‘Fire of Faith’ set to spread in the Diocese of Albany

By MIKE MATVEY- | Comments: 0 | Leave a comment

When Father Dan Quinn was approached by Tom Cronin about hosting a young adult event at Blessed Sacrament Parish in September, he readily accepted. But he also had a bigger idea in mind.

Father Quinn, pastor at Blessed Sacrament, wanted to create a larger Eucharistic encounter for people in the neighborhood. And after collaborating with Cronin, the advisor to the Bishop for Family & Parish Evangelization, and Meghan Pannone, the faith-formation director at the parish, “Fire of Faith” was born.

Fire of Faith will invite all people — Catholic or Christian or neither — to experience God’s love and mercy and much more at a series of events at churches in the Diocese of Albany. The first Fire of Faith event will take place at Blessed Sacrament in Albany on Nov. 1 from 5-8 p.m., and the second is tentatively set at St. Mary’s Church in Ballston Spa on Dec. 2 to coincide with the Ballston Spa Holiday Parade and Tree Lighting.

“We are planning to host an Adoration/Holy Hour event and invite the general public, everyone from the neighborhood, and even pedestrians walking by into the church. The invitation is to come in and light a candle for peace,” Cronin said. “And to light a candle for peace can be for peace in our world with all the struggles in the Ukraine; peace in our families with challenges of abuse, addiction and financial struggles. Come in and light a candle for your family, and then lastly for peace in our hearts so we can plant the seed of knowing Jesus.”

There will be worship music, fellowship and hospitality with food, and a number of priests for confessions or just to listen. It is a three-hour event, but you can stay as long or as little as you like.

“The event starts at 5 o’clock because we want to get people on their way home from work or school but they don’t need to stay for three hours,” Cronin added. “It is like an open house. Come in and stay for as short a period as you like, light a candle, say a prayer and leave or sit and meditate, pray and relax.”

Cronin sees Fire of Faith as an opportunity to support the upcoming National Eucharistic Revival, an initiative of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, which is meant to inspire deeper reflection on the gift of the Eucharist to the Church. The revival was launched June 19 of this year, the feast of Corpus Christi, opening two years of events and activities ahead of the USCCB National Eucharistic Congress, which is planned for July 17-21, 2024, in Indianapolis.

From June 19, 2022 until June 11, 2023, the activities center around the Year of Diocesan Revival, which invites diocesan staff, bishops and priests to respond to the Lord’s personal invitation and equips them to share this love with the faithful through Eucharistic congresses and events. That will be followed by the Year of Parish Revival (June 11, 2023–July 17, 2024) which will foster Eucharistic devotion at the parish level, strengthening the faithful’s liturgical life through faithful celebration of the Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, missions, resources, preaching and organic movements of the Holy Spirit.

Catholic News Service and www.eucharisticrevival.org contributed to this report.