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Annual Holy Spirit Novena to be held ‘virtually’
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May 10, 2020By Christine Bordelon
Photo courtesy of St. John of the Cross
The annual Holy Spirit Novena held annually in Lacombe will be livestreamed this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Fewer priests will be on the altar because of the state’s social-distancing requirements.
The novena Masses will be livestreamed nightly May 22-30 on St. John of the Cross’ YouTube channel or on its website, www.stjohnofthecrosslacombe.org. Praise and worship will begin at 6:30 p.m. each night, followed by Mass at 7 p.m.
While Deacon Ricky Suprean, the novena organizer, initially thought it would be impossible to host the liturgies, he felt his heart being tugged regarding how people needed the Holy Spirit now more than ever.
As he concluded his daily prayer April 14, Deacon Suprean said he heard, “Why can’t you have the Holy Spirit Novena?”
He asked God to give him a sign or a confirmation, and, that evening, he received a call about a live-streamed rosary from David Cook, spiritual director of the Knights of Columbus’ Alex Semel Council 12989. That was when he thought about livestreaming the novena, but they both knew to do it they would need to improve the quality of their Wi-Fi at church.
Deacon Suprean then talked to Deacon Donald St. Germain about the Wi-Fi issues.
“If every restriction was removed, and we had a packed church every night, we still should livestream this year’s Holy Spirit Novena because we need more than 300 people to be part of this much-needed event,” Deacon St. Germain said. “Everyone needs the graces that come from the Holy Spirit Novena.”
Unbeknownst to Deacon Suprean, St. John of the Cross secretary Kathie Lusch’s husband had been building a tower in the parish to speed up the internet.
After receiving permission from both his pastor, Father Tuan Pham, and Archbishop Gregory Aymond, Deacon Suprean said he was able to move forward with live-streaming the novena. The necessary funding came from St. John of the Cross’ Knights of Columbus council and individual members.
“I then realized God had put me through my own nine-day novena of confirmations, and today was April 22, exactly one month before the start of the novena on May 22,” he said.
Eager to cooperate
Deacon Suprean said every priest and music minister previously scheduled to participate also agreed to join the livestreamed event.
“Their enthusiasm and dedication to serving God and his children have brought me to tears more often than I would like to admit,” Deacon Suprean said.
This year’s theme, “The Spirit of Truth, He Will Guide You to All Truth,” is taken from John 16:13.
The schedule during the nine-day novena is as follows:
May 22: Father Sidney Speaks, St. Joseph the Worker pastor, with music by Jamie Diliberto and Tongues of Fire.
May 23: Father Gil Martin, retired pastor St. John of Cross, with music by Kitty Cleveland.
May 24: Archbishop Gregory Aymond, with music by John Finch.May 25: Father Alex Guzman from St. Margaret Mary in Slidell, with a musical guest.
May 26: Father Colm Cahill, vocations director of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, with music by Rita West.
May 27: Father Mark Beard, pastor of St. Helena in Amite, with music by Colin MacIver.
May 28: Father Doug Busch of Our Lady of the Lake in Mandeville, with music by Donna and Darren Guidry.
May 29: Father Anthony Odiong, pastor of St. Anthony in Luling, with music by Bauer, Brewer, Schneideau and St. Cyr.
May 30: Father Pham, pastor of St. John of the Cross, with music by Vince Vicidomina and the St. John of the Cross Choir.For details, call Deacon Suprean at (504) 577-6652.
