SW News: Bishop Mark O’Toole, Chair of the Department for Evangelisation and Discipleship of the bishops' conference of England and Wales, in a video message exhorted the faithful Catholics to take part in the global ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ prayer initiative, encouraging them to pray for and share their faith with others during the time between the great Easter celebrations of the Ascension and Pentecost – from May 13 to 23.

“The period between the Ascension and Pentecost has always been a most precious time for Christian believers,” said Bishop Mark O’Toole, adding that during this period after having experienced the Ascension of the Lord, the apostles waited and prayed in the upper room until they were baptized by the Holy Spirit on the Feast of Pentecost and were sent to the streets of Jerusalem to proclaim the name of Jesus to all. He noted that Catholics usually pray the Novena of the Holy Spirit during these 9 days. He urged believers to take part in the global ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ prayer initiative.

The prelate suggested to the faithful that during the days between May 13 to 23 , they should share their faith with five people, someone from family, workplace or friends and keep them in their prayers. “It might be somebody who, during this time of the pandemic, has given up the practice of their faith or somebody who’s searching for deeper meaning because of the experience of disease and death in this past year,” suggested the prelate. He said once the lockdown restrictions are relaxed, they should look for an opportunity in the parish calendar, maybe a summer barbecue or a tea outside on the parish grounds to invite those five people so that they begin to make a journey to encounter the Lord Jesus more deeply.

“My dear friends, let each of us pray intensely during the period of those nine days for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit on all of us, on our parish communities and on our world,” said the prelate concluding his message.

‘Thy Kingdom Come’ is a global prayer initiative started in 2016, inviting Christians around the world to pray from Ascension to Pentecost for more people to come to know Jesus. Since its inception, Christians from 172 countries have taken part in praying for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, so that friends, family, neighbours and colleagues might come to experience Jesus Christ.