Middlesbrough Holy Spirit Lent healing day commended as ‘joyful’ and ‘moving’
- Andy Drozdziak
- 10 hours ago
- 4 min read
By Andy Drozdziak
A Holy Spirit-themed day on healing in Middlesbrough has been commended as "inspirational" and "faith-building" after organisers said that planning the day involved a 'leap of faith.'
Middlesbrough CDSC coordinator Sharon Daniel, who helped organise the “Beauty for Ashes” Day of Reconciliation and Healing for Lent at Sacred Heart Church on 21 February, told CHARIS England and Wales: "Beauty for Ashes was the 7th Day of Renewal in the diocese. It had been our intention to hold an event in Middlesbrough, but we had few connections with parishes, so it was something of a 'leap of faith'.
"There was a healthy turnout from both Middlesbrough and Hexham and Newcastle Dioceses. The praise and worship was joyful and the Eucharistic Adoration was deeply moving. We were very encouraged by the response we received.”
'It’s all true!'
Beauty for Ashes consisted of a combination of praise and worship, talks and testimonies, the Sacrament of Reconciliation and prayer for healing and Baptism in the Spirit.
Fr. Dominique Minskip gave a talk in which he spoke of the importance of healing, commenting that Jesus reaches down from the cross, joining His wounds to ours, and brings healing. He shared how, as a seminarian, his heart was touched deeply by the love of God, leading him to declare: “It’s all true!” He also noted that healing is a “necessary part of the Christian life” and encouraged those present to take part in Unbound ministry.
Around 60 people attended the day. Following Fr. Dominique’s talk, participants were encouraged to kneel before the Blessed Sacrament and take hold of a priest’s stole, which surrounded the Blessed Sacrament on the altar. This was in imitation of the Gospel story in which the woman who had bled for twelve years was healed after touching the hem of Jesus' garment. Gerry Connor from the Middlesbrough CDSC was struck by the presence of the Holy Spirit during this time.
He told CHARIS England and Wales: “I was filled with awe and wonder at how powerful it was when people presented themselves before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament during our times of adoration. You could visibly see God at work healing people's hearts.”
Gerry commented on the fellowship, as well as the praise and worship, saying: "We had five priests hearing confession; they were all busy for at least an hour. Also many people were absorbed into the praise and worship music. The time we had for sharing during lunch was evidence of immense fellowship. Thank you, God, for your blessings on the day."
'Anointed' worship and 'inspirational, faith building' testimonies
Debbie Irving, who came from Darlington, was struck by the prayer ministry she received and adoration. She told CHARIS England and Wales: "Prayer ministry for me was more needed than I realised and the subsequent Holy Spirit blessing proved how much control I had previously been holding on to. Thank you to those who shared their own thoughts and stories which were relatable and inspiring.
"Finally, can I say how moving I found adoration with the opportunity to approach Jesus on His altar. I have never experienced this before.”
Worship during the day was led by Anne Connor and Brian Devitt, both from Darlington, which Barbara Davis from Newton Aycliffe described as “very anointed”.
Barbara came with her husband, describing themselves as “Church of England Christians.” Julie Coburn shared a testimony on the importance of following Jesus and of letting ourselves be loved by Him.
'The Spirit moved so very powerfully'
Barbara found all the testimonies “inspirational and faith building” and the Baptism in the Spirit prayer time was a real highlight. She said: "The Holy Spirit was so very present throughout the day. When the leaders prayed for baptism in the spirit, the Spirit moved so very powerfully, I had to sit down, worried I might hurt someone if I was to fall.
“It's so lovely that confession and prayer ministry were made available. I know the sacrament of confession and healing power of prayer ministry are life changing.”
Barbara added: “We enjoyed our time with Jesus in adoration, and my husband touched the hem of the stole, and asked Jesus for healing. It doesn't appear his back or knee have been healed, but his Spirit appears to have been very much lifted. He had been feeling quite unwell and exhausted, and seems much improved.
“My husband very much prefers a traditional church setting. When asked, (he) said the day was very engaging and most enjoyable. This is very unusual for him, as he tends to avoid anything charismatic. The Holy Spirit most definitely touched his heart too."
Following the success of the day, Sharon Daniel is looking forward to more CHARIS activities and collaborating with those in the Diocese of Middlesbrough. She said that her team is now "seeking guidance from the priests involved as to next steps for Middlesbrough."
Pictures: Barbara Davis and Andy Drozdziak
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