Increase Adoration in Your Diocese

“Jesus wants us to do more than go to Mass on Sundays.  Our communal worship at Mass must go together with our personal worship of Jesus in Eucharistic adoration in order that our love may be complete.” — St. Pope John Paul II, Redemptor Hominus – Redeemer of Man

Thank you very much for hosting Eucharistic adoration in your diocese, the innovative ways you and your diocese have promoted it and/or provided a letter of support for our apostolate/organization.

As you know, since prayer helps to save and sanctify souls, Eucharistic Adoration is a tremendous blessing, given that at least one person will be praying during extended exposition of the Real Presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.

Adoration helps towards the salvation and sanctification of souls. Although Saint John Paul II greatly desired round-the-clock perpetual adoration to be established in every parish, most parishes we assist have fewer hours.

Incredible fruits are evident in parishes we have helped to expand adoration. Clergy and parishioners receive abundant graces through the power and peace of adoration. Parish life, vocations and souls are nourished and thrive through this constant vigil and legacy of prayer.

It was St. Pope John Paul II’s hope and great desire to see the establishment of perpetual Eucharistic adoration in all parishes and Christian communities throughout the world.  We encourage every cardinal, bishop, pastor, clergy, religious and lay person to do all they can to fulfill this mission.

Each bishop and diocese is encouraged to promote:

  • Perpetual Eucharistic adoration throughout the 24 hour day;
  • Extended Eucharistic adoration, beginning in the early hours of the morning and continuing until the evening;
  • Daily Eucharistic adoration during specific hours;
  • Eucharistic adoration during one or more days of the week during specific hours;
  • Eucharistic adoration for special circumstances, such as feast days and anniversaries;
  • Eucharistic Adoration Holy Hours for every parish and Christian community and for everyone – priests and seminarians, religious congregations, children, youth, the family,  schools, adults, the elderly and care centres, prisons, for life and other intentions;
  • Eucharistic Processions;
  • Eucharistic Education and Catechesis
  • Have a year of the Eucharist
  • Publish a pastoral letter promoting Eucharistic Adoration
  • Diocesan website promoting Eucharistic adoration, list days, times and sites
  • Have parishes promote and list times of adoration

A diocese has and could attain perpetual adoration in every parish (or at least partial perpetual, extended exposition or some holy hours i.e. for remote parishes that are too small) when the bishop mandates it.  This could be the most effective way to achieve this goal. According to Canon Law, a bishop has the authority to do so.  A bishop can or may also prefer to request, invite and encourage this of his pastors.  When the bishop mandates something however, there will be more of an obligation for pastors and parishes to respond as best they can, even if they are the tiniest remote parish with a few members and can only offer an hour daily before or after Mass, when the priest will be one of the adorers, along with the holy angels. A bishop can also ask, invite and encourage the faithful of his diocese to make a weekly holy hour.

The benefits and fruits of adoration are unsurpassed.

A US diocese has round the clock adoration in 100% of its’ parishes, except a few have partial perpetual adoration. In this diocese, every Catholic teacher began bringing their class to make a regular holy hour at the parish.  Every pastor also holds a monthly holy hour assembly in every Catholic school, with of all the students in attendance in prayer and the Sacrament of Reconciliation is made available. This small diocese had ten ordinations to the priesthood annually – that’s about ten times the number of vocations as some other large dioceses.  This diocese attributes the great number of ordinations to having perpetual adoration in every parish.

Another US diocese has 50/51 parishes with 24 hour Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration.

A bishop wrote in the letter below: “Almost all of our parishes have Adoration chapels in this archdiocese”.

Prayer leads to the salvation and sanctification of souls.  If you want to help save more souls, then increase prayer of Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration as much as possible in parishes!

Canada is far behind. As of December 2019, before Covid, we knew of 533 sites with at least a tiny amount of exposition, including 30 sites with 24 x 7 perpetual adoration. This is out of the over 4000 parishes and many religious communities in Canada – so there is a huge untapped potential.

