Diocese of Gary

Merrillville - Allison Maciejewski, a parishioner of St. John the Evangelist, sat before the Blessed Sacrament during adoration when she became overwhelmed by the feeling of Jesus’ love. During her time in prayer, she was placed in her grandma’s kitchen, a source of peace for her, where she sat next to Jesus and Mary at the table. The image touched her heart so deeply, affirming her of His love for her.

That moment of joy Maciejewski encountered provided another example of why she started the Eucharist Adoration Endowment Fund through the Catholic Foundation for Northwest Indiana.

“I wanted to start the endowment because I have received so many graces and experienced so much beauty in adoration,” she said. “I want everybody to be able to experience that and have access to that.”
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With the Eucharist Endowment Fund, Maciejewski and her husband Jim strive to enhance, expand and educate people about what they experience when they sit in adoration with the Eucharistic Lord. She wants them to understand “who's truly present for them and all the beautiful blessings that they can receive, and inspiration they can receive, by just sitting in His presence.”
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Just a year and a half old, the endowment has already started “bearing fruit” in the Diocese of Gary. The funds supported the construction of a custom-built altar by local carpenter Glenn Upchurch at St. Paul in Valparaiso. It funded a humeral veil and cope, special liturgical vestments, for St. Helen Church. It provided Holy Family in LaPorte the opportunity to paint and give a “facelift” to its adoration chapel. In addition, St. Stanislaus Kostka in Michigan City was able to add an Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant handrail.
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This year, three more parishes are receiving help to improve the adoration experience. On Oct. 13, Maciejewski delivered 24 eight-day candles, two gross red votive candles, one pound of incense and 100 Three Kings charcoal briquettes to St. Teresa of Avila Catholic Student Center in Valparaiso.
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“At St. Teresa of Avila Catholic Student Center, we have the unique mission of serving both our community and the students of Valparaiso University,” said Father Jacob McDaniel. “Like any church, we have the ordinary expenses of maintaining our facilities and providing opportunities for worship and prayer.”
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The chaplain explained that while the items received might seem like small things, the costs of candles, incense and other liturgical supplies add up over time. He said the generosity of the Eucharistic Adoration Endowment allows the church to continue providing a beautiful, reverent environment for prayer while directing its limited resources toward the Church’s broader mission.
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Father McDaniel stated that each item received is meaningful in the Catholic tradition. The sanctuary lamp serves as a constant reminder of the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the tabernacle. Votive candles provide a visible expression of the prayers that people bring before the Lord, while incense, which has been used in Christian worship for centuries, symbolizes prayers rising to heaven.
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“Together, these items help create an environment of beauty and reverence that reflects the sacredness of what takes place in our church and invites people into a deeper encounter with Jesus Christ,” he said.
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Father McDaniel believes one of the greatest gifts of the Catholic faith is the belief that Jesus Christ is truly present in the Most Holy Eucharist: Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. Eucharistic adoration allows the faithful to spend time with Him, not simply thinking about God or speaking about God, but actually being in His presence.
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“I often remind our students that so much of their lives is focused on doing something,” he said. “They are studying, working, participating in activities, building friendships, and preparing for their futures. Even in our spiritual lives, we can become so focused on what we are doing for God that we forget the importance of simply being with Him.”
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Father McDaniel added that “adoration reminds us that our relationship with Jesus Christ begins not with what we accomplish, but with His love for us. We don't have to perform, produce or accomplish anything in His presence. We simply have to be willing to spend time with Him. In a world that constantly demands our attention, Eucharistic adoration offers us the opportunity to be still, to listen, and to remember that our identity is rooted not in what we do, but in being beloved sons and daughters of God.”
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St. Teresa makes the church and adoration chapel available throughout the day so that students and community members can stop in for prayer whenever they need a few moments with the Lord. The building opens every day at 6 a.m. and closes at 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. During those hours, the church and chapel are available for prayer before the Blessed Sacrament reserved in the tabernacle. St. T’s offers scheduled Eucharistic adoration with Exposition during the academic year on Mondays and Wednesdays from 4 to 5 p.m. and Thursdays from 11 a.m. to noon.
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“My hope is that St. Teresa will always be a place where people know they can come to encounter Jesus Christ,” Father McDaniel said. “Whether someone has an hour to spend in prayer or just five minutes between classes, the Lord is there waiting for them.”
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St. Bridget in Hobart recently purchased a humeral veil and cope with funds received from the Eucharistic Adoration Endowment. Father Dominic Bertino has been the chaplain of the Serra Club of Northwest Indiana since 2014. Since 2021, members have gathered at St. Bridget for the monthly meeting on the third Monday of the month. This is preceded by a Eucharistic holy hour with benediction at 6 p.m. in the school chapel.

Father Bertino explained the primary goal in life for all the faithful is to attain the presence of God in heaven – and the practice of Eucharistic adoration is just that.

“It’s a practice for eternity when we will gaze at the face of our Creator,” he said. “The experience in time may limp a bit, but it is being in the presence of God.”
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Maciejewski is pleased the endowment can support these projects and looks forward to being involved with many more. She admits she’s an impatient person, but recognizes “it's all in God's time.” While the interest generated by an endowment can be slow, Maciejewski remains encouraged by the support and generosity of people who support the mission.
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“I am excited about how it's going,” she said. “I just have to be more patient.”
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When asked what her big dream for the endowment would be, Maciejewski shared that she would love to build an adoration chapel “in the middle of nowhere, where they do not have access to Jesus on a regular basis,” perhaps within Starke County.
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“I enjoy sitting in silence before Jesus and just receiving all the inspiration,” she said. “All the good ideas and all the good thoughts I have come from adoration. And I have to act on those, because if I don't act on them, they just keep poking me.”
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Maciejewski noted that the more she talks about adoration, the more people are open to discussing their experiences, or, if they are not familiar, eager to learn more. She believes that whether a person is Catholic or not, “knowing that you're in the presence of Jesus is appealing to anyone who has a faith background.”
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“I think that adoration is very uniting in a world that's so divided,” she said. “I think that just talking about Jesus, whether just talking about Him or talking about Him through adoration, piques people's curiosity and they just naturally want to know more.”
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The Catholic Foundation for Northwest Indiana is hosting the 10th annual Friends of the Foundation on Nov. 11 at Innsbrook Country Club in Merrillville. Mercy Grant and Eucharistic Adoration Grant recipients will be recognized at that time. For ticket information or more details on the Catholic Foundation endowment and grants, call Jennie Weer at 219-769-9292 or visit catholicfuture.org.