Eucharitic Adoration Newsletter - August 10, 2006
Mane Nobiscum Domine
"Stay With Us, Lord..." (cf. Luke 24:29)
NEXT LARGE-GROUP ADORATION MEETING to be held August 22, 2006 – 6:30-8:00 PM at St. Peter Church.
Anyone interested in fostering devotion to the Eucharist at St. Peter’s, especially by increasing our opportunity for Perpetual Adoration, is welcome to attend. We will begin with a half hour of prayer in the church followed by a one-hour meeting in Kolbe Hall.
A sub-group addressing the specifics of establishing perpetual adoration will meet August 18 at 5:30 PM in the rectory conference room. The discussion will include what first steps need to be taken and potential locations for a chapel of adoration. This is open to anyone interested.
Recapping the August 7, 2006 Meeting
Following a half hour of adoration with benediction led by Fr. Louis, our meeting took place in Kolbe Hall, with fast-moving discussion including information provided by Kent Glazer regarding adoration in the Twin Cities. Kent had the opportunity to speak at length with Peggy Powell, who has helped the Minneapolis/St. Paul area increase from a handful of adoration chapels to 40 chapels, almost all open for perpetual adoration, with the least amount of days/week a chapel is open being five. She has helped parishes bring in Father Victor Warkulwiz of the Apostolate for Perpetual Adoration http://www.perpetualadoration.org). Typically the process takes about one month, and Father Warkulwiz comes for the sign-up weekend, when cards are placed in the pews at all the Masses and people can sign up to commit to a Holy Hour each week. She said that parishes strive to have two adorers for every hour, though there are some hours that will only have one person. The daytime hours are the hardest to fill, while nighttime hours may only draw one adorer yet the adorers are very reliable. Peggy has offered her assistance, including sharing resources such as a computer program for scheduling adorers, and an offer of a conference call to talk to members of our group hoping to establish perpetual adoration at St. Peter's.
The discussion then turned to three initiatives derived from the first meeting, and a time for volunteers to choose an initiative to participate in. The topics include:
1) 24 Hour Once-A-Week Adoration and (continuing) First Friday Adoration
2) Education and Spiritual Formation in the parish regarding the Eucharist (preparing the soil for participation in Perpetual Adoration)
3) Perpetual Adoration Details (identifying and addressing specific items related to establishing Perpetual Adoration at St. Peter's)
Marie Archibald will present the activities of our group to other parishioners at the August 15th evangelization meeting (6:30 PM Kolbe Hall).
It is suggested that we all begin reading (first 28 pages) the Perpetual Adoration Manual provided by The Real Presence Association. It is available online at http://www.therealpresence.org/eucharst/manual/pea_manf.pdf or you can request a copy on CD-Rom or a paper copy from Darcy Bunn (jdbunn at charter.net or 343-9007).
Notes from the First Meeting of the Education/Spiritual Formation Group
Volunteers interested in promoting devotion to the Eucharist at St. Peter's including education efforts and spiritual formation met on Wednesday evening August 9 to discuss immediate actions to be taken for events that are coming up soon. In particular, plans were made for a two-weekend promotion of the 24-hour weekly adoration to begin on Tuesday September 12, 2006 at 8 PM until Wednesday September 13, 2006 at 8 PM in the main church, and continuing weekly. While volunteers are still needed to help with the organization of the 24-hour adoration, the education/spiritual formation group took up the task of informing parishioners about the opportunity to sign up for a holy hour during that time, and to provide the sign-up cards that will be placed in the pews.
On the weekend of August 19-20, a pamphlet published by Our Sunday Visitor about Eucharistic Adoration will be personally handed to churchgoers after Masses. The pamphlet, which is a glossy, high-quality brochure, will help explain what Eucharistic Adoration is and the benefits it affords. It will also contain an insert mentioning when the 24 hour adoration will begin and that there will be an opportunity for sign-up at Masses on the weekend of August 26-27. The person-to-person aspect of putting these into the hands of parishioners will encourage them to read the brochure and consider participating in the 24-hour weekly adoration.
