Not Just an Afterthought: Reclaiming Pentecost

AnneMarie Miller ponders the significance of Pentecost and encourages families to celebrate this feast.

“The most important feasts of the year are Easter, Christmas, and Pentecost,” I said as I placed small wooden pieces on the large liturgical calendar that lay on the floor. I was sitting in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd atrium, offering a presentation on liturgical seasons to preschool-aged children.   

I finished the presentation and went through the rest of the session without giving a second thought to the words I had said to the children. However, several weeks later, the words I had said struck me with a new emphasis: “The most important feasts of the year are Easter, Christmas, and Pentecost.”  

Pentecost Is One of the Most Important Feasts of the Year 

Somehow, despite my incredible faith formation while growing up and extensive reading and independent study as an adult, this reality had not sunk into my mind and heart before.   

I knew that Pentecost was important and that it was vital to have a relationship with the Holy Spirit. I often celebrated Pentecost by wearing red to Mass and making a treat for our family to enjoy. However, I thought of Pentecost as “just another feast day.” I put much more effort and thought into celebrating other feasts of the Church year, like the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi (a beloved saint in our home), or the Assumption of Mary.

I had been teaching preschoolers that Pentecost was one of the most important feasts of the year, but my own life did not correspond to that.   

Was Pentecost really that important? Determined to find answers, I hunted through online resources about the liturgical year and Pentecost. Everything I found mentioned that Pentecost is one of the most important feasts of the year. In fact, until around the year 1970, an Octave of Pentecost was celebrated! Although there’s no longer a Pentecost Octave on the calendar for Roman Catholics who attend the Novus Ordo Mass — the typical Sunday liturgy many of us have grown up with — the Solemnity of Pentecost is still one of the most important feasts of the year.   

Pentecost Celebrations Can Be Simple

As a sleep-deprived mom of several young kids, it’s hard to find the motivation and energy to celebrate Pentecost in a spectacular way at this point in my life. Yet, even if we can’t do much, we can all still celebrate this feast of the Holy Spirit. Maybe we can make a simple cake to enjoy after Mass. Maybe we can prepare lots of festive food and throw a party with friends. Maybe we can have a discussion with our kids about the places that the apostles travelled in the days following Pentecost. Maybe all we can manage is to say a prayer to the Holy Spirit as a family before eating dinner. No matter what, we can ask the Holy Spirit for guidance in our lives and celebrate Pentecost with joy.   

What are some of your favorite ways to celebrate Pentecost? 

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Copyright 2025 AnneMarie Miller
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