KIERNAN: A derecho Pentecost, Hurricane Beryl and Confirmation

(Photo by James Ramos/Ramos)

In Acts 2, we hear the story of Pentecost, where a strong driving wind filled the upper room where the apostles were, and the Holy Spirit appeared as tongues of fire. Pentecost 2024 was a very different but unique experience.
There indeed was a strong driving wind; in fact, a rare straight-line derecho storm descended over the Houston area. This storm knocked over trees, scattered debris and left hundreds of thousands without power. While so many people were impacted because of this natural disaster, one group that found themselves particularly affected was the 750 adults scheduled to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation at five different host locations across the Archdiocese that weekend.  
With some host locations without power, volunteers were suffering the impact of the storm, and with an abundance of caution, the difficult decision was made to postpone the celebrations. Thanks to the hard work from the Office of Worship, cooperation from parish coordinators, and the flexibility of the candidates the sacramental Liturgies were rescheduled.
All the candidates have now been able to receive this special Sacrament, including some close calls with Hurricane Beryl. This difficult moment is an opportunity for grace, collaboration and the Holy Spirit to enter. Sometimes, our best-laid plans fall through, but God is always able to create something beautiful.
Surely, this will be a moment that all our candidates will remember because of the extenuating circumstances surrounding the day of their Confirmation, which will make it a more meaningful experience.  
Looking back over the events that took place surrounding Pentecost 2024, one experience stands out. That weekend, my family opted to attend the earliest Mass at our parish because there was no power, and we thought we might escape some heat without any air conditioning.
The Liturgy began in the dark with candles, lanterns and a battery-operated sound system. Providentially, right at the moment of the epiclesis, the prayer in which the priest invokes the Holy Spirit so that the bread and wine may become the body and blood of Jesus, the power returned. As the power flickered on, the altar was lit as if to highlight the presence of the Holy Spirit. This experience was a reminder of the transformative power of the Holy Spirit and its action within our lives.  
There is a strong connection between the actions of Pentecost and the Sacrament of Confirmation in which the Holy Spirit empowers the confirmandi into a deeper relationship with the Lord, draws them into a renewed sense of mission, enables them to witness a life of discipleship, and fulfills the work that has begun in Baptism.
On the first Pentecost, the apostles burst out of the upper room with vigor and enthusiasm to share the Gospel, which resulted in the conversion of 3,000 that very day. The same Holy Spirit that descended upon the apostles is experienced during the Sacrament of Confirmation with the power to accomplish the same result in the world today.  
In conclusion, these events offer two invitations: an invitation to trust in the Holy Spirit, knowing that not even a derecho storm can diminish its power, and an invitation to shine the flame of the Holy Spirit as the light within us for the world to see. Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit, and they shall be created, and you shall renew the face of the earth.  
Congratulations and prayers to all our confirmandi and a special word of gratitude for all who worked to make these celebrations possible. 
Matt Kiernan is an associate director with the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis.