Father Kareem Smith, parochial administrator of St. Michael the Archangel Church in the Bronx, led the faithful in praying, “Lord, open our hearts. Make us new, revive us again!”

“We bless your name Lord; oh, you have made us a holy people because you, God, are holy,” Smith prayed the evening of Tuesday, September 16, during the lively, second annual “Old-Fashioned Tent Revival” on the rear lawn of the church, located in the Co-op City area of the Bronx. “You have anointed us to be in your service. Oh, we thank you, Lord, because you’ve turned this simple gathering into the place where you have made your holy presence.”

“Amen; thank you, Lord!” the people responded.

The parish planned the three-day event in conjunction with the Office of Black Ministry of the Archdiocese of New York. September 16 was the last night of the gathering; more than 200 people attended, many of whom also attended the first two nights. The revival, featuring several speakers, lasted about two and a half hours each evening. It included a live band that accompanied several vocalists, along with the faithful who joined in singing the songs of praise and worship under a large tent.

“Lord, thank you for bringing us to this moment; we want that sweet Holy Spirit to move in our midst to transform lives and hearts,” Father Smith added. “Open our hearts. Make us new, revive us again!”

Father Smith went on to talk about how important it is that the faithful who have reached a spiritual mountain reach down and lift those still in the valley, still struggling to overcome dire challenges they think they cannot bear. This is part of serving the Lord, he noted, to serve others, to help our fellow children of God.

“Oh, brothers and sisters, I’ve been praying because times are difficult and hard,” he said, citing Scripture occurrences when the people of God during those times were also facing societal struggles. He told the story of David defeating Goliath and he noted, “The God on the mountaintop is the God that is also in the valley. And we cannot stay on this mountaintop; we have to return to the reality of our lives because there’s somebody who needs to see what was on the mountain. … We need to be a light in the valley.”

The other two featured speakers were Carla Harris from St. Charles Borromeo Parish in Harlem, who spoke Sunday evening; and the Rev. Carl Gales, SVD, from Chicago, who spoke Monday evening. Harris, Gales, and other speakers, like Smith, spoke on themes designed to remind the people of the importance of faith, hope, love, and trusting in the Lord. Like the vocalists and musicians, the speakers lifted the spirits of the people, their messages based enthusiastically on the Word of the Lord.

Lauren Gentry, a parishioner of St. Vincent Ferrer Church in Manhattan, was among the attendees Tuesday night.

“This gathering of the community together like this, it’s to pray for a greater outpouring of the Holy Spirit; this is so vital for the community,” Gentry, 31, told The Good Newsroom during the event. “We need to come together as the Body of Christ and praise God. I heard last year was amazing, so I didn’t want to miss it this year. … My faith is everything to me. I really want everyone that I know to know the love of God.”

Also there on Tuesday were Hector and Iris Ortega, parishioners of St. Michael the Archangel, parents of two and grandparents of one.

“This is thanks to Father Kareem, he made it possible,” Hector Ortega, 71, said of Smith leading the effort to plan this year’s and last year’s Old-Fashioned Tent Revival. “It brings everybody together; everybody’s praying, everybody’s singing. Everybody is listening to the Good Word of the Lord.”