The Catholic Standard and Times

Creator Spiritus
Come, Holy Spirit

By Lou Baldwin
Special to The CS&T

It’s never too late to receive the Holy Spirit. Take Juan Canales of St. Martin of Tours Parish. A life-long Catholic who somehow never got around to being confirmed, there he was at age 85, in the Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul, on May 15, Pentecost Sunday, receiving the sacrament at the hands of Cardinal Justin Rigali. “It makes me feel big,” he said.

Canales was just one of approximately 320 candidates, from teens to octogenarians, who were confirmed that afternoon by Cardinal Rigali, assisted by Auxiliary Bishops Robert P. Maginnis, Michael F. Burbidge, Joseph R. Cistone and Joseph P. McFadden.

Pentecost is, of course the celebration of the anniversary first confirmation, and it has become a Philadelphia tradition to re-enact that coming of the Holy Spirit to the Apostles by bestowing the sacrament on Catholics who were not confirmed as young children.

Cardinal Rigali, in his homily, reminded the candidates of the liturgy readings, how Jesus had promised to send the Holy Spirit and how the apostles were in the locked upper room in Jerusalem when a thunderous noise and tongues of fire signaled the descent of the Holy Spirit.

“With these two external signs God showed them that something was taking place within their hearts,” the Cardinal said. “The fiery tongues were not the Holy Spirit and the thunderous noise was not the Holy Spirit; they were simply as sign that Jesus’ promise had been fulfilled.”

The apostles, he said were ordinary people, many of them fishermen, who before they received the gift of the Holy Spirit were unable fulfill the mission given to them by Jesus. Through the gift of the Holy Spirit they were strengthened and were given the power they needed to go out into the whole world.

“Today there is no thunderous noise, there are no tongues of fire, but there is the same wonderful reality, the same gift of the Holy Spirit,” Cardinal Rigali said. “That very same gift is given to you for the very same reason it was given to the apostles, so that you might be strengthened with the Holy Spirit and you might receive Him into your hearts and be confirmed, strengthened in your faith. That’s what confirmation means.”

Just as the Pope takes on a new name at the time of his election, by tradition confirmation candidates also take on a new name at the time they receive the sacrament.

Although it is the name of a saint, more often than not it is chosen to honor a relative or friend, living or deceased.

“I took Joseph in honor of of my uncle who passed away,” said Christopher Wenk of St. Thomas of Villanova Parish. A Princeton-bound senior at the Haverford School, he opted for confirmation at this time, because “I wanted to be more devoted to the Catholic faith,” he said.

Michael Detero, 17, chose Pio for his confirmation name in honor of the recently sainted Padre Pio.

“I chose to be confirmed now because I love God," said Detero, who attends daily Mass at the Carmelite Monastery and hopes to enter St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in 2006.

Joe Killian, 14, a Masaterman student from St. Vincent de Paul Parish, Germantown, said he wasn’t confirmed earlier because he felt he wasn’t mature enough.

“Now I’m more mature and I feel ready, I feel good about it,” he said.

He chose Abraham for his confirmation name in honor of St. Abraham of Rostov. Why so unusual a choice?

“He piqued my interest,” Killian said. “He was a guy who went around Russia converting people and building monasteries and churches.”

Others, like Killian, thought now was the right time for their confirmation.

“This is the time God touched me,” said Elizabeth Sanchez, 26, of St. John Bosco Parish, Hatboro. “I needed the sacrament and needed to receive the Holy Spirit.”

Gary McEneny of SS. Simon and Jude, West Chester, the father of four brought his family to the confirmation ceremony. “This is an important part of my faith and a good time to do it,” he said.

Ellen Boykin of St. Bernard Parish neglected her own confirmation until she realized her teen-age daughter needed religious guidance. “She’s going to be baptized and confirmed next year. Religion is good for her,” Boykin said.

Many people, many reasons. In any case all were enthusiastically welcomed into full participation in the life of the Church through confirmation.

“It’s a wonderful experience and a great privilege to confirm so many,” Cardinal Rigali commented. “The Church is always renewed by the power of the Holy Spirit and we see this in a special way on Pentecost.”

Lou Baldwin is a member of St. Leo Parish and freelance writer.