This page last updated on 09.20.2025               
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          THE HOLY SPIRIT - ST. MARY PARISH -  
                    AZUSA STREET REVIVAL!

   Note:  This page really compliments multiple pages of this website that are a part of the Sacred Story of Louisiana.  For the author, the page it most closely is connected to is this page because it is what happens when "The Light", JESUS CHRIST, returns into this world!


   












 

   Welcome to this page that will very briefly discuss a known protestant movement of the Holy Spirit known as the "Azusa Street Revival" and its initiator, William Joseph Seymour, and his real connection to Louisiana, and the Catholic faith, and what that might mean for us today.  That revival occurred on Azusa Street in Los Angeles, California from April 9, 1906 until a time in 1915.  To see more about that revival, please click here.  

   William, is commonly known as its initiator.  He was humbly born as an African American child in the St. Mary Parish, Louisiana, community of Centerville on May 2, 1870.  What few have recognized is that as a child, he was baptized Catholic in Franklin, Louisiana (that civil parish's seat of government), a few miles removed from Centerville.  There is much written about his life at numerous websites across the internet.  Research him, and his life, and you will see he was really a Catholic man driven "in mission" by the Holy Spirit.

   Any serious research, and knowing the culture of South Louisiana during his life, would lead one to the conclusion that William was not able to fully practice his faith, as a Catholic African American in St. Mary Parish, in the late 1800's or early 1900's.  Consequently, always strongly driven by the Holy Spirit, his choices led him across America, trying to fulfill a spirituality of healing and deliverance - that he never quite reached.  After being forced away from the Catholic Church, he did the best he could do with what he had!  And indeed, he had a lot, and it was a beautiful work for a man to do in the name of the Lord!  But, there could have been so much more!

   As all men, he was flawed and he experienced many setbacks in that mission journey.  After each failure, he would pick himself up, brush himself off, and push on again.  That persistence eventually led him to Azusa Street in Los Angeles, CA, where powerful spiritual happenings did occur and where they were seen and acknowledged by many.  Unfortunately, even after all that, he died an unfulfilled man - always feeling there was more - and indeed there was much more!
 

   To read a little about William and that revival in Los Angeles, see Paragraph 3 of Section II of Chapter I of the 1971 book by Fr. Edward D. O'Connor, CSC (Ave Maria Press) titled, The Pentecostal Movement in the Catholic Church, where it is written:

 
   ...For several years, the Pentecostal message spread erratically and inobtrusively across the Southwest.  In 1906, a new outburst occurred in Los Angeles that was to send this new fire all over the world.  A group of people, both whites and blacks, had begun to hold prayer meetings daily in a private home, asking God to send the Spirit "with signs following."  They set aside ten days for fasting and prayer.  On April 9, a negro boy spoke in tongues, and after him six others did likewise.  Crowds were attracted by the ensuing commotion, and as they drew near, the Spirit seemed to fall on many of them likewise.  Within a few days, it became necessary to move to larger quarters - an abandoned old Baptist church on Azusa Street, near a stable and a lumberyard.  The services were led chiefly by a negro preacher.  W. [S.] Seymour, a man of little education and blind in one eye.  He was not eloquent, and did not preach much.  He used to sit behind two packing cases, one on top of the other, and rest his head in the top one, praying while the services went on around him.  During the next three years, thousands of people from all over the United States, and many from other parts of the world, received the baptism in the Spirit at the Azusa Street mission.  They went home to impart it to others.
 

   It is believed by this author, that the powerful movement of the Holy Spirit, called the "Azusa Street Revival", and the fruits that were ultimately and so clearly seen in Los Angeles, after William's lifetime of traveling across America, was always meant to have Louisiana as its home.  It is further believed that William's main purpose in life was to initiate and "minister" in and from Louisiana, as his home.  He was not meant to be on a "nomadic mission" across America - moving his mission home from place to place.  

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   If rightfully allowed to practice his Catholic faith in St. Mary Parish, Louisiana, at that time, it is believed that he and his mission would have been even a greater example of what Louisiana was created for and what the Holy-Spirit had anointed it to offer, from the beginning.  But, the Catholic environment, for a black man there and then, did not allow William to do that. 

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   The composite image immediately above this narrative purports to demonstrate (in blue) the physical limits of the "dove-like" land and water area that naturally formed Louisiana (from the rich soils carried downstream by the great river - that we now call the "Mississippi").  A real Holy Spirit sign to the Church to show "Who" really formed the Modern Delta of Louisiana using those "living waters" of America!   Prayerfully consider even this one direct affirmation - the first "western" name given to that river by the Spanish in May of 1541 was the: 

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                  "River of the Holy Spirit"   

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(See John 7:37-39.)

