The Archdiocese of Cebu Catholic Charismatic Renewal Services celebrated Pentecost Sunday 2025 at the IEC Convention Center, Cebu City.
Rooted on the theme “PENTECOST 2025: Ignited by the Holy Spirit, Empowered to Witness,” the half-day event gathered members of different charismatic communities for Praise and Worship, faith sharing, and a Holy Mass to celebrate the establishment of the Church.
Fr. Samuel “Sam” Mary Leidel, CSJ (Coordinator, Faith Hub Cebu of the Brothers of Saint John), and Fr. Mhar Vincent Balili, SLL, MAPM (Rector of the Seminario Mayor de San Carlos), were the plenary speakers for the gathering. They respectively gave talks anchored on the two-part event theme, namely “Ignited by the Holy Spirit” and “Empowered to Witness.”
Msgr. Rogelio “Roger” Fuentes, one of the Archdiocese’s Vicars General, presided over the Holy Mass to conclude the day’s celebration. With him were several concelebrating priests who joined the celebration.
In his homily, Fr. John Jonah Orat exhorted the faithful to be instruments of the Holy Spirit and become good witnesses for Christ by keeping themselves in the state of grace.
“Even if you are charismatic, even if you attend prayer meetings, catechesis… but if you are in a state of sin, you can never be a good witness,” he said.
He also reflected on the cost of discipleship by saying, “Love is responsibility. Love is commitment…” and that “love is a sacrifice to the point of death.”