Northeast
New York priest says Pentecost is a reminder the Holy Spirit is 'alive and at work'
Pentecost, said Fr. Louis Cona of New York, is the “preeminent celebration of the Holy Spirit” — and is celebrated on Sunday, May 19, seven weeks after Easter.
Cona is a priest of the Diocese of Rockville Centre and currently serves as associate pastor of St. Patrick’s Church in Smithtown, New York.
Verses in the Acts of the Apostles (2:1-4) tell the story of Pentecost, Cona said.
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“When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim” (Acts 2:1-4).
The Acts of the Apostles is traditionally attributed to St. Luke the Evangelist, according to the website BibleGateway.
Fr. Louis Cona of the Diocese of Rockville Center in New York, shown at left, reflected on Pentecost Sunday and what this “preeminent celebration of the Holy Spirit” means for Christians today. (Courtesy Fr. Cona/Getty Images)
“In telling this story, Luke describes the emergence of Christianity from its origins in Judaism to its position as a religion of worldwide status and appeal,” the site added.
Pentecost, said Cona, which is celebrated 50 days after the resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday, is the “fulfillment of Jesus’ earthly mission,” as told in Luke 12:49, to “set the earth on fire.”
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“We see his desire fulfilled as tongues of fire descend upon his disciples,” said Cona. “The tongues of fire as recounted by St. Luke in the Acts of the Apostles remind us that God is alive, his Spirit is not stagnant, but dynamic, constantly reinvigorating and igniting the Church and her faithful.”
“Pentecost is not the feast of the Holy Spirit, but rather, the feast of the sending of the Holy Spirit.”
When he was in seminary studying ahead of his ordination to the priesthood, Cona said one of his professors “would often remind us that Pentecost is not the feast of the Holy Spirit, but rather, the feast of the sending of the Holy Spirit.”
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This, he said, “is an important distinction because it reminds us that the descent of the Holy Spirit is Christ’s greatest gift to his Church, a gift brought about through his Incarnation, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension into Heaven.”
The Holy Spirit, said Cona, “gives the Church life, constantly renews her from within, and animates all of her members.”
The Bible describes how “tongues of fire” came to rest on the apostles, who were then “filled with the Holy Spirit.” (iStock)
As a parish priest, Cona told Fox News Digital that he sees the “fire” of the Holy Spirit “alive and at work in the Church’s sacraments.”
He noted, “Quite often I am astonished by the movement of the Holy Spirit in the healing of the sick through prayer and anointing.”
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Cona continued, “I also see the fire of the Spirit alive in young people whose thirst for truth, goodness and authentic friendship can only be quenched when grounded in the truth of the Gospel.”
He added, “Where did their desire for deeper meaning and purpose to life arise but from the Spirit at work within their hearts leading them to all truth” — referring to John 16:13.
The Holy Spirit is often depicted as a dove or flame. Pentecost Sunday, observed 50 days after Easter Sunday, is a celebration of the Holy Spirit’s descent upon the apostles. (iStock)
On Pentecost, Catholic Mass has a special sequence called “Veni Sancte Spiritus,” or “Come Holy Spirit,” said Cona.
A sequence is a chant or hymn sung during a certain part of the Mass.
“This marvelous hymn teaches us about the remarkable actions of the Holy Spirit within our hearts,” said Cona.
In it, “we learn that the Holy Spirit ‘melts’ our hardened hearts and ‘warms the chill’ of ego, sin and loneliness. In this way, by overcoming pride, fear and isolation, the Holy Spirit unites us, makes us one of heart and mind,” he said.
“On this Pentecost Sunday, we pray for a renewed outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon our world to ‘melt’ the hardened hearts of sin and violence, so that we too can experience peace, unity, and ‘joys that never end,’ said Cona.
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Robert Bryan is a licensed forester from Harpswell and author or co-author of numerous publications on managing forests for wildlife. Paul Larrivee is a licensed forester from New Gloucester who manages both private and public lands, and a former Maine Forest Service forester.