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37 On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood up and exclaimed, “Let anyone who thirsts come to me and drink.

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38 Whoever believes in me, as scripture says: Rivers of living water will flow from within him."

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39 He said this in reference to the Spirit that those who came to believe in him were to receive. There was, of course, no Spirit yet, because Jesus had not yet been glorified.

 
   Then, the red lines flowing upward and outward from Louisiana across America represent God's spiritual power spreading outward from this land due to His Holly Spirit annointing of it.  Another graphic showing what was/is intended by God as a result of the anointing He placed upon Eucharistic Louisiana - even assigned, re-confirmed and symbolized by Louisiana civil law!

   To summarize:
The Power of the Holy Eucharist - that is the symbol of Louisiana, The Modern Delta of Louisiana - a land created by the Holy Spirit     TO MANIFEST THE POWER OF THE  HOLY EUCHARIST!

   As read above, there are undeniable multiple connections between the Azusa Street Revival and St. Mary Parish and Louisiana.  What connects all three?  At least, the Holy Spirit, a Louisiana black man, and Our Lady (St. Mary Parish).  There is likely much more but it is yet to be revealed or known to this author! 
 

   As stated above, it is this author's opinion that if the Azusa Street Revival would have been a work based out of Louisiana, it would have been evenmore spectacular than it was eventually seen to be.  It is proposed, that over the last 6000 years (the time it took for the River of the Holy Spirit to create the Modern Delta), God was forming "deep" Louisiana exactly for that type of spiritual revival.

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   Approximately one hundred years ago, William was born, baptized and anointed for that revival!  But because that movement of the Holy Spirit was not allowed to be rooted and practiced where he was born, "a black Catholic man on a mission", was "denied" that right!

 

   Note:  Due to this author's last 40 years of activity in St. Mary Parish, it is personally known by this author, individual rights in St. Mary Parish have been (are still being) denied to certain members of the public.  

   Therefore, having been denied his rights, as an alternative, the Holy Spirit compelled William, an obedient African American man, outward into the spiritual desert of America, to try and initiate a "new" spiritual revival across America!  As you will read below, maybe the fullness of his past mission is being (and will be) experienced in the "newness" of these times? 

   William's experiences were possibly much like the apostles in the early days of the Church.  Because of the oppression placed upon them in their time, they were forced out and away from Jersaleum after the death of Jesus and His precious blood was shed.  That ultimately resulted in them evangelizing across the earth with their "best fruit" coming forth after they died and their blood was shed.  There is always redemption, forgiveness and riches in the powerful Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:7.)

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7 In him we have redemption by his blood, the forgiveness of transgressions, in accord with the riches of his grace.

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and as sealed with the promise of the Holy Spirit (Eph 1:13)!

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13 In him you also, who have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him, were sealed with the promised holy Spirit,

   At times, that sort of pressure-type of sacrifice is allowed by God upon His children, and may be in fact exactly what it takes to get one to leave a familiar and friendly venue, so as to move onward and outward on one's mission for Him!  In the absence of that oppression, the apostles may all have just stayed and died in Jerusalem - without the Church spreading, as it did in those early days and the times that followed!

   In like manner, 1900 years later in St. Mary, Louisiana, William was forced away from his native land to go out and bring to America a "new" type of Holy Spirit revival that was stirring in him.  This author proposes that he lived certainly more than an ordinary life - but, it was always meant to be an extraordinary life - one in full union with the power of the Holy Sacraments! 
    
   It is believed that William (and others like him) was what Pope Leo XIII envisioned and called forth in his 1897 encyclical titled: DIVINUM ILLUD MUNUS!  In particular, Paragraph No. 11 of that document addresses it directly by in part stating: 

   William was 17 years old when that encyclical was released by the same pope that heard the well-known conversation between Jesus and the devil on October 13, 1884 (William was 14 years old at the Pope's hearing of that fearful conversation during his Mass that morning).  A conversation that likely impacted William "head on" all his life and is still being experienced by the Church even today.   ​​​​​

   Was a strongly convicted, Holy Spirit-filled, "William" an example of what Pope Leo and the Holy Spirit wanted to bring forth to confront the devil's plan of destroying Holy Mother Church over the next 75 to 100 years?  In this author's opinion...YES he was! 

 

   William was/is a man for all to model!  Eventhough worn down and exhausted over the years, he pushed on!  Never to return to Louisiana, in any meaningful way, to spiritually nurture his earthly mission!  Never to physically see the real fruit from the seeds he sowed across America for so many years!  

   Note:  This author accompanied the Crucillo Men of Franklin, LA, on a Wednesday evening, during a visit to the Church of the Assumption, in Franklin, LA, to pray for forgiveness and to make reparation for the actions taken against William Joseph Seymour and his ministry in those days.  A powerful event took place in that church that night to reverse, what could be reversed, by the prayer of those men  - praying with intention and in faith!    
 
