Going to the Chapel

Yesterday morning Bishop Thomas G. Doran, retired Bishop & Apostolic Administrator of the Rockford Diocese was in E DBQ to bless the soon to be open St. Joseph Guardian of the Redeemer Adoration Chapel next to St. Mary's Church. I mentioned the start of the fundraising for it in a post in February of 2011. On Pentecost Sunday in 2011 (12 June), Bishop Doran participated in the groundbreaking. Over the last few months the building rose from the ground. There is still some work to be done on it, installing the pews, some statues, lighting etc. But everything should be done by the Feast of Corpus Christi (10 June 2012). At that time, after the 10 am Mass, there will be the annual Corpus Christi procession. The procession will end at the chapel & perpetual adoration will be instituted.

Before Bishop Doran blessed the chapel, he presided at a Mass celebrating the feast of St. Joseph the Worker. At the Mass he commended Fr. Parker & those involved for their efforts. He talked about the blessings that will come out of the commitment to adore Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament despite the difficulties of committing to do so 24 hours a day. Note: During the Easter Triduum the Catholic Church does not allow perpetual adoration because of the importance of what is celebrated from Holy Thursday at the Mass of the Lord's Supper to the Easter Vigil Mass. Otherwise, there must be at least 1 person present at all times that the Eucharist is exposed.

The usual means of exposition is to place the Consecrated Host in a monstrance. The host in placed in a luna (lunette) which is then placed in the monstrance. Every few weeks the Consecrated Host is refreshed. You can read more about Eucharistic Adoration here at The Real Presence Eucharistic Education and Adoration Association website.

When this chapel opens in June the Tri-State area will be blessed with 2 locations for perpetual adoration. The Power of Prayer has operated a chapel in DBQ with the approval of the Archbishop since 1978. As I shared last September they moved to a new location on the campus of St. Anthony's Church in DBQ on the corner of Asbury Road & St. Ambrose St. (1860 St Ambrose).

I can't emphasis enough the importance & the need for Eucharistic Adoration. With what is going on in the USA with the attacks on the Catholic Church for standing up for life, the Obama administration making the "culture of death" agenda the official policy & a general turning our back on the Judeo-Christian foundation of the USA, we need to spend time in prayer & reperation for our country.

We also need to take time out just to spend time with Jesus in prayer to, as I said to the TH reporter, get away from our cares & problems or to bring them to Jesus. We need to restore God to his proper place in our society & this is a powerful means of doing so. If there is a perpetual adoration chapel near you, then at the least, spend some time each week in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. & if your schedule allows, sign up for a regular time. If there is not a chapel, then check & see if there are opportunities offered by a nearby parish for exposition of the Blessed Sacrament & adoration. & if not, then at the least, try & visit a nearby Catholic Church & spend time with Jesus in the tabernacle.

You have the time, no matter how busy your schedule.

Jesus is waiting.

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The Telegrah Herald had an article about the dedication of the new chapel. You have to be a subscriber in order to read it on line. But they also have a video that anyone can view. (& yes, that is yours truly at the end of the video being interviewed.