The feast of Pentecost, or Whitsunday, will be observed in a High Mass in the traditional Latin form at St. Stanislaus Church, State Street at Eld Street in New Haven, on Sunday, May 28, at 2:00 pm. The celebrant will be The Reverend Richard G. Cipolla, Pastor Emeritus, St. Mayr’s Church, Norwalk

Celebrated on the 50th day (the seventh Sunday) after Easter Sunday, Pentecost commemorates the first manifestation of the Holy Ghost among our Lord’s disciples and the foundation of the Church itself. as described in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 2:1-31).

We read in the Gospel at the Mass on this great feast that our Lord foretold the coming of the Paraclete to his disciples, and the Epistle shows us the realization of that promise. God descended upon the Cenacle, and a mighty wind which blew suddenly upon the house, together with the appearance of tongues of fire within, were the wonderful tokens of His coming.

Taught by the “Light of Thy Holy Ghost” (Collect at Mass) and filled by the gifts of the same Spirit poured out upon them (Sequence), the apostles became new men to go forth and renew the whole world (Introit). In the words of the Alleluia: “Come Holy Ghost, fill the hearts of Thy faithful, and kindle in them the fire of Thy love” Let us fervently pray that the Holy Ghost thus will come down upon us.

Music for the service, sung by members of the Schola Cantorum of the Saint Gregory Society, will include the Gregorian Mass Ordinary I, “Lux et origo,” motets by Lorenzo Perosi and Guillaume Dufay, the proper Gregorian chants, and organ music by Girolamo Frescobaldi.