The testimonies I heard on the tape showed me that God truly does love each one of  us (John 3:16) and has a wonderful plan for each of our lives (Jeremiah 29:11-12. ) 

If you're a youth and  would like to attend one of our praise gatherings  know that you will be warmly welcomed and accepted. And even though we are a Catholic group,  you do not have to be Catholic to join in our praise.  At presently mostly older people attend our praise gatherings, but we would love for youth to join in our celebration of praise. 

Sometimes the only thing youth will have in common with older folks is a love for Jesus.  But a love for Jesus  is more than enough for true fellowship to take place.

 

On February 18 of 1967  25 college youth on a retreat at Duquesne University had an experience that would bring charismatic renewal to the Catholic Church.  It has come to be called the Duquesne Weekend. 

The theme of the retreat was Pentecost!  The students had been listening to teachings on the Holy Spirit and praying that the Holy Spirit would come to life within them. That's exactly what happened on the secondday of the retreat. While praying in front of the Eucharist many of the students became completely overwhelmed with the awareness of God's presence and his love for them.

In the days that followed their friends could notice an obvious change in them.  As they shared their experience of what hapened happened to them, others began praying for and having this experience as well.  It soon caught on like wild-fire in the Catholic Church!  Today millions of Roman Catholics have had this experience of what has come to be known as the baptism in the Holy Spirit.  And it all happened because 25 youth were listening to the voice of God and allowing themselves to be used by him.

Many youth have participtd in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal since that day in February.   They have added greatly to the growth of the Renewal through music, technology, teaching, evangelization, art and a number of other ways.  There is no limit to what God can do through youth that surrender themselves to him.

I first heard about the  baptism in the Holy Spirit when I was 19 years old. Another 19 year old and an older guy played a tape for me  of people whose lives had been changed through the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Up to that point  I had been arguing  against being a Christian. All I wanted to know after listening to the testimonies, though,  was how could I have this experience myself.