In February 1967, a group of Catholic students and faculty from Duquesne University gathered for a retreat weekend at The Ark and The Dove retreat house near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They came seeking a deeper encounter with Holy Spirit—and they found it. As they prayed, read the Scriptures, and reflected on the Acts of the Apostles, the Holy Spirit came upon them in a profound and life-changing way. Several participants experienced what the early Church described in Acts 2: the outpouring of the Holy Spirit with charismatic expressions such as speaking in tongues, spontaneous praise, prophecy, and overwhelming peace and joy.
This moment, now known as the Duquesne Weekend, is recognized as the beginning of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal—a sovereign move of the Holy Spirit that has since touched over 120 million Catholics worldwide. It was not the launch of a new organization or movement, but a fresh stirring of Pentecost within the heart of the Church.
The Ark and The Dove has come to symbolize a spiritual Upper Room for the Catholic Church. From this humble retreat center, a fire spread—igniting hearts, renewing parishes, inspiring vocations, and deepening the Church’s openness to the gifts and power of the Holy Spirit. The impact has been transformative: prayer groups, healing ministries, evangelization efforts, lay apostolates, and even Vatican recognition have followed in the wake of what happened that weekend.
This outpouring continues today. The Ark and The Dove remains a place of pilgrimage and renewal where the same Holy Spirit who moved powerfully in 1967 continues to invite all generations to experience a new Pentecost and to live fully alive in the mission of the Church.
Patti Mansfield
