Adult Conference were planted in October of 2002. We had been hosting Home Masses for over two years when, in October, Dave and several young adults decided to approach SCRC about beginning a young adult conference. SCRC President Dominic Berardino not only agreed, but shared that such a needed for young adult outreach had already been impressed strongly on his heart. The first young adult conference was held in conjunction with the 2003 SCRC Convention.

Our hope for the Young Adult Conference is to provide a venue where young adults can fellowship and nurture their Catholic Faith through Spirit-filled liturgies, talks by powerful speakers, and coffee houses. For some young adults, the weekend may be sanctifying: a deepening in faith and a growth in holiness. For others, the power of the Spirit at the conference may actually bring about an initial conversion experience. And for many, those weekends can provide a reference point of affirmation that "we are not alone in our journey with Christ."

As we move forward in preparing for the 4th SCRC Young Adult Conference, we are in awe of the work that the Holy Spirit is doing. The conference has grown to 700 attendees, and we have seen many ministries form through the efforts of young adults who actually met at the Jesus and Java coffee houses. They have taken their faith and zeal into the diocese at both parish and regional levels. Recently, international doors have also opened. Father Juan Correa, liaison for the charismatic renewal to the Bishop of Cartagena, has invited members of the SCRC core team to San Juan Bosco Parish. There, on August 5th, 2006, we participated in a one day "conferencia" with various young adult communities from Cartagena, Colombia.

We ask that readers join us in praying for the continued conversion and sanctification of individual young adults, and that young adult ministry continues to be transformed by the Holy Spirit throughout Southern California, and beyond.

Click here to see all Testimonies.