It begins on the Friday after the Ascension (or the Friday of the Sixth Week of Easter). It recalls the time the Blessed mother and apostles spent together between the Ascension and Pentecost, praying for the coming of the Holy Spirit (as promised by the risen Lord).
In 1879, Pope Leo XIII issued an encyclical on the Holy Spirit, calling Catholics to nine days of private or public prayer in preparation for Pentecost.
- Little White Book, Diocese of Saginaw