In confirmation, the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are increased within a soul: wisdom, understanding, knowledge, counsel, fortitude, piety and fear of the Lord. Fresco of Pentecost in Church of ...

One of the unrecognized yet significant consequences of this widespread phenomenon is what I have become accustomed to calling "Holy Spirit atheism." By this I do not mean that most Christians ...

Two recent columns by Franciscan Fr. Daniel P. Horan received mixed reactions from NCR readers. The first column, "The church is suffering from Holy Spirit atheism," talks about how the ongoing ...

Say “Holy Spirit,” and most imagine a dove or tongues of fire gently descending. But the Celts envisioned something wilder: a goose in flight—honking across the sky, untamed and impossible to ignore.

In this sermon series we’ve been trying to look at the basic beliefs of the Christian faith in a way that both irreligious people and Christians can understand. So far we’ve looked at what Christians ...

It’s easy to focus on our differences from fellow Christians. But our unity by the Spirit is the deeper reality. Even as a child, I had an interest in the divided church. Sunday mornings found my ...

Pope Francis has approved a miracle attributed to the intercession of Blessed Elena Guerra, foundress of the Oblates of the Holy Spirit, friend of Pope Leo XIII and teacher of St. Gemma Galgani.

Sometime we call Pentecost the birthday of the church. Although perhaps it’s more accurate to call Pentecost the baptism of the church, since the Spirit is poured out. And the Spirit is poured out on ...