A day of prayer and faith-filled connection with the Holy Spirit and fellow Catholics will be celebrated at the Catholic Charismatic Conference on Saturday, May 10 beginning at 9:30 a.m. at Epiphany of Our Lord Church in Plymouth Meeting.
“It’s a great opportunity to be more in connection with the Holy Spirit and what he’s doing in your life,” said Maria Carmel Richardson, emcee for the event and the archbishop’s delegate for the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, which is hosting the event.
The charismatic renewal movement within the Catholic Church began in 1967 in Pittsburgh, among faculty and students at Duquesne University, according to the university’s website. It later spread to Notre Dame University in Indiana, and eventually to the wider Church.
For anyone who has not previously attended a Catholic charismatic prayer event, Richardson says you can look forward to experiencing “what God will do in your heart (through the Holy Spirit) that you don’t even recognize needs to be done,” she said.
She describes the experience as “life-changing for certain people,” but always uplifting and enjoyable for everyone.
“Our God Reigns” is the conference’s theme, meaning that “whatever happens in the world, our God is in control,” Richardson said.
The event’s keynote speaker is Father James Blount, a charismatic priest of the Society of Our Lady of the Trinity, who Richardson describes as “full of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.”
“You never know what he’s going to do or what he’s going to say, but it’s always awesome,” Richardson said of Father Blount.
Those attending the event will also have the opportunity to participate in group prayer, both large and small.
People can request prayers for help with employment, health, family issues, or “whatever they need help with,” Richardson said.
Eucharistic adoration and education on the gifts of the Holy Spirit will be available, and Richardson hopes also to make available the sacrament of reconciliation.
Music throughout the day will be provided by Remnant, a local contemporary Catholic music ministry.
The day ends with a Vigil Mass at 5 p.m. celebrated by Auxiliary Bishop Efren V. Esmilla, whom Richardson described as being “very instrumental” in the recent growth experienced by the Catholic Charismatic Renewal in the Philadelphia region.
Richardson, whose home parish is Corpus Christi in Lansdale, says she’s been in involved in the charismatic renewal in the archdiocese for about 40 years, attending her first charismatic prayer group at age 24 at Holy Savior Church in Norristown because she wanted “to be closer to the Lord.”
There, she encountered people “praying in tongues and singing,” which she found very different than what she had previously experienced as a Catholic. Later that evening she felt a personal experience with the Holy Spirit, she said.
By connecting with the Holy Spirit, Richardson was able to connect with Jesus Christ and ultimately grow closer to God the Father. She hopes to share this experience with more people at the May 10 event.
“Walking closer to the Lord” through charismatic renewal, she said, can help Catholics to speak more openly and comfortably about their faith and thus become missionary disciples for the Church.
Registration for the event costs $45 per person and is free for anyone 16 years or younger. Lunch is included with registration.
To register for the May 10 event or to join local charismatic prayer groups, visit the website of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia at https://archphilaccr.org/
Any priests who are interested in hearing confessions for the sacrament of reconciliation at the May 10 event should contact Richardson at mrichardson@archphila.org.
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