Promotion of devotion to the Eucharist will also take place via word of mouth, personal invitation, and the parish bulletin. Patty Lawson will submit bulletin information including quotes about the Eucharist and brief updates from the Eucharistic Adoration meetings. Phil Kosloski has created a display board about Eucharistic Adoration which will be placed in the St. Faustina room.
In September, Tom McCann will present an invitation to the St. Peter Middle School staff to have students participate in the Children's Worldwide Day of Prayer on Friday October 6, 2006 as well as adoration on Wednesdays during the 24-hour adoration time. The topic of the Children's Worldwide Day of Prayer will be discussed in detail at a future education/spiritual formation group meeting.
Patty Amman has agreed to compile a sheet with adoration opportunities available throughout the local area. This will be a resource provided on the internet, at parishes, Cornerstone Catholic, and other locations. She will also submit the information about St. Peter's adoration times to other parish bulletins.
The issue of a budget for materials, speakers etc. was raised, and will be discussed with Fr. Louis next week. In the short-term, we are requesting a $10 donation per person to cover needed materials (see below).
YOUR HELP IS NEEDED
-Donations-
A small budget is needed for educational materials (including pamphlets about Eucharistic Adoration to be handed out August 19-20 – cost $280) and additional printing expenses and supplies for promoting and supporting the 24-hour weekly Adoration beginning in September. If you can make a contribution (even $10 a piece would give us something to work with), please e-mail jdbunn at charter.net or call 343-9007. You can write a check to St. Peter's, and mark it "Attention Eucharistic Adoration." Send donations to Phil Lawson at St. Peter's (800 Fourth Ave. Stevens Point) or give your donation in person to either Phil or Darcy (you can just bring it to the next meeting if you wish).
-Handing Out Eucharistic Adoration Pamphlets August 19 or 20-
If you are able to help hand out pamphlets after one of the Masses, please email or call Darcy at jdbunn@charter.net or 343-9007 and indicate which Mass you will be able to help with. Details about where to pick up the pamphlets that day and which door to cover will be provided.
-Assisting with Organizing 24-Hour Adoration-
Jason Bunn is head coordinator for the 24-hour weekly adoration, but captains are needed to help make phone calls to people who signed the adoration survey, and maintain the schedule of adorers for 6-hour blocks of time. If you are willing to make phone calls to 10-12 people, please email Jason at jdbunn@charter.net or call 343-9007. Please respond by August 15.
RESERVE YOUR HOLY HOUR NOW FOR WEEKLY ADORATION!
Are you ready to make your weekly date with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament (starting September 12-13)? If so, please email or call with the hour you would like to sign up for (jdbunn@charter.net or 343-9007). Adoration will begin at 8 PM Tuesday evening and conclude at 8 PM Wednesday evening. Adoration will pause for 8 AM Mass on Wednesday.
If you are available for a range of hours, please let us know all the hours that work well for you. This will give Jason more flexibility in scheduling adorers.
Wisdom From Experience - Perpetual Adoration in Union Center, WI – by Nancy Tillman
(Bev Cousineau, one of the founders of PEA at Union Center) was fascinating to listen to as she explained their journey to Perpetual Adoration. Apparently it started with her husband enthroning their home to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Her husband was considering quitting the Knights of Columbus when he decided to give it another try by having the council enthroned to the Sacred Heart by the Bishop (Burke). This was in February of 1999. Through all of this, they had decided to plan something for the Jubilee year (2000); they decided to invite Jesus by having Exposition. Since there was a [vacant] church next to the KC Hall, they decided that would be a good place. After many calls to surrounding parishes and simply word of mouth, and some hard work of course, they started Perpetual Adoration midnight 2000 immediately following a Mass. There is a lot to be said about enthronement!
As one would expect, there were many fears, i.e., driving late at night, deer, security, people not showing up. The Bishop, however, gave them words of wisdom, that they should fear not having it more than anything else. Now is the time perpetual adoration was needed with failing families and faiths, and fears should be put away.
