Contact: Deirdre Trabert Malacrea, 908-769-5400 ext 126

MEDIA ADVISORY, April 22 /Christian Newswire/ -- RENEW International, a Catholic not-for-profit organization based in Plainfield, NJ, has appointed Sr. Theresa Rickard, O.P., to serve as both President and Executive Director. The formal appointment was made by Most Rev. John J. Myers, J.C.D., D.D., Archbishop of Newark, in his capacity as the chairman of the Corporate Board of RENEW International, and with the recommendation of its Board of Trustees.

RENEW International has a 30-year record of revitalizing parish life through encouraging and supporting the formation of small Christian communities who gather prayerfully to reflect on and share the Word of God, to make better connections between faith and life, and to live their faith more concretely in family, work, and society.

Sr. Rickard, who succeeds Msgr. Thomas Kleissler, expands her role as the leader of this 35-person organization, whose mission is to serve the needs of people and parishes with a variety of pastoral processes and publications. Commenting on the appointment, Sr. Rickard said, "I am honored to have the trust and full support of RENEW's Board, Msgr. Kleissler, and Archbishop Myers to lead RENEW's excellent team in providing innovative pastoral services which build vibrant faith communities of hope and Gospel action."

Sr. Rickard is a Dominican Sister of Blauvelt, New York. She holds a Doctor of Ministry in Preaching from Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis, Missouri. Additionally, she earned a Master of Divinity at Union Theological Seminary in New York City and a Master of Arts in Religion and Religious Education at Fordham University.

Since becoming Executive Director three years ago, she has led RENEW's expansion into over forty dioceses in the United States, in parishes and on campuses, as well as into five developing countries. Under her watch, RENEW launched several new and important pastoral processes focused on evangelization, faith formation, and spiritual renewal.

Foremost is Why Catholic?/¿Por qué ser católico? a leading parish-based 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 revitalizes the faith of parishioners in via faith formation workshops, retreats, and theologically-sound and pastorally-sensitive small group faith-sharing publications offered in English and Spanish. Since its beginning in 2004, more than a 300,000 parishioners have participated in Why Catholic? in the United States and beyond.

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. Proving true to its title "Together in Christ," the ARISE process builds bridges between merged parishes, connects diverse ethnic communities, and forges deeper relationships among parish members, young and old. Other dioceses, including the Diocese of Stockton in California, will be adopting the ARISE process in the near future.

Sr. Rickard has also personally championed 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. RENEW's strong commitment to helping parishes reach out to young adults is demonstrated by the successful RENEW Theology on Tap, offered to parishes in collaboration with the Young Adult ministry of the Archdiocese of Chicago.

About RENEW International
RENEW International is a canonically-recognized Catholic organization operating under the auspices of the Archdiocese of Newark for the past three decades. 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. RENEW has worked with dioceses and parishes in 23 countries, and its materials and leader training have been translated and inculturated in over forty languages. RENEW International can be found on the web at www.renewintl.org.