In every parish and diocese,  souls can become passionate about Eucharistic adoration.

Upon request, we will provide more documents to help bishops and dioceses to increase adoration.

WAYS BISHOPS AND DIOCESES CAN INCREASE EUCHARISTIC ADORATION

Invite and start a diocesan Apostolate of Eucharistic Adoration:

  • Adoration needs to be strongly promoted by every bishop and parish worldwide.
  • The Conferences of Bishops in Ireland and the UK have approved a national Apostolate of Eucharistic Adoration to branch into diocesan apostolates so that parishes will have weekly adoration.
  • We promote bringing/starting a national apostolate in other countries and local apostolates in dioceses.
  • We are open to assisting with bringing this into our nations and dioceses here.
  • Our North American Apostolate of Eucharistic Adoration with addresses in Canada and the USA, promotes and offers similar adoration sign-up/presentation weekends. We appreciate and are open to adding and implementing options that have been used by other apostolates successfully.
  • Consider inviting and forming a local diocesan apostolate of Eucharistic adoration.
  • This will consist of a team with lay persons (and there could be priests) from within each diocese and if possible each parish to provide adoration sign-up /presentation weekends to increase weekly hours of adoration in parishes.
  • When laity deliver a sign-up invitation/presentation (i.e. after Holy Communion during Mass, before the final blessing), it should not replace the parish clergy’s sermon.
  • The diocese can invite all parish priests and 1-2 appointed adoration coordinators per parish to a training workshop.
  • For more information and help starting this in your diocese, you are welcome to contact us HERE in North America to be connected with a member of our team who is also a member of national Apostolate of Eucharistic Adoration in Ireland. In her diocese, 70% of parishes now have some adoration.

Launch a Diocesan Spiritual Campaign for the expansion of weekly adoration throughout the diocese, in all parishes.

  • These are just suggestions as each diocese may have their own ideas on how to implement their diocesan spiritual campaign
  • For a diocesan or individual parish campaign, steps would be outlined in a sample Adoration Promotional Toolkit for recruiting, scheduling adorers and launching expanded adoration in their parish.
  • If a diocese is interested, they will be provided with a sample Adoration Toolkit which can be modified, to be presented/given to all parishes outlining how to recruit adorers to sign up for a weekly holy hour using various methods (sign-up weekend with forms completed and collected during each Mass, calls to parishioners on parish lists, online sign-up form etc.).
  • If a diocese launches a spiritual campaign, the bishop can invite each priest/parish to appoint and send an adoration coordinator to a training meeting on how to implement the campaign.
  • Parishes set goals such as:
    • Perpetual Eucharistic adoration throughout the 24-hour day; (168 hours a week may not be possible if parish has under 300 eligible adults, but aiming high can help to maximize response);
    • Extended Eucharistic adoration, beginning in the early hours of the morning and continuing until the evening;
    • Daily Eucharistic adoration during specific hours;
    • Eucharistic adoration during one or more days of the week during specific hours;
    • Daily hour, before or after daily Mass, or at other times when people can attend.
  • Campaign can begin in all parishes on designated date i.e. Ash Wednesday or September.
  • Expanded adoration can begin in all parishes on the designated date i.e. Corpus Christi or January.
  • Overall campaign and individual parish success could be reported later.
  • We have been collaborating with Stars of Peace/AdoratioFoundation. They helped their Bishop to launch a diocesan campaign. The result of their campaign in was a total increase of 447 weekly hours of scheduled exposition (i.e. 23,244 hours annually) and 894 new weekly adorers across the 84 parishes of their diocese.
  • A coordinators’ training meeting can be led virtually or in-person.
More details on how individual parishes expand and revive Adoration:
  • Individual parishes can have adoration sign-up weekends/campaigns.
    • Vital digital resources for expanding can be found through our website. A most efficient and effective traditional method used worldwide to recruit adorers is for parishes to have an adoration sign-up weekend. Parishes can contact us for remote (from a distance) or in-person assistance, or “Do It Yourself” Adoration Sign-Up and Coordinator resources to organize an adoration Sign-up Weekend.
    • During each Mass at a sign-up weekend, an inspiring message is delivered and Invitation sign-up forms to commit to a weekly holy hour are handed out along with pencils to all the faithful, duly completed and collected.
    • There is an option for parish clergy to preach the Sign-Up sermon (we provide samples) that include the the sign-up instructions. If preferred, we can send you a sample appeal to be delivered by a lay person after Holy Communion during Masses.
    • We provide comprehensive advance preparation instructions including pre-evangelization resources, all of the required organizational materials in digital format, sample sign-up sermons, a digital adoration scheduling database and follow-up. We also help to recruit, train and support a coordinating team of two or more laity from within each parish who will thoroughly coordinate the adoration and report back to the pastor, as requested.
    • Parish priests are amazed that usually 25-50% of adult parishioners sign up for a weekly holy hour! The response from your Sign Up Weekend, coupled with the parish priest’s decision, will determine the number of days and hours that weekly exposition of the Blessed Sacrament will take place.

