Heather Hatch: Thanks for always tackling these questions Kendra! Interested to see how you might respond to the catechism quote in the article, which frames things differently: https://aleteia.org/2021/05/23/why-is-pentecost-called-the-birthday-of-the-church/amp/?fbclid=IwAR099b0E45VN79up7QLaHUn9XdqMegOvBTzHYtLJtV7R_Z_Bpks28zJiT0o

Kendra: I’d say that the catechism quote they include squares with my position that the “birthday” of the Church would have to be celebrated over the course of the liturgical year and over a number of feast days. I don’t think it squares at all with the article’s conclusion that the completion of the Paschal mystery and the entering into the “last days” equates to a birth. That’s . . . not how birth works. The development of the Church which, really, began at creation and developed through God’s relationship with the Hebrew people, through the Annunciation to Mary and the Incarnation, through the various annunciations to the Jewish people at Jesus’ baptism and the gentiles at Epiphany, and continued through Holy Week and Easter and Pentecost, and beyond, can’t reasonably be assigned ONE particular day. It historically has not been. If Pentecost marked the day that the Church was fully mature, wouldn’t that mean it’s more like the Church’s quinceañera or its 18th/21st/25th/50th birthday? Not its birth. And to call it the birthday of the Church is a VERY recent, Protestant-based assertion. To me that doesn’t mean we can’t/shouldn’t have a cake. I, personally, have come up with many novel ways to celebrate feast days! Have a cake if you want. I just find it . . . odd, that in just the last few years Catholics have picked up this notion, rather than the more traditional Catholic liturgical living practices. But if this helps people get started with a deeper understanding of the liturgical year and how the Church came to be, it’s okay with me.

Thank you! We’re on our way! 🙂

Well, keep it up! We’d love to have you!

This is me!! So thank you so much for your graciousness toward those of us poor Protestants who are slowly groping our way toward liturgical living on the way into the Church!!

I think John 3 also adds to this discussion: “1 Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said to him, ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one can do these signs that you are doing unless God is with him.’ 3 Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.’ 4 Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can a person once grown old be born again? Surely he cannot reenter his mother’s womb and be born again, can he?’ 5 Jesus answered, ‘Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.'”
So this sounds to me like Jesus was just fine with the concept of more than one birthday.
The Church was born in the water (and blood) that flowed from her dead Savior’s side on the Cross, washing her clean (like Baptism), and she was then sealed in/fully born of the Spirit at Pentecost (like Confirmation). Both are necessary. And they were distinct events. And it seems to me that both really can be called birthdays: one in the water (and blood) that washed her clean, one of the Spirit that sent her forth to do His work, will, calls.
…Now I’m really contemplating celebrating our confirmation anniversaries each year at least as much as we celebrate baptism days…. Hmmmm….

But anyway, it does seem like the Church is fine with birthday language about Pentecost nowadays anyway. At least one of our Catholic kids’ books in the “St Joseph Picture Books” series states that Pentecost is the birthday of the Church, and the book does have an imprimi potest, nihil obstat, and imprimatur.
So I think these two “birthdays” can exist simultaneously without issue, and I am personally totally okay with referring to the Church’s birthday, and the Church’s other birthday. The second of which definitely has cake in my house.

It sounds great! And yes, that was from back in 2013. Mad props to YOU for remembering that! Here it is: Naysayers Gonna Naysay

We were going to barbecue but felt a bit under the weather so we simplified our plans. We sang “Come, Holy Ghost” and I made Portuguese sopas, which is usually eaten at Festas, which are celebrated in honor of the Holy Spirit as started by Queen St. Isabel (or Elizabeth) of Portugal. I though it was an appropriate trade off for fire themed foods, *and* a better cure for a cold than chicken soup. 🙂

Hah, thank you! The girls were sad to find that we didn’t have a red dress for her, but we were all pretty pleased with the ensemble we cobbled together for her.