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Pentecost Sunday Newsletter – 24 May 2026

This Sunday we celebrate Pentecost, the great feast of the Holy Spirit. We pray that the Holy Spirit may renew our hearts, guide our words, and help us become instruments of peace, healing, and unity in our parish family.

Visitation of Our Lady of Fatima

St Ann’s warmly welcomes the National Pilgrim Virgin Statue of Our Lady of Fatima and the relics of Saints Jacinta and Francisco on Saturday 30 May and Sunday 31 May 2026. All parishioners and families are invited to take part in this special time of prayer, Mass, Rosary, Confessions, Benediction, Holy Hour, and veneration of the relics.

Forms Available

Confirmation application forms are now available for young people in Year 8 and above.

Applications are also open for parishioners who feel called to serve as Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion.

Upcoming Parish Events

Youth Group: Saturday 13 June, 4.30 pm
Parish Synodal Team Meeting: Sunday 14 June, 3.00 pm
Finance Committee Meeting: Sunday 21 June, 3.00 pm
Summer Garden Party and International Day: Sunday 28 June, after 10.30 am Mass

Pentecost Sunday

Today we celebrate the great feast of Pentecost — the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples gathered in prayer in the Upper Room.

Jesus had died.
Jesus had risen.
For forty days He remained with His disciples.
Then He ascended into heaven.

And now the disciples wait in fear and uncertainty behind closed doors.

Suddenly the Scriptures say:

“A sound came from heaven like the rush of a violent wind… and tongues as of fire appeared among them.”
Acts of the Apostles

Tongues of fire.

Why tongues?

Because the tongue is one of the most powerful realities given to humanity.

It has no bones, yet it can break a heart.
It has no sword, yet it can wound deeply.

The tongue can build relationships.
The tongue can destroy relationships.

It can bless.
It can curse.

And therefore the Holy Spirit descends upon the tongue — because God wants to sanctify human speech, human communication, and the human heart.

In the Tower of Babel, humanity tried to rise through pride and ego. And language became confusion. Tongues became division.

But Pentecost becomes the reversal of Babel.

At Babel tongues divided people.
At Pentecost tongues united people.

The miracle was not simply that the apostles spoke many languages. The real miracle was that people understood one another.

That is the work of the Holy Spirit.

Today our world speaks constantly, yet understands very little.

Homes suffer not because there are no words, but because there is little love inside the words.

A Spirit-filled tongue is different.

It encourages instead of humiliating.
It heals instead of wounding.
It forgives instead of condemning.

St James says:

“How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire! And the tongue is a fire.”
Epistle of James

There are two kinds of fire.

One destroys.
The other purifies.

The fire of anger, pride, and jealousy destroys peace.
But the fire of the Holy Spirit purifies the soul.

Weak disciples become fearless apostles.
Fear becomes courage.
Closed doors become open missions.

That is Pentecost.

The Holy Spirit enlarges the human heart.

Without the Spirit, even small difficulties become bitterness.
But with the Spirit, the soul becomes deeper, calmer, and stronger.

And perhaps today we must ask ourselves:

Do I carry a Babel tongue or a Pentecost tongue?

A tongue of gossip or a tongue of blessing?
A tongue of division or a tongue of peace?

Because every word we speak carries spiritual weight.

As Augustine of Hippo said: “Kindle our hearts with the fire of Your love.”

May the Holy Spirit descend upon us today — upon our minds, our hearts, and especially upon our tongues — so that our words may heal more than wound, unite more than divide, and bring the peace of Christ to others.

Amen.