Our Eucharistic centre would be grateful to assist in expanding adoration in parishes. Our apostolate will help to ensure that adoration gets expanded and renewed, is well organized and that the number of adorers is maximized.

Other ideas with links for bishops and dioceses interested in expanding adoration in their diocese:

If you have any questions, would like any help or information, a call or meeting (in-person or virtual), we would be delighted to hear from you.

We will continue praying for your efforts and success and are so grateful for all the good you are doing in these challenging times!

Most Respectfully Yours,

Apostolate of Eucharistic Adoration

Plan of the Congregation for the Clergy:

We can provide some assistance with the implementation of the following plan of action provided by the Congregation for the Clergy for the establishment and maintenance of Eucharistic Adoration in parishes:

Congregation for the Clergy on the promotion of continuous adoration – 2007

Promotion of Continuous Eucharistic Adoration In Diocese For The Benefit of Priests and Priestly Vocations 

CONGREGATIO PRO CLERICIS

Explanatory note to help promote the practice of continuous Eucharistic adoration in dioceses (parishes, rectories, chapels, monasteries, convents, seminaries) for the benefit of priests and priestly vocations

In his Apostolic Exhortation Sacramentum Caritatis, the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI concretized the perennial teaching of the Church on the centrality of Eucharistic adoration in ecclesial life by a direct appeal addressed to all pastors, bishops, priests, as well as the People of God, for perpetual Eucharistic adoration: “With the Synod Assembly, therefore, I heartily recommend to the Church’s pastors and to the People of God the practice of Eucharistic adoration, both individually and in community. (194) Great benefit would ensue from a suitable catechesis explaining the importance of this act of worship, which enables the faithful to experience the liturgical celebration more fully and more fruitfully. Wherever possible, it would be appropriate, especially in densely populated areas, to set aside specific churches or oratories for perpetual adoration. I also recommend that, in their catechetical training, and especially in their preparation for First Holy Communion, children be taught the meaning and the beauty of spending time with Jesus, and helped to cultivate a sense of awe before his presence in the Eucharist. (Sacramentum Caritatis, n. 67)

In order to support the Holy Father’s appeal, the Congregation for the Clergy, in its own solicitousness for the presbyterate, proposes that:

