On Saturday, May 10, the Catholic charismatic renewal of the Archdiocese of Atlanta will celebrate a Pentecost vigil Mass at Corpus Christi Church, 600 Mountain View Drive, Stone Mountain. All are invited.

Praise and worship will begin at 7 p.m., followed by Mass and renewal of consecration to Mary at 7:30 p.m. There will be over 100 candles burning to signify an intense plea that the fire of the Holy Spirit blaze in the hearts of the followers of Jesus as it did in Mary’s heart.

Father Guyma Noel, native of Haiti and archdiocesan liaison for the movement, will celebrate the Mass. Father Guy, gifted in languages, serves as pastor at Christ Our Hope Church in Lithonia and assists Spanish- and French-speaking faithful in Atlanta. Charismatic Catholics and all people of good will are invited to experience the jubilant praise, profound worship and a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit prayed for at this Mass.

The Catholic charismatic renewal began in the United States in 1967. College students at Duquesne University on retreat fervently prayed to the Holy Spirit. They repeatedly invoked him with the “Veni, Creator Spiritus” prayer. He came upon them, immersing many in the love of God and gifting them with charisms.

Soon the movement grew. In 1975 Pope Paul VI greeted 10,000 Catholics in the charismatic renewal movement saying, “The Church and the world need more than ever that the miracle of Pentecost should continue in history. … How could this spiritual renewal not be good fortune for the Church and the world?”

Later Pope John Paul II declared, “I am convinced that this movement is a sign of the Spirit’s action … a very important component in the total renewal of the Church.” On the eve of Pentecost 2004 he said, “I desire that the spirituality of Pentecost be spread … as a renewed thrust of prayer, holiness, communion and proclamation.”

He also encouraged the Italian “Burning Bush” initiative, which invited “incessant adoration, day and night” before the Blessed Sacrament “for the full unity of Christians and the conversion of sinners.”

Corpus Christi Church is now in its 12th year as a parish with a perpetual adoration chapel. Being drawn into this work of the Holy Spirit, most of the members of the Servants of the Lord charismatic prayer group that meets Monday evenings also became committed to adoration in the chapel. They subsequently began some all-night prayer vigils before the exposed Blessed Sacrament in the church. Inspired by the Burning Bush initiative, each Friday night this Lent, open-to-all eight-hour vigils were held, drawing a wide variety of people.

On May 1 the church will begin once more the traditional novena to the Holy Spirit, recalling the first one that took place in Jerusalem. At his Ascension, Jesus told his followers, “Stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” The Blessed Virgin Mary and some 120 disciples, including the apostles, united in prayer those nine days and received the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. They were sent out to bring the Gospel’s good news to the ends of the earth. That is still the task of Jesus’ followers. Looking confidently for help to the Virgin of Guadalupe, whose image converted about 8 million in a few years, the renewal invites the faithful to unite in this novena, praying wholeheartedly.