February 18: Come Holy Spirit

Welcome to the American Catholic Daily Reader podcast. Today is February 18th, and our story is Come Holy Spirit. In 1967, Catholics around the world found themselves in a state of profound confusion. Changes in Catholic liturgy and life abounded. Priests and religious were shedding their habits and titles. Some even shed their vocations. Doctrine itself seemed up for grabs. Many, both inside and outside the church, believed Catholicism was in a state of collapse.

Yet, in the midst of the confusion, graces still abounded, including the graces that manifested in a particular way just outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, February 18, 1967. That weekend, a group of Duquesne University students and faculty went on retreat.

In the days leading up to the retreat, the students read the Acts of the Apostles and a book, The Cross and the Switchblade, which recounted the experiences of two Protestant Pentecostals ministering in New York. Then, when they arrived at the Ark and the Dove Retreat House, they began their retreat with the ancient hymn, Veni Creator Spiritus, Come Creator Spirit. The Holy Spirit answered that call. On Saturday night in the Retreat House Chapel, numerous students experienced an overwhelming outpouring of grace and multiple manifestations of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

From there, the graces and manifestations spread. The Catholic charismatic renewal had begun. Emphasizing a personal relationship with Christ, the power of the Holy Spirit, and the charismatic gifts, such as healing, words of prophecy, and praying in tongues, as well as fidelity to the magisterium, the charismatic movement became a primary instrument of renewal for the Church throughout the latter half of the 20th century. Reaching more than 230 countries and touching tens of millions of lives, it received the enthusiastic support of Pope Paul VI, Pope John Paul II, and Pope Benedict XVI.

As Pope John Paul II explained on Pentecost 1998, It is from this providential rediscovery of the Church's charismatic dimension that a remarkable pattern of growth has been established for ecclesial movements and new communities. The story of the Duquesne retreat shows that the Holy Spirit can ignite renewal even amid confusion and uncertainty.

The grace poured out on those students reminds us that God's power is personal, transformative, and available to all who seek him. Take time today to pray for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit in your own life. Consider joining a prayer group or simply spending quiet time inviting God's gifts into your heart.

Thank you for listening to the American Catholic Daily Reader podcast. Join us tomorrow, February 19th, for another story of faith and courage in America.