Perpetual adoration returns to Boston after 40 year absence

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By Christine Williams

Comments: 19

Boston, Mass., Jul 27, 2009 / 10:26 am (CNA).- To see the image of God in Boston, a passerby need only look up

Two billboards featuring the Eucharist displayed in a monstrance tower over the streets in Brighton and East Boston. The words under the image read, “The Son’s rays for your soul.”

These advertisements are meant to get the word out about the return of perpetual adoration to Boston after a 40-year absence. St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine on Boylston Street will mark the start of adoration with a Mass celebrated by Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley on Aug. 15, the Solemnity of the Assumption.

From then on, the Eucharist will be exposed in a monstrance all day, every day, apart from regularly scheduled Mass times. Currently, the shrine offers adoration six hours or more daily.

Tim Van Damm, coordinator of the effort, said the grace at the already vibrant St. Clement community will be multiplied.

“Anytime the Lord is present 24-hours a day, seven days a week, people are changed,” he said. “This is a way to build spiritually and bring people together in prayer.”

Van Damm said that St. Clement, a community he has been active in since 2000, was a natural choice for perpetual adoration because it is a eucharistic shrine.

Cardinal Richard Cushing made St. Clement into a eucharistic shrine, staffed by the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary, in 1945. The sisters maintained perpetual adoration from 1945 to the late 1960s. The Oblates of the Virgin Mary began staffing the shrine in 1976.

The effort to bring perpetual adoration back to Boston is a direct response to the call of Pope Benedict XVI to have spaces dedicated to prayers for vocations and the sanctity of priests during the Year for Priests which began in June and runs to June 2010. St. Clement’s will be the designated site in the Central Region of the archdiocese.

Van Damm said the inspiration for his involvement came from his own need to adore the Lord in the Eucharist. Van Damm said adoration has “re-ignited” his faith and given him much peace.

Marie Baranko, another member of the St. Clement’s community, agreed. Before she came to the shrine, Baranko said she did not believe in Christ’s presence in the Eucharist. Raised Catholic, she had never before seen adoration. After being invited to the shrine by a roommate, she attended adoration and recognized Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.

“When you seek the truth, God honors that,” she said. “He reveals Himself to you.”

Her experience has also resulted in the discernment of her vocation. She will be entering the Sisters of Life order in September. She will be praying for the success of perpetual adoration at St. Clement’s from New York, she said.

“The shrine has played a major role in my vocation,” she said. “It’s centered around the Eucharist.”

She hopes that perpetual adoration at St. Clement’s will help others to “fall more in love with the Lord.”

Director of the shrine, Father Peter Grover, OMV said perpetual adoration has a “powerful effect” wherever it is instituted.

“Any church that emphasizes prayer is going to affect the Church of Boston as well as the community,” he said. “It will be a big grace in the city.”

In order to invite everyone to adoration at St. Clement’s, in addition to the billboards organizers are sending e-mails and posting signs in neighboring parishes. Van Damm has been a guest on two national radio shows and will be featured on CatholicTV’s “This is the Day” on Aug. 4 at 10:30 a.m. Organizers also hope to be able to buy advertising space on the MBTA’s Green Line subway trains.

Van Damm said the costly advertisements are “a leap of faith.”

For more information, to download a sign-up sheet or to donate to the effort, visit the Web site at www.adorationboston.org.

Printed with permission from The Boston Pilot.

Comments: 19

Subscriber comments:

Published by: Jack
Atlanta GA 08/02/2009 01:29 PM EST

"Our Lord does come down from heaven every day to lie in a golden ciborium. He comes to find another heaven which is infinitely dearer to Him -- the heaven of our souls." ST. THERESA OF LISIEUX

Published by: June Klins
Erie, PA, USA 07/28/2009 11:51 PM EST

Praise God that Perpetual Adoration has come back to Boston.We have had it for over 5 years in our parish and have been greatly blessed. I edit a publication to promote Adoration that can be downloaded for free. You can print my email address. jklins1981@verizon.net

Published by: Francis Xavier T
Washington, D.C. 07/28/2009 04:30 PM EST

Lord Jesus is The Lamb of God Who sacrified Himself for our sins. That is the core of Catholic teaching. The Lamb of God is to be shared among us, to take and eat so that He is in us; not to look and adore for 24 hours a day. I doubt that anyone of you would even staying there to adore Him for 24 hours. If you don't do that, why would you ask Lord Jesus to be inside a monstrance for display for 24 hours?

Published by: Michele Jezewski
Marblehead, MA, 07/28/2009 01:06 PM EST

I am very grateful that 24 hour Adoration has reached St. Clements in Boston. We are in absolute need of HIS GRACES especially if we do not actively protest ABORTION. I challenge each parish in the US to initiate 24 hour Adoration and also to promote Divine Mercy.

Published by: Maureen
Dayton OH USA 07/28/2009 12:59 PM EST

Regina -- I think you'll find that the early Christians didn't agree that "bread" was to be eaten only at the "meal". In fact, it was long the custom for the whole community to take home enough of the Eucharist to have communion with Jesus every day of the week. Thanks to practical reasons (rats) and the safety of the community (boy martyred protecting the Eucharist he carried), we no longer do that. But if you go to Eastern churches, and even some Western ones on Easter, people get to bring home blessed non-Eucharistic bread in memory of this still-regretted custom, when at every Christian house the Lord "dwelt among us" and was thus adored.

