Many are reacting to Jesus’ words, even 2,000 years after they were originally said to the apostles. The promptings of the Lord to be in His presence have been the magnetism that has drawn faithful to Eucharistic adoration.
One response of the local Catholic Church to the National Eucharistic Revival has been to make their presence known and clamor for opportunities to prayerfully gather at sacred sites, answering in the affirmative Jesus’ question, “Have you not an hour to spend with me?”
In churches and chapels throughout the Diocese of Gary, believers have prayed before the Blessed Sacrament on an as-needed basis, have joined set praise-and-worship offerings and generally are learning about the Real Presence through new fellowship and resources.
The growth of Eucharistic adoration opportunities as a formal or structural response of the Church has advanced alongside a more organic or grassroots movement characterized by “pop-up” worship opportunities that are a direct response to specific requests of parishioners or holy hours initiated by mindful clergymen.
For about 18 months, St. James the Less has opened its doors for adoration holy hours on Monday evenings. Rain or shine, in sultry or below-freezing conditions, Calumet Region faithful have gravitated to the Highland parish.
“What I’ve been so impressed with is how it’s grown,” said Father Gregory Bim-Merle, administrator. “It brings me so much joy to see people taking advantage of the time and coming to pray and adore our Eucharistic Lord.”
Seniors prayerfully ponder as they share pews with individuals who could be characterized as a collegiate crowd. Some of the young adults bring with them traditional sacramentals and veils. All are visibly happy when they hear the bell rung by Father Bim-Merle as he enters to open an hour of Eucharistic adoration with benediction.
For some of that hour a queue forms before the confessional where Father Bim-Merle administers the sacrament of reconciliation. He hopes to prepare his flock to worthily approach the “source and summit of Christian life.”
Father Bim-Merle said, “I really believe that I would not have found my vocation to the priesthood without Eucharistic adoration.”
Before exiting the church after the holy hour, Our Lady of Grace parishioner Joyce Oboy shared that she had teetered about not coming to the gathering. Yet, despite the cold, she drove over, prompted by a strong spiritual signal. “He drew me,” she said, emphasizing the “capital H.”
“I’m praying for people – I know somebody who’s battling lots of cancer issues, and for another friend who is in hospice now. I’m bringing them to the Lord.” said Oboy, who showed her completed diocesan Eucharistic passport from which she reads a litany. “I’m from the age of (there being many) 40 hours devotions.”
Oboy continued, “This gives me quiet time; it’s very peaceful and you can forget about the cares of the world temporarily.”
Catholics who have long been on their faith journey, fortifying the walk-through Word and Sacrament, are complimented by some whose faith had lapsed but came back to life, or those coming from Protestant denominations whose history had split from the original understanding of the Bread of Life discourse of John :6.
Elijah Walker joined the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil last year, and it seems his transformation from a Pentecostal Christian was seamless.
“Just knowing that the Lord, in His divine love, makes Himself present to us as seemingly bread and wine is a challenging notion,” said Walker, a Purdue North Central student. “As a Protestant, the notion that Christ is present in the Eucharist would have been absurd to me.”
He continued, referencing Jesus’ words to Peter in Matthew: 16, “It’s only by the Holy Spirit that we get the epiphany that God is present in the Eucharist.”
St. James the Less also caters to a younger crowd than the Monday evening fellowship. A monthly Teen Adoration Night that offers worship, snacks and games has proven to be a hit, according to Director of Religious Education Emilija Lapas.
“We keep it a simple structure, and the kids seem to enjoy that,” Lapas said. “Teens are teens, and they haven’t really offered any feedback, but I’ve seen it. They keep coming back.”
She added, “I get them all prayer journals and I see them writing in them during times of silence.”
Ministering to the Merrillville faithful in his first year of priestly service, Father Steven Caraher was inspired to “renew” an age-old Church tradition at Holy Martyrs Parish, inviting all to participate in a devotional, yet lively, hour before the Blessed Sacrament.
“I know that I’ve encountered a lot of people who have invited a friend or brought somebody along … It seems like it has certainly been spreading by word of mouth, he said of the monthly gatherings which include a reflection and charismatic styles of church music.
The associate pastor of Holy Martyrs said people seek the peacefulness of being before the “body, blood, soul and divinity of the Lord.” That is not surprising to the Munster native, whose first exposure to the Real Presence was growing up at St. Thomas More.
Whether coming before the Lord in a monstrance or a tabernacle, he explained that during adoration God has “spoken most distinctly” to him about his calling.
Faithful in the LaPorte area are presented with opportunities to be in the presence of the Eucharistic Lord at a dedicated adoration chapel on the St. Joseph campus. Holy Family director of parish operations Madalyn Jozaitis said the religious resource is appreciated by many.
Groups such as the women’s Kingdom Builders set times to keep company with Jesus Christ manifested in a consecrated host. A growing number of people pop in for prayer.
“For us at Holy Family, we are blessed to have an adoration chapel where, not only can you go and have individual prayer time, but small groups and different friends and family members come together,” Jozaitis said.
Caption: Father Gregory Bim-Merle, pastor of St. James the Less church, raises a monstrance containing the Blessed Sacrament during a benediction at the weekly Eucharistic Adoration on the evening of Feb. 17 in Highland. At churches and chapels throughout the diocese, opportunities for the worship of the Eucharistic Lord have been increasing as a response to expressed interest of the faithful and the efforts of local clergymen. (Anthony D. Alonzo photo)
