Grand Pentecost Celebration at St. Matthew’s Church May 30, 2009

Four to five hundred people attended the annual Catholic Charismatic Pentecost celebration at St. Matthew’s parish in Surrey, BC. To review the individual activities of the event would fail to capture what the ARC chairman, Vernon Robertson put so succinctly, ‘the Lord did more than we asked or imagined’. In a real sense one would have to be there to get the authentic meaning of what the Lord was doing at that gathering and maybe what He is saying in general to the renewal in the Archdiocese of Vancouver.

The gathering took place on the eve of Pentecost beginning with the concluding prayers of the Novena to the Holy Spirit. Vernon Robertson was introduced as the new Chairman of ARC and gave an inspiring, if too brief, exhortation to those gathered for the celebration.

Attendees were rouse to praise and worship by the enthusiastic and inspiring El Shaddai prayer ministry. Arms were raised in prayer to God with great expectation of what He is and would be doing in his people. Throughout the praise and worship there were over 25 people praying in teams for the needs of those present. There were children and even an infant brought for prayer. By the end of the day people were already reporting healing.

There was a beautiful testimony from Melanie de Souza on how the Lord spoke to her on her trip to the Holy Land last fall on pilgrimage with Father Augustine Obiwumma. The Lord spoke in her heart and in scripture passages at each of the significant sights of Jesus' journey recorded in the New Testament.

One of the most moving parts of the celebration was the procession of Jesus in His Eucharistic presence. Father Augustine Obiwumma carried the Lord throughout the church blessing people as he went. Many, many people were moved to tears as they saw the living Jesus walk near them and bless them.

Mass which started at 12:15 and didn’t conclude until 1:30 was another highlight. The music and Father Augustine’s homily brought us into deep worship of God in the Eucharistic presence of Jesus warmed and enhanced by the Power and Love of the Holy Spirit. The gathered crowd looked with optimism and expectation as to what the Lord is doing in His people.

SOME PARTICIPANTS ENJOYING WARM FELLOWSHIP WITH OLD FRIENDS

NETWORKING AMONG THE CELEBRANTS PROMISES FUTURE BLESSINGS