By Joan King, Special to your Catholic Herald

Jesus asked his disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane to spend one hour with him. Most Catholics do that as they fulfill their Sunday Mass obligation. Some go a step further and attend Mass during the week. Others fortify their bond with Jesus by attending eucharistic adoration.

In his message opening the year of the Eucharist in 2004, Pope John Paul II noted that “to live the Eucharist it is necessary, as well, to spend much time in adoration in front of the Blessed Sacrament, something which I myself experience every day drawing from it strength, consolation and assistance.”

Pope Benedict XVI, in his 2005 Christmas greeting, stated, “It moves me to see, how the joy of eucharistic adoration is increasing throughout the church, and how its fruits are appearing. During the period of liturgical reform, Mass and eucharistic adoration outside of Mass were often seen as being in opposition. However, receiving the Eucharist means adoring him whom we receive.”

Many places, many hours

Many islands of eucharistic worship exist in the Milwaukee area, each established with the expectation that worshippers will fill the allotted times. Perpetual adoration has been ongoing for more than two decades at St. Mary, Elm Grove and St. John the Evangelist, Greenfield. Dedication of a newly remodeled visitation chapel at St. Mary on Oct. 7, 2005 marked 20 years of eucharistic adoration.

“With the grace of God and the Holy Spirit, there has been no problem in getting people to fill in the times (in a sign-in book),” according to Mary Schwartz, who with her husband, Joe, has assured that each hour is filled with at least two people over the last 15 years.

“In fact, there are a couple of people who are there every day or more than once a week. Some have had the same hour for 20 years. They come because they want to be there. It has been a blessing for our parish, including at least one vocation,” she said. (See related sidebar.)

St. John the Evangelist’s pastor, Fr. Richard Talaska, supports perpetual adoration by making it a homily topic, according to Kay Shamperlen who has been involved with eucharistic adoration since priests from New York spoke about it to the parish 21 years ago.

“Sometimes people hold back in committing to an hour, questioning ‘what if I can’t be there?’ No problem,” said Shamperlen, who will find a substitute. “Often the person(s) in the hour before or after will cover a last minute vacancy.”

Roots of devotion

With a strong family history of eucharistic adoration, Marge Chiuminatto oversees the 160 people who volunteer each week at the eucharistic chapel at Our Lady of Good Hope Parish, Milwaukee.

Adoration Monday through Saturdays is from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Captains are set up for morning, afternoon and evening segments to see that all times are covered.

Her father and a Jesuit uncle, to whom the Chiuminatto family dedicated the chapel they donated at Our Lady of Good Hope, fostered a deep love for eucharistic adoration. Chiuminatto recalls, as a child, falling asleep many times on a kneeler while attending eucharistic adoration with her father in the wee hours of the morning. On the eve of his recent funeral, Chiuminatto spent all night at the church with her 98-year-old father’s body as her tribute and last gift to him.

Kay Kusik of Mary, Queen of Heaven, West Allis, said, “In 1987 parishioners asked pastor Fr. Paul Esser for a eucharistic day of prayer on first Fridays. We began with 101 ‘adorers.’ After a few years, participation dwindled. Then, in 2004, a young mother of five expressed a calling for our parish to have perpetual adoration. Her enthusiasm, joined by other faithful, led to the creation of our adoration chapel. Current pastor Fr. Michael Merkt has developed Marian devotion. Men park their trucks and come in work clothes to make a visit. People are so careful to be quiet. The Holy Spirit has just moved in our church.”

The chapel is open Monday through Friday, from 3 until 7 p.m. and on first Fridays from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Since December 2005, St. Jerome in Oconomowoc has also increased eucharistic adoration from first Fridays to 24 hours weekdays beginning at 4 a.m. on Mondays to 5 p.m. on Fridays. The church is open daily, but special arrangements are made for early morning hours, as they are in other churches with non-daytime adoration hours.

For the last 10 years, parishioners at St. Eugene, Fox Point, have processed with the Blessed Sacrament to a chapel after the 7:30 a.m. Mass every Monday with adoration until 4:30 p.m.

“You can feel the presence of Christ when you come in,” according to volunteer coordinator Cele Voith. “It has been a tremendous blessing to the parish and the neighborhood. We have always been fortunate to have enough (worshippers) to see us through. Sometimes, people just come.”

From children to seniors

Robin LePage, St. Eugene parish secretary, notes that “as a young Catholic, I have learned a lot from speaking with (Eucharistic adorers) and feel that I missed out on something, not growing up with a sense of respect for holiness of the Eucharist that people participating in adoration exude. There is a beauty and dedication these people express for our Catholic roots.”

A eucharistic chapel is open 24 hours with the Blessed Sacrament exposed from 2 to 9 p.m. every Tuesday at the new St. Bruno Church in Dousman. Printed meditations and prayers are provided. “One lady just comes to sit in front of the Blessed Sacrament. All ages attend, including families who home-school. All show great devotion for the Blessed Sacrament,” according to St. Bruno coordinator Karen Warnes.

At several of the parishes, it is not uncommon to have classes of school children spend a few minutes in the church or chapel where the Blessed Sacrament is exposed. Most parishes post bulletin notices for open times. Some display posters and make announcements from the pulpit.

First Fridays mark the monthly eucharistic adoration at Holy Trinity in Newburg (also third Friday), Holy Angels in West Bend (also third Friday), Holy Family and St. Monica in Whitefish Bay, Holy Hill Shrine of Mary in Hubertus (also Tuesdays in the lower church), and the monthly all-night eucharistic vigil sponsored by the Legion of Mary, which changes locations each month.

“There are a lot of senior citizens,” said Barbara Bury of Holy Angels, West Bend, where adoration started 15 years ago. “One younger family comes at 3 p.m., always with several teens. The Legion of Mary group spreads the word. In hard times, more people attend. It’s a great blessing for the parish to have this. We use the crying room as it can be closed off.”

Jesus is the reason

“Why come? Really, Christ is the answer,” is how Dorothy Capper of St. Monica explained the experience. “There is a more personal friendship, more faith. We must educate people to the value of spending more time with the Lord.”

Gladys Schwarz at Holy Family passed on comments she has collected.

“It makes my week. For peace and strength, I picture Jesus as I see him at adoration and I find again the joy I receive when Jesus is with me.”

“The warmth and closeness of God – it’s like visiting an old friend.”

“I have such wonderful peace. All my concerns fall away in His presence.”

“It’s time for quiet prayer. It does a lot for me – just God and me.”

Why a holy hour?

The late Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen was an international proponent of eucharistic adoration. He observed a holy hour every day. In his autobiography, “Treasure in Clay,” he explained the value of that time:

“The purpose of the holy hour is to encourage deep personal encounter with Christ. The holy and glorious God is constantly inviting us to come to him, to hold converse with him, to ask for such things as we need and to experience what a blessing there is in fellowship with him....

“I have found that it takes some time to catch fire in prayer. This has been one of the advantages of the daily hour. It is not so brief as to prevent the soul from collecting itself and shaking off the multitudinous distractions of the world. Sitting before the presence is like a body exposing itself before the sun to absorb its rays. Silence in the hour is a tete-a-tete with the Lord. In those moments, one does not so much pour out written prayers, but listening takes its place.”

The Catholic Herald lists parishes in the Archdiocese with eucharistic Adoration. Information on beginning Eucharistic Adoration in a parish is available from the Archdiocesan Office of Prayer and Worship – (414)-769-3349. To find history and other detailed information plus adoration sites in the U.S. (by state) go to www.therealpresence.org

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