By Eve Vanden Heuvel, Champion Shrine

Five years ago, I stood before Bishop Ricken and received the Sacrament of Confirmation. As he anointed my forehead with sacred chrism, marking the cross upon me, I knew something deep within me had changed. There were no sudden miracles, no emotional high—but I left that sanctuary forever different. My name changed that day as I took on my Confirmation saints—“Eve Rosemary Therese”—but more importantly, my mission as a daughter of the Church truly began.

There’s often confusion around the Sacrament of Confirmation. Some view it as a kind of “second Baptism” or a symbolic rite of passage into adulthood. But Confirmation is much more than that. Confirmation is the completion of Baptismal graces to obtain the spiritual strength to be witnesses of Christ (CCC, 1285). As fully initiated Catholics, we are called to imitate the Apostles at Pentecost. We have the responsibility to spread and defend the faith by word and deed.

The Apostles Experience of the Holy Spirit

In the Upper Room, the Apostles were likely uncertain, maybe even afraid. They didn’t know what to expect. Then, in an instant, the Holy Spirit arrived—bringing tongues of fire and the supernatural gift of language. They suddenly spoke in dialects they’d never studied, boldly proclaiming the Gospel to the nations. The Advocate Jesus had promised (John 14:26) had come—and everything changed.

Still, I wonder: did the Apostles feel ready?

God equipped them with the tools they needed, but He didn’t remove the risks. The gift of tongues didn’t guarantee safety, comfort, or even confidence. It was simply the beginning. The same can be said of Mary. At the Annunciation, the Holy Spirit overshadowed her, and with her simple “yes,” she bore the Son of God. She wasn’t handed a step-by-step plan, but God’s grace sustained her as she carried, nurtured, and loved Christ—trusting completely in His will.

We, too, are both spiritual and physical beings, and God lovingly meets us there. In Pentecost and the Annunciation alike, He gives visible signs—tongues of fire, the angel’s greeting—to convey invisible graces. God knows that we sometimes need to see to believe. Yet even when we can’t see, He is still working powerfully within us.

Your Experience of the Holy Spirit

Have you experienced this? Maybe you didn’t feel transformed on the day of your Confirmation. Maybe you’re still waiting for your “Pentecost moment.” But consider this: the gifts of the Spirit often emerge slowly, like seeds watered over time. Wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, fear of the Lord—these are not flashy miracles, but lifelong gifts that unfold through grace and surrender.

This Pentecost, don’t wait for a dramatic sign to know that God is at work in you. His gifts are already stirring. Look at your life—what virtues have grown in you lately? Which spiritual gifts have you leaned into? Perhaps you’re being called to speak the truth more boldly, to forgive more freely, or to trust more deeply.

The Spirit’s fire doesn’t always roar. Sometimes it burns quietly—refining, purifying, guiding. Just like at my Confirmation, I may not always feel the change, but I know the Holy Spirit continues to work in ways I can’t always see.

So this Pentecost, let us pray with confidence:

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful—and kindle in them the fire of Your love!

Experience the Power of Faith at Champion Shrine

Find refuge and spiritual healing on the peaceful, sacred grounds where the Blessed Mother appeared to Adele Brise in 1859, The National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion is the first and only approved Marian apparition site in the United States.

Champion Shrine has been designated as a pilgrimage site for the 2025 Jubilee Year! From the Walk to Mary in May, to the Assumption on August 15, to the Solemnity of Our Lady of Champion on October 9 – there are wonderful opportunities to pilgrimage to Our Lady’s Shrine this year to obtain special graces.

Be sure to save the date for a special Jubilee Mass at the Shrine on July 20, celebrated by Bishop David Ricken!

Start planning your pilgrimage today at ChampionShrine.org/visit.