Pastor's Reflection - May 25, 2025

Preparing for Pentecost: Remembering the Duquesne Weekend

As Pentecost draws near, we remember and celebrate the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles in the Upper Room—a moment that changed the course of history and birthed the Church (Acts 2:1–4). But the Holy Spirit did not stop working after that first Pentecost. Throughout history, God has continued to breathe new life into His Church through movements of renewal and revival.

One such moment occurred in February 1967 at The Ark and The Dove Retreat Center near Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. Known today as the Duquesne Weekend, this retreat is widely recognized as the beginning of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal. A small group of Catholic students and professors, after prayerfully studying the Acts of the Apostles and seeking a deeper experience of God, encountered the Holy Spirit in a life-changing way. Like the apostles, they experienced a new boldness, joy, and a release of spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:4–11).

This experience echoed Jesus’ promise:“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses…” (Acts 1:8).And it confirmed what St. Paul wrote:“The love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” (Romans 5:5)

That weekend sparked a global movement that has touched over 120 million Catholics worldwide. The Renewal invites every believer to open their life more fully to the transforming power of the Holy Spirit—not as a one-time event, but as a daily surrender. As we prepare for Pentecost, we are invited to make that same prayer:

“Come, Holy Spirit. Rekindle your fire in me.”

Let us reflect and pray:

•          Am I open to receiving the Holy Spirit in a deeper way, like those at Duquesne?

•          Do I desire the fruits of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience… (Galatians 5:22–23)?

•          Have I asked the Lord to stir up the spiritual gifts He has placed in me (2 Timothy 1:6)?

This Pentecost, let us not merely commemorate an event—we are invited to experience it. Just as the Spirit filled the Upper Room and The Ark and The Dove, He longs to fill your heart today.

“If you then… know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?” (Luke 11:13)

Come, Holy Spirit!

in Christ,

Fr. James Northrop, Pastor