PERPETUAL ADORATION
Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament in the Chapel at St. John Neumann Church
Eucharistic Adoration is a traditional Catholic devotion which, like many other traditional devotions, seemed to be forgotten after Vatican II. Eucharistic Adoration is now finding its way back as a Catholic devotion thanks to the Holy Spirit and spiritual leaders like Pope John Paul II and Mother Teresa, just to name a few.
"The church and the world have a great need for eucharistic worship. Jesus awaits us in this sacrament of love. Let us not refuse the time to go and meet Him in adoration, in contemplation full of faith, and open to making amends for the serious offenses and crimes of the world. Let our adoration never cease." (Pope John Paul II, 'Dominicae', Feb 24, 1980)
"We all know, when we look at the cross, how Jesus loved us. When we look a the Eucharist we know how much He loves us now." (Mother Teresa)
Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration at St John Neumann's Chapel
Most Reverend Placido Rodriquez, CMF, Bishop of Lubbock, approved this Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration at St. John Neumann's Church on Laity Sunday, October 11, 1998.
Vatican Council II emphasized the importance of lay involvement in the Church's mission. It is the team principle of the laity doing the foot work, but always keeping the pastor informed that makes an adoration program work. The entire ecclesial commpunity - bishops, priests, religious, laity - the church in all her parts is called to this Eucharistic Adoration. This is one way to be prepared for the new evangelizaiton. Some of the benefits of adoration include greater spiritual peace, joy, healing, blessings and closeness to God. Above all these personal benefits, Perpetual Adoration helps us fulfill the mission of the Diocese as well as the mission of our Parish.
Who was St. John Neumann?
St. John Neumann, C.S.S.R., was born March 28th 1811, in Bohemia, he was baptize the same day in the church of St. James the Greater. He said "... our mother never missed a day hearing mass. She always took with her one or the other of the children who were not yet in school. She went to Holy Communion often and fasted not only on the fast days of the church, but at other times as well; my father however, did not approve of this. In my case there was needed at times the promise of a penny or something similar to bring me to Mass, rosary and Stations of the
Cross."
St. John Neumann chose as his espicopal motto the words: "Passion of Christ, strengthen me."
He had a deep concern for Catholic education and is called the father of the parochial school. He himself became a founder of a new congregation, the Congregation of the Philadelphia Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis.
Perhaps one of the greatest contributions Bishop Neumann made to the Church in America was to start the 40 hour Eucharistic Adoration, on the Feast of Corpus Christi in 1853. Maybe it is no coincidence that the parish whose patron had such devotion to the Holy Eucharist would be the first church in the Lubbock Diocese to embrace Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration.
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