ARCHBISHOP John Bathersby has officially launched a major prayer initiative in Brisbane, seeking an outpouring of the Holy Spirit to renew the faith of Catholics and the face of the archdiocese.
The Come Holy Spirit Prayer Campaign seeks to encourage all Catholics in the archdiocese to join in praying to the Holy Spirit for guidance and a transformation of the Church in south-east Queensland.
Archbishop Bathersby kicked off the campaign at a packed Mass in St Stephen’s Cathedral, attended by about 800 people, on July 22, the feast of Mary Magdalene, under whose patronage he has placed the initiative.
The prayer campaign is based on a similar request by Pope John Paul II in Poland in 1979 when, on his first return visit since becoming pontiff, he called on Poles to pray with him in asking the Holy Spirit to change the face of his homeland.
Archbishop Bathersby said the transformation in Poland was now part of history and led to the fall of Communist rule.
The Brisbane initiative will continue until Pentecost next year and will be spearheaded by a 799 prayer campaign every Friday.
This is based on Archbishop Bathersby’s own prayer times — at 7am when he celebrates daily Mass, at 9am when he says the Morning Prayer of the Church, and at 9pm when he says the Evening prayer of the Church and the Rosary.
He is asking all Catholics in the archdiocese, wherever they are, to join him in praying to the Holy Spirit at these times.
