In the sanctuary of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, several clergymen and members of the laity prayed in Charismatic Renewal style as they led the packed New York’s most famous church for Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.                           

The Pentecost Vigil on Saturday, May 18, was conducted mostly in Spanish and sponsored by the New York archdiocesan Hispanic Charismatic Center in the Bronx. 

On the altar was the monstrance with the Blessed Sacrament. More than 2,000 people filled the pews  — most kneeling, some standing, many with arms raised or hands clutched. Some became visibly emotional and were in tears, beckoning the Holy Spirit and reaching spiritual heights common in the Catholic Charismatic Movement. “Give us new tongues, Lord; give us the tongue of the Spirit,” prayed a woman among the laity earlier in the service.        

Among the clergy in attendance was Auxiliary Bishop Joseph A. Espaillat, who urged during Adoration: “Glorify Him!”… Almighty, You are holy. Yeshua, Yeshua. Glory to You, Lord. Praise the King. Glory to You, oh, Almighty, You are Lord…Praise Him! Glorify the Church – that the Church in New York should awaken. Praise the King of Kings; praise the Lord of Lords. Praise Him. Praise Him. You are holy, powerful. Alpha and Omega; the beginning and the end. Glory to You, Lord – Glory to You, Lord. Hosanna, Hosanna, King of Kings…My soul praises You, Lord!”     

 The vigil theme was an urgent call to begin a “culture of adoration.”  

“The motto is: Establish a Culture of Adoration,” Juan De La Rosa, a lead event organizer, said as he led people in the pews to repeat several times. “Human beings are creating a culture of death. The Lord has called us to a culture of adoration…In Sacred Scriptures, we have this: ‘the living are the ones who praise You.’ And let me tell you, the Catholic Charismatic Renewal is alive – is alive. We are alive – and we are alive to adore Him!”

The people enthusiastically cheered and applauded. De La Rosa urged the faithful to  maintain this spiritual disposition in a constant way, in all their thoughts and actions, “connected with the Lord in each moment.” In order to achieve this, he said, they must be “filled with the Holy Spirit,” and they must guide their children in that path, as well as fellow members of their parish family. 

The vigil service, which began at 7 p.m., was followed by a late-night Mass celebrated by Bishop Espaillat, who in his homily spoke in part of the significance of the Holy Trinity and affirmed De La Rosa’s call for a culture of adoration. Accompanying vigil leaders and the faithful with inspirational hymns was a choir from the Charismatic Center.   

Santa Manzano and Suhel Aybar, two women with leading roles in archdiocesan Hispanic Charismatic Renewal, made the welcoming remarks, readying the people for the night of lively praise and worship.

Jorge and Rosa Zhinin were among the attendees. They told The Good Newsroom they were there to help celebrate the Holy Spirit. 

“Our Catholic faith is very important to us; we believe very much in the Holy Virgin, our Heavenly Father, His Son, and the Holy Spirit,” Jorge Zhinin said before the Pentecost Vigil began, noting he and his wife rely on their faith “for protection of our family,” Their parish is Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in Elmsford; they have three children. 

Maria De La Cruz, a volunteer at the vigil, said, “We are celebrating the birth of the Church. We ask the Holy Spirit as a community, as a united Church, to reach the world – to reach us first so that we can transform the world, and for the world to see that God is alive in us.” De La Cruz’s husband, Jose, was also volunteering, and one of their two sons was serving as a guitarist for the choir. Their parish is Sacred Heart of Jesus, West 51st Street in Manhattan. 

Also before Adoration, three women religious active in the Charismatic Renewal accepted a recognition plaque on behalf of retired Auxiliary Bishop Josu Iriondo, 85, who years ago served as director of the archdiocesan Charismatic Renewal and the Charismatic Center. The Spanish-born bishop also served as chaplain of the Sisters Servants of Mary, among other leadership capacities. Bishop Iriondo was unable to attend the gathering. 

The vigil leaders included Father Shane Johnson, a prominent Charismatic Renewal leader and parochial vicar at St. Anthony of Padua Church in the Bronx (where Bishop Espaillat is pastor). Father Johnson told the faithful about the Charismatic Center and all it offers to guide the people of God in their spiritual journeys. And there was a dance interpretation by several young women. 

On the Feast of Pentecost, the Church commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles, gathered around the Mother of the Lord (Acts chapter 2). The feast is celebrated on the 50th and final day of the Easter season – and it marks the beginning of the Church’s mission to the world.