August 19, 2017

Faith on Fire Rally fills crowd with Holy Spirit

REGIONAL
Story and photos by Carolee McGrath

FEEDING HILLS – The rain didn’t stop hundreds of people from moving in the spirit at the fifth annual Faith on Fire Rally, held at Sacred Heart Parish in Feeding Hills, Friday, Aug. 18. Close to 400 people gathered inside the church for the second night of the event. Organizers said nearly 600 people attended the first night of the rally, which was held outside on the church grounds, Thursday, Aug. 17.

“It was joyful. It’s amazing. You don’t realize how many people are still hungry for Christ and these are the kind of events that bring them back,” said Deb Briancesco, one of the pastoral ministers at Sacred Heart. Briancesco and her husband Peter helped organize the rally this year, along with the Hampden West Deanery and the Diocese of Springfield’s Catholic Charismatic Renewal. The line-up included inspiring Catholic speakers, praise and worship music, eucharistic adoration, the sacrament of reconciliation and a healing service with the laying on of hands.

“There’s nothing more enjoyable than to see people touched by Christ, to see the Holy Spirit come into their lives, open their hearts,” said Peter Briancesco. “They never thought the Holy Spirit would get inside them and warm their hearts and send them down a new road,” he added.

Thursday evening’s presenters were Marian Father Thaddeus Lancton from the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy in Stockbridge who spoke on faith. Marian Father Anthony Gramlich, the rector of the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy in Stockbridge and the director of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal spoke on intercessory prayer.

 On Friday evening Father Bill Hamilton, the chaplain for the Dominican Monastery of the Mother of God in West Springfield spoke on discipleship. Valenda Liptak, a member of St. Mary Parish in Westfield, spoke about the importance of the sacrament of reconciliation. She told those gathered that confession is a celebration, not an obligation.

“In the prodigal son, when the young son comes back home, the father embraces him. He starts to get excited and says ‘put a ring on his finger, put a robe on, sandals on his feet, get the fatted calf going, we are going to have a party.’ It was a celebration of him repenting what he had done. The father recognized it and ran to him,” explained Liptak, who is a certified spiritual directer.

“When you look at the fact that confession is really a way of eliminating areas in your life that stop you from having a relationship with Christ, in that there’s freedom,” she added.

Psalm 33 from Our Lady of Blessed Sacrament Parish in Westfield and Jack Yourous from Our Lady of the Lake Parish in Southwick led the joyful music that had people on their feet.

Father Bill Hamilton, who is also the chaplain of the Massachusetts State Police, the ATF and several local police departments, kept the crowd laughing as he shared his own faith journey. He also told them it’s not enough to be followers of Christ.

“Are we disciples or followers? Those are two different things because Jesus is calling us to be disciples,” Father Hamilton said, explaining how Catholics are called to evangelize.

“The spirit is given to us to empower us to do great things in Jesus’ name. We have to preach the Gospel in our lives wherever we go. Mary is the epitome of discipleship. She trusted in the Spirit no matter what the Spirit threw at her, she trusted in God,” he added.

The evening concluded with a Eucharistic procession. Psalm 33 led the Chaplet of Divine Mercy as people prayed before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.

“If I were to pick one word it was joyful,” said Deb Briancesco describing the event. “The whole night, it never stopped from singing to pray overs to confession…last year we had someone who confessed after being away for 60 years. That’s amazing,” she said.

Food and beverages were also available for sale, provided by the St. Martha’s Guild and the Faith on Fire Committee.

For more information about upcoming events sponsored by the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, log on to diospringfield.org/catholiccharismaticrenewal/.

For more on the story, tune into an upcoming edition of  “Real to Reel,” the Diocese of Springfield’s television news magazine that airs Saturday evenings at 7 on WWLP TV-22 News.