Published by: Muzhik
Iowa City, IA, USA 07/28/2009 10:04 AM EST

Rob, to answer your question, given the abortion rate and gay "marriage", I'd say they've been doin' nuttin'.

Published by: Doris Mucha
West Chester,PA/USA 07/28/2009 08:14 AM EST

Regina,

Please take the time to read all of John, Chapter 6. After Jesus multiplies the loaves and the fishes He goes on to explain His gift of the Eucharist. Many of His disciples walked away after His discourse. It was clear He was not talking about a symbol. We are called to eat His body and drink His blood. This is the fulfillment of the Passover of the old testament. Any prefigurement of the OT would necessarily be perfected in the New Testament. Jesus is the Lamb we have to consume to have eternal life. Please give this some study and prayer. God be with you. Doris

Published by: prayerwarrior4Jesus
Uvalde, TX 07/27/2009 09:20 PM EST

The Real Presence of Jesus during Eucharistic Adoration has transformed many parishes and communities. Many communities have seen a significant increase in priestly and religious vocations because of Eucharistic Adoration. The same Jesus Who walked this earth over 2000 years ago, hidden in the Living Host, waits for us to come to Him, to talk to Him, to listen to Him, to strengthen our relationship with Him—He is there! All we have to do is to come and bring our faith. And if we don’t believe, ask Him, and He will give faith to all those who struggle to believe in His Real Presence. Jesus said we have to be like little children and trust in Him and believe. I don’t know if this story is true or not, but I think it expresses the point well. A little boy was asked about the Presence of Jesus. With the simplicity and faith of a child he pointed to the crucifix and said, “Well, that looks like Jesus, but that’s not really Jesus.” And pointing to the Blessed Sacrament he said, “That doesn’t look like Jesus, but that really is Jesus.” Perhaps St. Faustina Kowalska said it best: “O Jesus, concealed in the Host, my sweet Master and faithful Friend, how happy my soul is to have such a Friend who always keep me company. I do not feel lonely even though I am in isolation. Jesus-Host, we know each other—that is enough for me.”

Published by: salome
nyny USA 07/27/2009 09:08 PM EST

Published by: Regina Schulte
Burlington, WI, USA 07/27/2009 11:13 AM EST
Rate: Bad
Eucharistic breads are to be shared--eaten at the memorial meal as symbolic of union with Christ and one another. Worshipping a wafer makes no sense at all.
+++++++++++++
you're 100% correct and we do NOT worship a wafer as that would be idolatry,right ? a careful/prayerful rereading of your Bible will help you understand ....John 6 for a start and i simply put the entire chapter as it is so beautiful to read and ponder and BELIEVE.

Published by: newman54
usa 07/27/2009 08:02 PM EST

you know....it touches my heart and my soul to contemplate the fact that when God came to earth....adoration was the first form of worship. And the Wise Men came to adore the Holy Child of God...in whom God dwelled. Oh come let us adore him....Christ the Lord. Amen.

Published by: Jack
Atlanta 07/27/2009 06:30 PM EST

Jesus said, "Take and eat" not "take and adore".

Published by: Richard
Boston 07/27/2009 06:13 PM EST

The Archdioces of Boston has several Perpetual Adoration Chapels in suburban parishes. Many parishes within the city aslo offer adoration, jsut not Perpetial Adoration.

Published by: Rob
San Diego CA USA 07/27/2009 05:08 PM EST

You mean to tell me that not one parish in Boston has had adoration the past forty years? What have they been doing over there?

Published by: Diane
Edmonton 07/27/2009 04:37 PM EST

Excellent news! This should have been done a long time ago. I hope now that there will be an awakening in souls to take back Massachussetts in the Holy State is once was! God Bless ALL the clergy for their hard work and endless efforts to bring back life in the blessed adoration of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Published by: Maria Trujillo
Plantation/FL/USA 07/27/2009 03:29 PM EST

Regina, I want to believe that you are a woman of faith. So, I say to you. We do not worship "a wafer". We worship Jesus Christ, The Real Presence of The Son Of The Living God. When God says, "This Is My Body", we take Him at His Word. Don't bring your human intellect to this, bring your faith in The Word Of God.

Published by: dAVID LARSEN
scituate Mass 07/27/2009 02:39 PM EST

We all receive Jesus Christ in body,blood ,soul and divinity. In the most Blessed Sacrament,Christ is always present,as He chose to be with each and everyone of us in this manner,in the Eucharist! A crucifix is a sacramental and one can pray before it,but it is not the same as THE SACRAMENT,which is Christ still with all of us in the Most Holy Eucharist. No Wafer! It is real,The fulness of Christ and to be perpetually adored. "Come let us Adore Him",to the Glory of God and in the Power of the Holy Spirit!! Amen!!!!!!!!!

Published by: Mary
Helotes, TX, United States 07/27/2009 01:32 PM EST

Regina, you don't understand maybe because you don't know the Catholic teaching on the Eucharist. We believe It is the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Thus the worship.

Published by: Barbara
Idaho 07/27/2009 12:20 PM EST

I wish the Idaho bishop would encourage adoration to the blessed sacrament. The church that does remodeled the chapel and decreased the sitting by half. Now there is no room for any non scheduled walk ins.

Published by: Regina Schulte
Burlington, WI, USA 07/27/2009 11:13 AM EST

Rate: Bad

Eucharistic breads are to be shared--eaten at the memorial meal as symbolic of union with Christ and one another. Worshipping a wafer makes no sense at all.

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