A strong prayer life “is not a performance,” but the way to develop a closer interpersonal relationship with God, participants at the Oct 8 closing night of the 36th annual East of the River Revival were told.
“Prayer is that personal communication with God… when you pray, you are talking to God, you are talking with God,” Deacon Keith Somerville of Mount Calvary Parish in Forestville, Maryland told those attending the revival. “Prayer is the key to keep alive the spark of God in us.”
Noting that “we are all trying to get to heaven … you cannot just walk up to heaven,” the deacon reminded the faithful “your passport is displayed through prayer – prayer is your passport to heaven.”
Deacon Somerville served as the revivalist and homilist that evening at the more than two-hour celebration and Mass that he called “a wonderful, wonderful night.”
Recalling that in Scriptures, the Apostles did not ask Jesus to teach them how to dispel demons or how to cure the sick or how to perform miracles, Deacon Somerville said “the Apostles asked Jesus to teach them how to pray because every time they saw Jesus pray, something happened, something supernatural happened.”
“Jesus said, ‘when you pray,’ not ‘if you pray,” Deacon Somerville added. “If you are a Christian, if you are a follower of Christ, then prayer is part of your life.”
The 36th Annual East of the River Revival was held Oct. 6, 7 and 8 at Mount Calvary Catholic Church in Forestville, Maryland. Each evening included a talk by a noted revivalist and the opportunity to go to Confession.
Father Alberto Biondi, pastor of Mount Calvary, welcomed the faithful to his parish and said the revival was an opportunity “to strengthen us in our faith as we announce Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.”
The theme of this year’s revival was “Reviving the Flame of Hope.” The theme echoed the Church's 2025 Jubilee Year theme, "Pilgrims of Hope."
The three-night event culminated Oct. 8 with a Mass celebrated by retired Cardinal Wilton Gregory, the archbishop emeritus of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington. The Mass was concelebrated by Auxiliary Bishop Roy E. Campbell Jr., and by several priests from the participating parishes.
The parishes in the Southeast Deanery in the District of Columbia and several neighboring Maryland communities presented the annual event, which included prayer and preaching, music and sacred dance.
Traditionally “east of the river” parishes in Washington, D.C. – Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Church of the Incarnation, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Our Lady Queen of Peace, St. Francis Xavier, St. Luke, St. Teresa of Avila, St. Thomas More and St. Vincent de Paul – would alternate hosting the annual event. Over the decades, the revival has become so popular that several nearby suburban parishes have partnered with the District parishes to sponsor the event. Mount Calvary parish has hosted the revival the past two years.
Calling it “a blessing to come east of the river,” Cardinal Gregory noted that the more than 300 people who attended the closing night of the revival came from many parishes to worship together.
“No matter where we come from, when we gather in faith, we know that we can ask the Lord and He will graciously and willingly forgive our sins,” the cardinal said.
Deacon Somerville called on those at the revival to strengthen their interior prayer to ensure “your private prayer life should greatly outshine your public prayer life.”
“God wants a relationship with you … He wants to hear from you, and He wants you to hear from Him,” the deacon said. “God wants to talk to you in secret. He does not want anyone listening, nor does He want any noise to distract you.”
The deacon stressed the need for private prayer because “God speaks to your spirit. He speaks to the inner man, the inner woman, the inner person. God wants to talk with you. He wants to bring thoughts and ideas to you, but He wants quiet.”
“God is waiting for you. He is looking for that relationship with you, that connection with you, that friendship with you,” Deacon Somerville said. “God says, ‘I know what you want. I know what you need; but what I want to know is do you want me’,” Deacon Somerville said. “God already knows what you want to talk about. He just wants you to talk to Him.”