  1. Each diocese appoint a priest who will devote himself full time – as far as possible – to the specific ministry of promoting Eucharistic adoration and coordinating this important service in the diocese. Dedicating himself generously to this ministry, this priest will be able to live this particular dimension of liturgical, theological, spiritual and pastoral life, possibly in a place specifically set aside for this purpose by the bishop himself, where the faithful will benefit from perpetual Eucharistic adoration. Just as there are Marian Shrines, with rectors in charge of that particular ministry and suitable for its specific needs, it is also possible to have “Eucharistic shrines” – with priests in charge of them – which radiate and foster the special love that the Church has for the Holy Eucharist, worthily celebrated and continuously adored. Such ministry within the presbyterate will remind all diocesan priests, as Benedict XVI said, that “the secret of their sanctification lies precisely in the Eucharist.(…) The priest must be first and foremost an adorer who contemplates the Eucharist” (Angelus, 18 September2005); Specific places are to be reserved for continuous Eucharistic adoration. To that end, parish priests, rectors, and chaplains are encouraged to introduce the practice of Eucharistic adoration in their communities, both personally and communally,in a collective effortto enhance prayer life. Let everyone be involved, beginning with children preparing for First Holy Communion;
  2. The dioceses that are interested in this project might look for appropriate donations in order to organize continuous Eucharistic adoration in the seminary, in parishes, rectories, oratories, shrines, monasteries, and convents. Divine Providence will surely assist in finding benefactors who are willing to contribute toward suitable works to set in motion this project of Eucharistic renewal for the particular Churches, specifically: the construction or adaptation of a place of worship for adoration within a large worship building; the purchase of a solemn monstrance or a noble liturgical vestment; and the funding of liturgical-pastoral-spiritual material for such promotion;
  3. Initiatives directed at local clergy, especially those relating to the continuing formation of priests, should be always permeated by a Eucharistic spirit, specifically devoting a suitable time to the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, so that it may become– together with the Holy Mass – the driving force for each individual and communitarian undertaking;
  4. The modalities for Eucharistic adoration in different places may be diverse, according to the circumstances. For example: Perpetual Eucharistic adoration throughout the 24 hour day; Extended Eucharistic adoration, beginning in the early hours of the morning and continuing until the evening; Daily Eucharistic adoration during specific hours; Eucharistic adoration during one or more days of the week during specific hours; Eucharistic adoration for special circumstances, such as feast days and anniversaries.

The Congregation for the Clergy expresses its gratitude in advance to those Ordinaries who will become promoters of this project, one that is certain to renew the spirituality of both the clergy and the People of God in their particular Churches.

In order to more closely follow the development of this important appeal of the Holy Father, the individual Ordinaries interested in the initiative are kindly requested to keep this Dicastery informed of developments related to continuous Eucharistic adoration in their dioceses, indicating especially which priests and places are involved in this important apostolate.

Should further clarification on this matter be necessary, the Congregation for the Clergy stands ready to provide it.

From the Vatican, 8 December 2007

Francais:  http://www.clerus.org/clerus/dati/2007-12/04-13/Notafr.html

Solemnity of the of the Immaculate Conception of Mary

http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/vocations/vocation-directors/promotion-of-continuous-eucharistic-adoration-in-diocese-for-the-benefit-of-priests.cfm

monstrance-3483291_1280-660x350

Help and resources can be made available for local clergy to fulfill the ministry of starting adoration chapels in parishes in their own dioceses.

Only ordained clergy can provide a homily.  Lay missionaries/evangelists/speakers are able to provide a Sign-Up Invitation at Masses. There is a separate Apostolate of Eucharistic Adoration in  Ireland that has the approbation of their national conference of bishops.  It starts viable adoration programs (part-time or round the clock hours) in dioceses (expanding into Scotland and Wales) with the help of adoration presenters/organizers who visit the parishes to coordinate Sign-Ups:  http://eucharisticadoration.ie/about-us/  

Pastors who start PEA see how great it is and then when they are transferred to new parishes, they start new chapels. If any clergy who already have PEA in their parishes or are retired and want to help start it by being a guest homilist at a Sign-Up weekend, please feel welcome to collaborate with us or others. We are grateful to network with priests or laity who are willing and able to help in their area or elsewhere.

We thank all of the religious men and woman who are praying for the generation of Eucharistic Adoration and inviting people to adoration in their communities.