In November 2025, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) approved a conservation plan and forest management plan as mitigation for impacts from the NECEC transmission corridor that runs from the Quebec border 53 miles to central Maine.
As professional foresters, we were astonished by the lack of scientific credibility in the definition of “mature forest habitat” that was approved by DEP, and the business-as-usual commercial forestry proposed for over 80% of the conservation area.
The DEP’s approval requires NECEC to establish and protect 50,000 acres to be managed for mature-forest wildlife species and wildlife travel corridors along riparian areas and between mature forest habitats. The conservation plan will establish an area adjacent to the new transmission corridor to be protected under a conservation easement held by the state. Under this plan, 50% of the area will be managed as mature forest habitat.
Under the forest management plan, a typical even-aged stand will qualify as “mature forest habitat” once 50 feet tall, which is only about 50 years old. These stands will lack large trees that provide wildlife denning and nesting sites, multiple vegetation layers that mature-forest birds use for nesting and feeding habitats and large decaying trees and downed logs that provide habitat for insects, fungi and small mammals, which in turn benefit larger predators.
Another major concern is that contrary to the earlier DEP order, the final approval allows standard sustainable forestry operations on the 84% of the forest located outside the stream buffers and special habitats. These stands may be harvested as soon as they achieve the “mature forest habitat” definition, as long as 50% of the conserved land is maintained as “mature.”
After the mature forest goal is reached, clearcutting or other heavy harvesting could occur on thousands of acres every 10 years. Because the landowner — Weyerhaeuser — owns several hundred thousand acres in the vicinity, any reductions in harvesting within the conservation area can simply be offset by cutting more heavily nearby. As a result, the net
mature-forest benefit of the conservation area will be close to zero.
Third, because some mature stands will be cut before the 50% mature forest goal is reached, it will take 40 years — longer than necessary — to reach the goal.
In the near future the Board of Environmental Protection (BEP) will consider an appeal from environmental organizations of the plan approval. To ensure that ecologically mature forest develops in a manner that meets the intent of the DEP/BEP orders, several things need to change.
First and most important, to ensure that characteristics of mature forest habitat have time to develop it is critical that the definition include clear requirements for the minimum number of large-diameter (hence more mature) trees, adjusted by forest type. At least half the stocking of an area of mature forest habitat should be in trees at least 10 inches in diameter, and at least 20% of stands beyond the riparian buffers should have half the stocking in trees greater than or equal to 16 inches in diameter.
Current research as well as guidelines for defining ecologically mature forests, such as those in Maine Audubon’s Forestry for Maine Birds, should be followed.
Second, limits should be placed on the size and distribution of clearcut or “shelterwood” harvest patches so that even-aged harvests are similar in size to those created by typical natural forest disturbance patterns. These changes will help ensure that the mature-forest block and connectivity requirements of the orders are met.
Third, because the forest impacts have already occurred, no cutting should be allowed in the few stands that meet or exceed the DEP-approved definition — which needs to be revised as described above — until the 50% or greater mature-forest goal is reached.
If allowed to stand, the definitions and management described in the forest management plan would set a terrible precedent for conserving mature forests in Maine. The BEP should uphold the appeal and establish standards for truly mature forest habitat.
Human remains were discovered Wednesday in the water in Shirley, Massachusetts, and authorities suspect foul play.
Police in Shirley said in a social media post at 7:15 p.m. that they responded to “a suspicious object in the water near the Maritime Veterans Memorial Bridge on Shaker Road.” Massachusetts State Police later said the object was believed to be human remains.
The bridge crosses Catacoonamug Brook near Phoenix Pond.
The office of Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan said a group of young people was walking in the area around 5:30 p.m. and “reported seeing what appeared to be something consistent with a body part in the water.”
Foul play is suspected, Ryan’s office said.
Authorities will continue investigating overnight into Thursday, and an increased police presence is expected in the area.
No further information was immediately available.
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