During this Lenten season, South Jersey’s Latino Catholics converged in Cedarville one weekend earlier this month to discover the joy of a “Life in the Spirit.”
The March 10-11 event, held at Saint Michael Church, Holy Cross Parish in Bridgeton, brought together 150 faithful of all ages for formation, praise and worship.
The evangelization event, led by the diocesan team of the Hispanic Catholic Charismatic Renewal, focused on seven different themes that participants could learn and take home with them: God is love, sin, salvation, faith and conversion, Jesus as Lord, Holy Spirit, and New Life.
At the weekend’s end, all had asked for forgiveness, accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior, and received a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit over them. All were “empowered to serve in the community using the gifts the Holy Spirit has been giving to them,” noted Kathia Arango, national coordinator for the Hispanic Catholic Charismatic Renewal, and one of the seminar presenters for the joyful time.
“It was a great blessing to see people experience the love of God, accept Jesus as their Lord and recognize the presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives,” she concluded.