Mercedes Garcia, a parishioner of St. Joseph’s Church in Middletown, was among the nearly 350 people who attended a festive, faith-filled Pentecost Sunday gathering at the National Shrine of Mary Help of Christians in Stony Point, Rockland County.
The Pentecost Festival, part of the Jesus in Zion retreat series, was conducted in English and Spanish. The June 8 event featured speakers and musicians, Adoration, and opportunities for confession – lasting five hours and ending at 8 p.m.
“Every time one talks about the Holy Spirit, that is love. I just learned about this event a few days ago,” Garcia, 56, a mother of three, told The Good Newsroom at the festival, citing the importance of the gathering and noting she was very glad a group of nuns told her about it.
“This is all beautiful – very beautiful. I like all of it, the words (from the talks) and the music…I’m a lifelong Catholic,” Garcia added.
Father Malachy Napier CFR, of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, was among the main speakers, reminding the faithful of the importance of “the anointing of the Spirit of God.” And in beckoning the Holy Spirit, he prayed, “The entire world, Lord, the world is longing for your presence and your love – all of creation is crying for you…We can say with trust: ‘We are children of the Father,’ that is your identity.”
“This is about a new life, a new path; and God is inviting us to enter this new path,” Father Napier continued. He went on to talk of the significance of forgiveness – and a call from Pope Francis, that a shepherd should smell like his sheep, a vision for priests and bishops, emphasizing that they should be close to their flock and understand their needs and struggles.
Alluding to this, Father Napier spoke of recently counseling a woman in Oklahoma who was battling drug addiction. “I approached her and noticed she was an addict; she was suffering from her addiction and other things…I sat on the ground with her, and we talked…And she, at this moment, glory to God, received the mercy of the Lord – the Holy Spirit works miracles.”
Inspirational priestly talks were also given by Father Glenn Sudano CFR, and Father Manny Gallo, SDB (Salesians of Don Bosco), vice director at the Marian shrine. Father Vincent Druding, parochial vicar at Holy Cross Church in the Bronx, led an Outpouring of the Holy Spirit prayer service, and later Father Napier and Father Druding led Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
Talks related to Pentecost and the power of the Holy Spirit message were also given by Catholic speakers Chinwe Esimai and Raisa Diaz. The music groups included Santos and the Band, which led the joyful faithful in mid-afternoon with a lively singing and dancing session in Spanish and English to start the event.
“They are here fired up by the Holy Spirit,” Mandalena Prelashi, a parishioner of Holy Cross who was volunteering at the event, told The Good Newsroom. “We just want to spread the joy of the Lord, (which is) one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit; we want to bring Jesus to people, we want to bring that hope that people seem to have lost…It is about the joy of the Lord.”
The Jesus in Zion Ministry began in 2023 and is based at Holy Cross. For more information visit www.jesusinzion.com.