   As an extraordinary example of what the Holy Spirit is doing, connected to Louisiana, to confront the devil (that old dragon), in these times, who could have ever imagined that our Holy Mother Church would now have a Pope in Rome - who has African-American maternal roots from Louisiana!  Pope Leo's roots run deep into New Orleans and therefore the Modern Delta of Louisiana.  An extraordinary example of the annointing of the land!

   Then, most recently, in the shadow of Pope Leo XIII, Pope Leo XIV, just 19 days after becoming Pope, was led by the Holy Spirit, to appoint a priest of 12 years (who was at the time acting as the Administrator of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux, LA) as that diocese's 6th Bishop.   

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   Installed on Friday. September 5, 2025, Bishop Simon Peter Engurait, from Ngora, Uganda, became the second African-born priest appointed as a United States Bishop and the first for a diocese within the continental borders of the United States. (Bishop Engurait received his telephone notice about being appointed as Bishop on May 27, 2025 - 19 days after Pope Leo began his papacy on May 8, 2025). 

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   Houma-Thibodaux Diocese is the most southerly natural land area in the Modern Delta of Louisiana.  It is naturally composed of soils from all the lands upriver from it - as far north as Minnesota and elsewhere in all directions.  Geologically, it was generally created in the same time period as when Jesus was born - being mostly in the Lafourche Delta Lobe of the Modern Delta.  Geographically located in "Terrebonne" civil parish, it is indeed "Good Earth"!

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   For more on the above and what it may mean between Uganda/Africa and Louisiana/America in the future, please click here.

   There are so many spiritual possibilities and theories that can be interwoven into all of the above.  Too many...too premature in time to know for sure...and/or too spiritually advanced for this author to fully comprehend and/or describe here. 

 

   This chapter/page narrative only attempts to bring forth issues for meditation and prayer connected to William and Louisiana and each of us today!  The Church, being branches of the vine, must always try to answer this personal question:

               What are WE to do to bear much "new" fruit?

   At first glance many may say that all this appears to be coincidental as well as inconsequential.  Faithful believers  will likely say that they are not coincidental but providential. 

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   As far as being inconsequential, with a new Pope being so generationally connected to Africa and to Louisiana, and with that new Pope quickly assigning an African-born Bishop to Louisiana (also generationally connected to Africa and now in Louisiana), we shall soon see how inconsequential all this might be!  Whatever the case!  All with faith should repeatedly ask oneself: 

  What is God's message to us/me and what is our/my role in it all? 

 
   Good News abounds!  In addition to all of the above, the Holy Spirit is moving in mighty new ways across Louisiana in these times!  Many new Catholic healing priests, services and ministries of evangelization are springing up in response to the Holy Spirit's stirring across Eucharistic Louisiana!  "New" movements of the Holy Spirit for the "newer" times we are in! 

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   In Isaiah 43:19 we read:

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19 See, I am doing something new!  Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?  In the wilderness I make a way, in the wasteland, rivers.

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  In Luke 5 (synoptic scriputures Mt 9:16-17 & Mk 2:19), as we move toward the "newer times" connected to Pentecost Day, June 5, 2033

we read:
 

36 And he also told them a parable. “No one tears a piece from a new cloak to patch an old one. Otherwise, he will tear the new and the piece from it will not match the old cloak.

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37 Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins, and it will be spilled, and the skins will be ruined.

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38 Rather, new wine must be poured into fresh wineskins.

   "New wine skins - today!"  From the Slidell/Pearl River/Lacombe area on the eastern side of Louisiana to Lake Charles/Sulphur area on the western side of Louisiana!  From Shreveport to Alexandria to Monroe and all points in between.  Cities and small communities alike.  There is much going on, driven by the Holy Spirit, in this Sacrificial and Eucharistic State of Louisiana! 

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   One can go to this page of this website and see numersous events that have been submitted for posting - shown by location and event with details available.  Then, on that same page, one can scroll down and see the many websites across Louisiana that will show so much more that is available.  Spend some time on that page and consider becoming involved in one or more of what you see there and always network-network-network out into the deep!

 
                                    Come, Holy Spirit! 

   The same Holy Spirit that moved William a hundred years ago continues to flow in and outward from Louisiana today.   A land no longer aided by William, in bodily form of course, but by the same Holy Spirit that earlier inspired his zeal to heal, deliver and evangelize! 

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   If you truly believe that, believe that William Joseph Seymour can serve as a great example for all to model and follow in the face of personal flaws, extreme sacrifices, conflicts, and hardship!  And always, when facing those types of hurdles:

                                 In all things, PRAISE GOD! 

   Want to discuss this further, contact me.