She said that her greatest advice was that Masses be said for Adoration first, and where it was held is secondary. They have continual Masses said 365 days a year for Adoration. She said that this is "what broke the back of Satan". She goes on to tell the story that when they started out, if Masses were not said, people would become lax or refuse to help, but then when Masses were started again, people came back to help! They have Masses said through the missionaries, etc. After I finish this I intend to find my forms for having Masses said for us through the Priests of the Sacred Heart!
They started out with 12 core people and grew from there. They do not have any additional coordinators. The 12 help with making calls and filling in when necessary. The adorers are from surrounding parishes. She suggested that we get representatives from each of our surrounding parishes and invite them to our meetings, etc.
Other things they did to get parishioners interested:
Flyers
Bulletin
Educate on benefits
Pick a day for the beginning and then 3 weeks before show a video in lieu of homily, hand cards out after communion asking for blocks of time.
In addition, make personal phone calls to parishioners as a "personal invitation".
They have 145 people take regularly scheduled hours, with 30 to 40 substitutes. They have 3 immediate surrounding parishes with larger parishes participating up to 20 miles away. Those who live farther generally take bigger blocks of time.
She also noted that their chapel is open continually where others have used swipe card and key coding methods for security.
At the end of the conversation, she again stressed the key to their success was having the Masses said for Perpetual Adoration. She also said we may contact her whenever we need to. What a great lady, but being humble, she said it was all "through the grace of God." Let's hope we are successful also. She noted that as Jesus had promised through the enthronement, a special blessing on all endeavors.
Pray, Pray, Pray!
An Appeal for Adoration for Vocations from Fr. Joe Hirsch
Fr. Hirsch’s letter was included at the end of the agenda for the August 7 meeting, but for those who weren’t able to attend, you can read the text of the letter here: http://www.thepriesthood.org/Priestly/VocationIdeas/July%202005%20letter%20on%2031%20club.pdf
From a newsletter by the Real Presence Association, reprinted with permission.
RETIRED AND ADORING
Our parish is pretty much in a retirement community though younger families are moving in here. This beautiful community has more to offer than golfing, fishing, boating, craft shows and vacationing spots, we have Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration.
Many of us were familiar with Forty Hours Devotion from our youth but few were acquainted with Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration. When we learned that a priest was coming to a parish nearby in Springdale to start Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration we asked our then pastor, Fr. Joseph Enderlin, to invite the priest to our parish. The priest came to St. Bernard's, gave a fantastic presentation , and helped us get organized to run the program... our program is in its sixth year.
When our new pastor, Father Andrew Smith, came to our parish in January 2004, he invited another Eucharistic speaker to rekindle the fervor for adoration. It was beneficial to all. We now have two hundred and fifty adorers including substitutes. We continue to work at drawing people to adoration. A few times a year we have a pot-luck dinner to refresh friendships and attract new adorers. Also we keep a large calendar on an easel in the Narthex showing hours of adoration. New people are encouraged to sign on anytime. And we follow up on new parishioners to encourage their participation. I'm always open to new ideas.
There is a stream of prayer perpetually rising to our God to protect our people and the whole community. We are especially grateful to have this opportunity to continually offer to God the worship due Him in His real presence.
Head Coordinator, Paul Gergen
St. Bernard Parish
Bella Vista, Arkansas
A.M.D.G.
Prayer for the Spread of Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration
Heavenly Father, increase our faith in the Real Presence of Your Son, Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist.
We are obliged to adore Him, to give Him thanks and to make reparation for sins.
We need Your peace in our hearts and among nations.
We need conversion from our sins
and the mercy of Your forgiveness.
May we obtain this through prayer and our
union with the Eucharistic Lord.
Please send down the Holy Spirit upon all peoples to give them the love, courage, strength and willingness to respond to the invitation to Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration.
We beseech You to spread perpetual
exposition of the Most Blessed Sacrament in parishes around the world.
We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord.
Amen.
Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament
help us to spread the glory of Your Son
through perpetual exposition of the Holy Eucharist.
(Hail Mary)
(from www.therealpresence.org)