September 12, 2021

Bishop Byrne and Sister Deirdre Byrne headline at Faith on Fire

REGIONAL
By Carolee McGrath

Bishop William D. Byrne is pictured with his sister, Sister Deirdre Byrne of the Little Workers of the Sacred Heart. (iObserve photo/Fred LeBlanc)

FEEDING HILLS – On a picture perfect evening, close to 1000 people gathered on the lawn behind Sacred Heart Parish in Feeding Hills, Friday, Sept. 10 for the annual Faith on Fire, where they heard a message of love, hope, and renewal. Last year the event was canceled due to the pandemic, but this year the line-up included speakers, praise and worship music, eucharistic adoration, confession, and the laying on of hands.

Springfield Bishop William D. Byrne and his sister, Sister Deirdre Byrne, of the Little Workers of the Sacred Heart, both spoke to the crowd.

“It’s great and exciting. I’m grateful for her to make the trip. It’s fun. I think this is the first time where we have both spoken at the same event,” said Bishop Byrne, who inspired those listening to be ministers of the hope of Christ.

“Let’s face it, our world needs Christ and the outpouring of the Spirit. That’s what’s so beautiful about Faith on Fire is it directs the Holy Spirit especially here in western Massachusetts to light us all on fire so we can spread the word of Jesus Christ,” he said.

Sister Byrne, known as Sister Dede, is a surgeon and retired colonel in the U.S. Army Medical Corps and reservist. She served in Afghanistan. She also served as a missionary surgeon in Kenya, Haiti, Sudan and Iraq. Sister Byrne spoke of how she was assigned to Ground Zero in New York City in the days after the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. She focused her message on defending the sanctity of life and on her family.

“I’m going to talk about our family so you can understand your bishop a little better. I experienced the love of Christ through the example of my mother and father,” said Sister Byrne, who is one of eight children. She is well known for her advocacy for the unborn and asked people to join her in defending them.

(iObserve photo/Fred LeBlanc)

“We have to defend life, whether it’s the life of the unborn, the sanctity of marriage, religious freedom, protection of the elderly, the transgender ideology, all of that is in the sanctity of life realm, but the most important is the battle in the womb,” she said. “I’m just doing what I feel like God is calling me to do, to speak on the life of the unborn and speak on their behalf.”

Father Valentine Nworah, who is assigned to Blessed Sacrament Parish in Greenfield, spoke on the love of Christ and sang the refrain of “Holy Spirit You Are Welcome Here” during his talk.

“And so this evening, let us open our hearts and invite the Holy Spirit to come in to take over the atmosphere, to take over all of our hearts, that we will listen to the word of God and we will allow the word of God to transform us,” said Father Nworah.

After, the speakers and witness talks, Bishop Byrne led the eucharistic procession on the grounds. The congregation prayed the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy. Jack Yourous, Psalm 33 from Our Lady of Blessed Sacrament Parish in Westfield, and the St. Cecilia Parish praise group led the music for the evening.

A video version of this story will be featured on an upcoming edition of “Real to Reel” which airs Saturday evenings at 7 p.m. on WWLP-22 NEWS.