May every bishop, diocese, pastor, clergy, religious and the laity help to expand the number of parishes and Christian communities with PEA/EA!

In the USA, most dioceses already have a diocesan directory of all the adoration with exposition of the Blessed Sacrament taking places in parishes on their website. Canada needs to grow in this promotional initiative.

“We can deepen our awareness of God’s presence in our midst; in the sacraments and particularly in the Eucharist, in Scripture, through sacrifice and prayer, in adoration and ecclesial communion and through testimony and evangelization.” — Bishop Brendan O’Brien, President Emeritus of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops

Upon retirement, + Bishop Pearce Lacey enjoyed praying for three hours each day at St. Pascal Baylon Perpetual Adoration chapel near his apartment. He firmly urged that  PEA be started in parishes.  We were asked and commissioned by a Bishop who was a member of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops to be a centre for the promotion of adoration in Canada.

Cardinal Aloysius Ambrozic encouraged adoration and permitted us to help start chapels in parishes. His Eminence Cardinal Collins would like perpetual adoration in all parishes (Archdiocese of Toronto, August 2017, Cardinal’s Office). Since his installment as Archbishop of Toronto in 2007, he asked his pastors to start Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration. He even requested this at his very first meetings with all his priests. One of those meetings he chose to hold at Transfiguration of Our Lord in Etobicoke, ON. This parish has had round the clock adoration since we helped organize a Sign-Up weekend there ad the chapel opened in the Jubilee Year 2000. His Eminence met in person with a Eucharistic priest that helped start about 100 adoration sites and gave a blessing on the mission of starting new chapels. In addition, he personally requested an adoration chapel in Scarborough be restarted. We contacted that parish, helped organize a Sign-Up weekend there and the chapel was opened again.

Examples of what some dioceses have done and letters from Bishops
Diocesan News Bishop releases pastoral letter Details Friday, 14 April 2017 ‘Love Made Visible’ to encourage Eucharistic Adoration. Story by Reagan Scott
A pastoral letter on adoration of the Most Holy Eucharist Bishop James Conley Holy Thursday, 2017. en Español: El Amor Hecho Visible. Your browser does not support …

Above:  Bishop Christian Riesbeck with Archbishop Luigi Bonazzi, Apostolic Nuncio to Canada 

Photo credit: Archbishop Terrance Prendergast

 

Letter Cardinal Gagnon

Letter Bishop Bombay

Letter Cardinal Rigali.jpeg

Letter Bishop Germany

Promotional Message from a Bishop

Letter Bishop Baltimore





Archbishop MIchael Miller

Archbishop Regina SK

Letter Bishop India



Bishop Wayne Kirkpatrick on the Eucharist

Letter from Bishop McGrattan of Calgary AB promoting Eucharistic adoration for vocations

Letter from Archbishop Dampousse – English

Letter from Archbishop Damphousse – French – Apostolat de l’adoration eucharistique au Canada

“When we participate in His loving presence, made present in the Eucharist, we begin to live with the same divine life that He shares with His heavenly Father” (Most Rev. Raymond Roussin, when he was Archbishop of Vancouver BC).

Many thanks for the efforts of Canadian bishops to promote and generate more adoration, including in alphabetical order:

