As the church approaches Pentecost, St Catherine Laboure in Gymea is preparing for what its parish priest, Fr Greg Morgan, hopes will be a genuine outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Not only for the parish but for each individual involved.
First brought to Fr Morgan’s attention a year ago, the Pentecost Novena is an ancient tradition that he hopes will “lead to a reinvigoration, new insights and new initiatives into some of the long-standing groups of the parish.”
“I can claim no credit for the idea, but this year we had the time to prepare – and it’s been very providential.”
Each night will involve and be dedicated to a different group within the parish. The novena will start off with its Acutis club (named in honour of teenaged St Carlo Acutis), then move onto families, the youth, men, and women. There will be a night when everyone will pray for vocations.
New initiatives are also being launched alongside the initiative, including young adult gatherings and men’s groups aimed at both faith formation and outreach to those disengaged from the church.
At the heart of this effort is a simple but often overlooked truth: the Holy Spirit is active, dynamic, and essential to the life of the church.
“We have lots of hope. I suppose our primary hope is that it will encourage every parishioner to be involved in something. To realise that they have gifts and talents and to put them to use,” Fr Morgan said.
“We also want to call attention to new leaders. We want other people to step forward to inject a new vision. And that’s kind of what’s been happening… we’re going beyond simply attending Mass.”
That same Spirit, he emphasised, is not a distant force confined to Scripture, but the very power that transformed the Apostles.
Reflecting on the Acts of the Apostles, he noted how “an itinerant group of unsuspecting men” went from fear in the upper room to bold witnesses who “quite literally changed the face of the world.”
“If we want this community to thrive and to grow and to be full of new life, we have to be in touch with the Holy Spirit. This is the gift that Christ and the Father have sent to the church and to our parish,” he said.
“It’s the same Holy Spirit, not a different one. If the apostles had refused those gifts, if they had refused the Holy Spirit, just imagine that. So why can’t there be a new Pentecost?”
The parish is also encouraging members to call upon the Holy Spirit and discern their personal gifts through programs such as “Called and Gifted,” offered through the Sydney Centre for Evangelisation, which helps individuals recognise how they are uniquely equipped to serve in ministry.
“If people understand their charisms, the fruit could be incredible,” he said.
Close to 40 parishioners, including himself, are already enrolled Fr Morgan said.
“The Holy Spirit is very much at the heart of that process of discernment so I’m quite excited about what might come from this.”
However, beyond programs and initiatives, the deeper goal is fostering a sense of belonging.
“People are far more likely to encounter Christ when they see a community that is joyful, united, and alive,” he said.
The novena will culminate in a Pentecost Vigil celebration for the entire parish – an outward sign of what Fr Morgan hopes will be an inward transformation.
“Something exciting is happening – subtly – in the hearts and minds of many. I hope this novena helps us be ready to meet that moment.”
“We’re like the early church,” he added. “There’s uncertainty. But if we ask for the Holy Spirit, then from Pentecost onwards, we can have the courage, wisdom and integrity to speak the truth with love.
“We’ve got to help people realise the power of the Holy Spirit already at work in their lives and to lean into that incredible power.
“Pentecost gives us a good opportunity to focus our attention on that reality.”
