Songs of praise replaced the more customary rock songs at the National Charismatic Conference at the RDS in Dublin at the weekend. More than 2,500 people attended the spiritual event which was a mix of prayer, song, testimonies and speeches from visiting Charismatic leaders.
There are no clear figures for the number of Charismatics in Ireland, but it is estimated at "tens of thousands", according to Father Pat Collins, author of 11 books on Christian themes.
There are 450 Charismatic prayer groups and Northern Ireland members were well represented. Largely lay and ecumenical, the movement began in Ireland in the early 1970s. It grew from people's wish that their beliefs be "God-centred" rather than "church-centred". Catholics felt their need for a direct relationship with God was not being reflected by their church.
The Catholic Church initially distanced itself from the movement, uncomfortable with its strong emotion and lay involvement, but in recent years it has been endorsed by the Vatican.
At this year's conference, Mr Ralph Martin, a US leader in renewal movements in the Catholic Church, told how he healed a Hindu of throat cancer by placing his hands on the man's neck and ordering the tumours to leave his body. Doctors had told the man that the cancer was incurable.
According to Mr Martin, the Hindu became a Christian and is now spreading the word.
The conference was also addressed by Mr Jim Tate and Mr Tom Kelly, two former members of paramilitary groups who are now Christians.
Mr Tate helped to form the UVF in the Sandy Row area of Belfast at the age of 21. He spent six years in jail but left the UVF after his release, having realised that violence would not achieve a solution. He joined the Christian Fellowship Church and through that met Mr Jim Kelly, a former IRA member.
Mr Kelly had spent 10 of his 27 years behind bars for IRA activity. The two men have spent the last five years promoting peace in schools and other public arenas.
Mr Paul Reid, a Belfast pastor, said the peace process would succeed because there were enough good people committed to creating peace in Northern Ireland. He expressed concern at the small number of young people at the conference - about 5 per cent was under 35 years.
The pastor asked the audience if they had thought about the legacy they were leaving to the next generation. "We want to ensure that the next generation is adequately equipped to decide what God wants them to do," he said. Young people were living through incredible change and he pointed to the growing materialism and the changing values system.
"What 50 years of communism couldn't achieve in the Eastern bloc, 10 years of materialism achieved in the Western world," he said. "But there's something more worth living and dying for than what you can touch, smell or see."
Despite the small number of young people present, Father Collins said the future of the Charismatic movement was positive. He told The Irish Times that post-modern society wanted a strong sense of belonging in a community and they wanted religious experience.
"This is what the Charismatic movement is about. People want a direct awareness of God, they want to see God's power working through them, but who knows what the future holds? It's in God's hands."
The Charismatic Renewal Centre is planning a youth conference in St Patrick's College, Drumcondra, for the October bank holiday weekend, which will be addressed by the Bishop of Ferns, Dr Brendan Comiskey.
