The Solemnity of Pentecost will be observed with a Pentecost Bilingual Prayer Room (prayer meeting) scheduled for May 23 on the campus of St. Mary Parish, Middletown.
Hosted by Garden Revival, an outreach ministry of the Diocese of Trenton Catholic Charismatic Renewal, the evening of worship and encounter will be held under the parish tent. Mass will be celebrated at 5 p.m. by Father Jeffrey Kegley, parish pastor and liaison to the DOT-CCR. A barbecue will follow along with music provided by Spanish and English worship music ministers and prayer ministry teams from the Encounter School of Ministry, New Jersey campus. A keynote talk on “The Baptism of the Holy Spirit” will be presented by Garden Revival coordinator Ramil Caragay.
“This gathering reflects the life of the early Church where believers came together not only for prayer but also for shared meals and authentic communion with one another,” Father Kegley noted. He added that “sacred Scripture reminds us of the origin of this great feast: ‘When the time of Pentecost came they were all together in one place’ (Acts 2:1).’”
“This Pentecost celebration seeks to recreate that same spirit of unity, expectation and openness to the transforming power of the Holy Spirit,” he said.
Of the keynote presentation, Father Kegley reiterated that “In Catholic teaching, the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is understood not as anew Sacrament but as a grace that releases and activates the power of the Holy Spirit already received through the Sacraments of Baptism and Conformation. It is a personal awakening to God’s presence, empowering believers to live more fully as disciples of Jesus Christ, to exercise spiritual gifts and to boldly proclaim the Gospel.”
Mike Griggs, a member of the Garden Revival team, noted that the Garden Revival hosts monthly Prayer Rooms, drawing participants from around the state of New Jersey.
“Our hope for this Prayer Room is to experience again what took place in the Upper Room over 2,000 years ago with a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit,” he said. “This desire reflects a growing hunger among the faithful for authentic encounters with God in prayer and worship.”
St. Mary Parish is located at 19 Cherry Tree Farm Rd., Middletown.