Cardinal Aloysius Ambrozic, Bishop Bayda, Bishop Des Bergie, Archbishop Donald Bolen, Bishop Bouchard, Bishop Bourgon, Bishop Michael Brehl C.Ss.R., Bishop Champagne,  Bishop Chatlian, Bishop Colli, Cardinal Thomas Collins,  Bishop Corriveau, Bishop Crosby, Bishop Currie, Bishop Cyr, Bishop Dabrowski, Bishop Marcel Damphousse, Bishop Daniels, Bishop Nicola De Angelis,  Bishop Guy Desrochers C.Ss.R., Bishop Diclair, Bishop Thomas Dowd, Bishop James Doyle, Bishop Andre Durocher, Bishop Fabbro, Bishop Faubert, Cardinal Edouard Gagnon, Bishop Gagnon, Bishop Gazaille, Bishop Gendron, Bishop Guay, Bishop Hansen, Bishop Hamelin, Bishop Harris, Bishop Huculak, Bishop Hundt, Bishop Jensen, Bishop Jodoin,  Bishop Kasun, Bishop Kirkpatrick, Bishop Krótki, Bishop Pearce Lacey, Cardinal Gerald La Croix, Bishop LaRocque, Bishop Le Gatt, Bishop Jon Hansen CSsR, Bishop Hegemoen, Bishop Lemay, Cardinal Francis Leo, Archbishop Christian Lépine, Bishop Lopes, Bishop Lortie,  Bishop Anthony Mancini, Bishop McCraig, Bishop William McGrattan, Bishop Daniel Miehm, Archbishop Michael Miller, Bishop Montiuk, Bishop Moreau, Bishop Morissette, Bishop Mouradian,  Bishop Michael Mulhall, Bishop Nassif, Bishop Nguyen, Bishop Nowakowski, Bishop Brendan O’Brien, Cardinal Marc Ouelett, Bishop Pelchat, Bishop Gerard Pettipas, Bishop Poisson, Bishop Poitras, Bishop Proulx, Archbishop Terrance Prendergast,  Bishop Christian Riesbeck,        Bishop Rodembourg, Bishop Raymond Roussin,    Bishop Sherlock, Bishop Richard Smith, Bishop Soro, Bishop Simard, Archbishop Francis Spence, Bishop Tabet, Bishop Terrio, Bishop Thévenot, Bishop Anthony Tonnos,     Bishop Valery Vienneau, and Bishop Vila.  Thanks to all of the other Canadian Catholic Bishops, clergy, religious and laity of the past, present and future.

This map of all of the dioceses of Canada is included here with the permission of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops and is available on their website with links for each bishop at:  http://www.cccb.ca/site/directory/map/en/dioceses_LR.php

Here is a brief history of the Church in Canada also outlined on the CCCB website.

Canadian bishops have affirmed the importance of Eucharistic adoration, viewing it as a natural extension of the Mass that deepens the faithful’s appreciation for Christ’s Real Presence. They encourage the practice of both individual and communal adoration, highlighting its role in fostering silence and contemplation, and have provided guidance on how to engage with this devotion.

Importance of adoration:
    • Natural consequence of the Mass: The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops has stated that adoration is a “praiseworthy practice” and a “natural consequence of the Eucharistic celebration”.
    • Deepens faith: Adoration intensifies the grace of the Mass and is seen as a way for the faithful to encounter Christ more fully outside of the liturgical celebration.
    • Connection to Christ’s presence: The practice is grounded in the belief of Christ’s “Real Presence” under the form of bread and wine.

Encouraging the practice:

  • Pastoral encouragement: Bishops encourage pastors and the faithful to engage in the practice of Eucharistic adoration.
  • Fostering contemplation: The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops has highlighted the importance of silence and contemplation, which can be fostered through practices like adoration and meditation groups.
  • Guidance for parishes: The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops has provided guidance on Eucharistic devotions, emphasizing that adoration is a core part of Catholic life.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Catholic_dioceses_in_the_United_States
Français : Les trente-deux provinces ecclésiastiques de rite latin aux États-Unis.
English: Geographical Latin riteRoman Catholic ecclesiastical provinces of the United States. Each of the 33 ecclesiastical provinces is a separate color. Eastern rite eparchies and dioceses are not shown.

Thank you to all US Bishops and international bishops for promoting and generating perpetual adoration and Eucharistic devotion.  There are too many individual bishops and cardinals to list here!

Thanks to the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops’ National Eucharistic Revival for endorsing our organization as approved collaborators!

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