“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
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.
We encourage each diocese 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 makes it mandatory. This has been 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.
The benefits and fruits 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 began having 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.
Helpful ideas are at this link: Increasing Adoration in Your Diocese 2023
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:
- 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;
- 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;
- 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;
- 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
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 asks that his pastors 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 the parish, helped organize a Sign-Up weekend there and the chapel was opened again.
Examples of what some dioceses have done:
- http://www.pjp2ea.org/pjp2ea/images/PJPII_Adoration_Directory.pdf
- https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2019-12/cardinal-o-malley-announces-year-of-eucharist-for-boston.html
- https://s3.amazonaws.com/archspmmainsite/Resources/Chapel+Address+2019.pdf
- Love Made Visible 3 pages double sided
- Love Made Visible – poscast
- Bishop Conley releases pastoral letter on the Eucharist – Catholic Diocese of Lincoln
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Diocesan News Bishop releases pastoral letter Details Friday, 14 April 2017 ‘Love Made Visible’ to encourage Eucharistic Adoration. Story by Reagan Scott
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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 …
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Above: Bishop Christian Riesbeck with Archbishop Luigi Bonazzi, Apostolic Nuncio to Canada
Photo credit: Archbishop Terrance Prendergast
- Bishop Christian Riesbeck asks for weekly adoration
- Pastoral Letter on Eucharistic Adoration from His Eminence Marc Cardinal Ouellet:
- 50th International Eucharistic Congress Dublin Ireland 2012
Promotional Message from a Bishop
Bishop Wayne Kirkpatrick on the Eucharist
Letters from a Canadian Bishop:
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 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, 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.
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!
Bishop Joseph E. Strickland proclaimed 2021 as a “Year of the Eucharist: Fostering Reverence for the Real Presence” as 2022 as a “Year of Mary and the Eucharist.”
Make Holy Hours for Bishops and clergy
Sample of what another diocese is doing that could be emulated:
Letter for Bishop – Increasing Adoration in Your Diocese 2023
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