Wear Red for Pentecost Sunday!

Bishop Patrick invites everyone in the Diocese of Nottingham to wear the colour red to Mass for Pentecost Sunday.

"Pentecost is an obvious focus in May, and so I’d encourage a reimagining of the celebrations for this Sunday, one simple initiative is to invite parishioners to wear something coloured red to Mass that day."

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Share your success!

Please share online tagging @dioceseofnottingham (instagram) and @nottsdiocese (twitter X) and email photographs of your "red" themed celebrations to the Communications Department using communications@dioceseofnottingham.uk

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What is pentecost?

Pentecost marks the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles and other followers of Jesus Christ, as described in the New Testament book of Acts, chapter 2. It occurs fifty days after Easter Sunday, hence its name, which is derived from the Greek word "pentekostē," meaning "fiftieth day."

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Why the colour red?

In Acts 2:3-4 (NIV), it says:

"And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance."

Red, as the colour of fire, symbolising the tongues of fire which came up on the apostles, is used to represent the presence and work of the Holy Spirit. Additionally, red is often associated with passion, love, and zeal, all qualities that are attributed to the Holy Spirit's power.

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