A Brief History: In 1981, a group of Catholics in the "Charismatic Renewal" met weekly for Mass and reception of the sacraments with the blessing of the Bishop of Lansing. In 1986, Bishop Povish established us as a Lay Association of the Faithful and we were given the name Christ the King Catholic Association. In 1991, we began the process of becoming a personal parish of the Diocese of Lansing, a process that was completed in 1997. We were a 'pilgrim people' functioning without a permanent building; by God's grace, we dedicated our current church in June 2001. Today, many people come to Christ the King Catholic Church with various spiritual experiences; the main mission of the parish continues... to provide formation and pastoral care of all persons, leading them closer to God, especially God the Holy Spirit. (Click here for a more detailed history.) Charismatic Prayer and The Mass: A charismatic style of prayer is common at Christ the King. People are free to raise their hands in prayer and during songs, many pray their own prayers audibly, some pray in tongues, etc.... We pray with expressive or charismatic prayer at monthly parish prayer meetings, at the beginning of parish meetings, and most especially during certain moments in the Holy Mass. These are some of the external markers of a charismatic parish. Internal markers include a radical surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ in all parts of life, a strong adherance to the Gospel and the teachings of the Catholic Church, and the pursuit of strong friendships centered on Christ. As Catholics, this obviously includes abiding in the heart of the Church in union with our beloved Bishop and Pope Benedict XVI.