Sunday 11 May 2008

The Gift of the Holy Spirit

One of the privileges of being a cathedral is the presence of the Bishop for major feasts. Today we celebrate Pentecost, the feast of God's gift of the Holy Spirit and the beginning of the Church. The Bishop's presence means that we can celebrate the sacrament of Confirmation - the giving of the Holy Spirit in our time - on this most appropriate feast. This year we had a small but very committed group of candidates, who were confirmed by Bishop Patrick at Mass this morning. Many congratulations to all! Our thanks are also due to them and the team of catechists for the work that they have put in to prepare for this sacrament.