Pentecost is one of the holiest Solemnities that concludes the Easter season and celebrates the beginning of the Church. It is a profound opportunity for each of us as baptised sons and daughters of God to draw closer to the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit that are being poured out upon each of us as individuals and as members of the mystical body of Christ. Pope Benedict XVI affirmed that, “there is no Church without Pentecost and no Pentecost without the Virgin Mary”. This talk will explore how Our Lady as Spouse of the Holy Spirit is an integral instrument who assists us in drawing closer to her Divine Spouse, the Holy Spirit. We will explore how we can imitate her in receptivity and docility to grow in these graces.
Speaker: Candida Kirkpatrick
Topic: Preparing for Pentecost through the Blessed Virgin Mary Spouse of the Holy Spirit
Date/Time: Thursday, 21 May 2026, 1-2 PM EST
Zoom link: https://zoom.us/join (Meeting ID: 9173535387 & Passcode: 9173535387) or Dial-in Number: +16469313860 followed by 9173535387# for access code. (No need to put in participant number, just press # again when asked.)
Speaker Bio: Candida Kirkpatrick resides in Phoenix, Arizona. She is a wife of over thirty years and is blessed to have two wonderful adult children. She has been a member of the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites [OCDS] St. Joseph Community in Phoenix for over 20 years, and works as a spiritual director, instructor, speaker and writer for those seeking closer union with Christ in the Carmelite spiritual tradition. She graduated as a certified spiritual director from the Centre for Applied Carmelite Studies [CACS] in [Oxford], UK, and is now a part of their team serving as the North American Coordinator while accompanying students from all over the world. Her background includes a BA in international politics from The George Washington University, an MBA from the University of Maryland, and an Associate in Science Degree in substance abuse counseling from Rio Salado College. She is also certified in Theology of the Body from the St. John Paul II Resource Center in the Diocese of Phoenix. She loves to travel, read, write, hike, listen to music, sip coffee, and to encounter God in the beauty of His creation, in the arts, and most especially in the wonder and dignity of each human person’s unique sacred story.
